OLIVET NAZARENE UNIVERSITY
PRESIDENT’S DESSERT RECEPTION for FACULTY, STAFF and RETIREES
THURSDAY, AUGUST 21
Welcome
THE PRESIDENT AND FIRST LADY
Tammy and I welcome you to the 75th gathering of faculty, staff, administrators and their spouses to kick off a new academic year! We will celebrate the achievements of co-workers, the progress of Olivet, and be reminded why thousands of constituents thrust big hopes upon us. They want us to succeed!
The theme of the evening is “The Year of Y’all” — in that southern English dialect, for you-plural. Work is demanding. We’re not good at it just by being in it. But when we bring ourselves fully to it, and craft intentions for our lives, massive impact occurs! Let’s take this Scriptural posture: “… press on and take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of [you]” (Phil. 3:12). We have great purpose from Him. We don’t want to respond like one drafted into a Christian Army. We want to be signing up for the Green Beret for Good! As you realize your potential, along with others, our collection of “you’s” is a spectacle of “y’all.” A fun spectacle.
I thank Tom Ascher and the entire Human Resources team for hosting the night, and our Media, Music, and Physical Plant teams for making the evening beautiful and help us remember our magnificent cause at Olivet.
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GREGG AND TAMMY CHENOWETH
PRESIDENT’S DESSERT RECEPTION for FACULTY, STAFF and RETIREES
WELCOME .....................................
Tammy Chenoweth First Lady
RECOGNITION OF SPECIAL GUESTS AND INTRODUCTION OF NEW FACULTY AND NEW STAFF .... Tom Ascher Director of Human Resources
PRESIDENTIAL RECOGNITIONS ....................... Tom Ascher
Years of Service Awards
Staff Member of the Year ......................
Dr. Gregg Chenoweth
Faculty Member of the Year University President
PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS ......................
“Year of Y’all,” Phil. 3:12
SPECIAL MUSIC
Dr. Gregg Chenoweth
Dr. Jeff Bell
“Alma Mater, Olivet” Professor, School of Music
Dr. Paul Kenyon, piano Professor, School of Music
DESSERT MENU
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MINI MOUSSE CUP
(Chocolate & Strawberry)
MINI CANNOLIS
MINI ASSORTED CUPCAKES ASSORTED CAKE POPS
ASSORTED MACARONS LEMON TIRAMISU
FRUIT CUPS
Gluten-free options upon request
FRUIT KABOB WITH A LEMON CURD SAUCE
2025 FACULTY MEMBER OF THE YEAR
Elizabeth (Lisa) Gassin, Ph.D., LCPC
Associate Dean of Institutional Effectiveness Professor of Psychology, Department of Behavioral Sciences
PSYCHOLOGY IS THE FIELD
where we learn the most about ourselves and the concrete relations we have with other people,” says Lisa Gassin, Ph.D., associate dean of Institutional Effectiveness and professor of psychology in the Department of Behavioral Sciences. “In terms of our own wellness potential — mental, physical, spiritual and relational — understanding psychology helps navigate that journey.”
Lisa studied human development at the University of California, Davis, and moved to the Midwest to continue her academic ventures through a master’s program at Purdue University, and then a doctoral program at University of Wisconsin, Madison.
In 1995, through the Church of the Nazarene, Lisa connected with William “Bill” Bell, Ph.D., and was encouraged to apply for a teaching position at Olivet. She served on faculty for three years until a Fulbright Scholar opportunity took her to teach at universities in Irkutsk and Ulan Ude, Russia. After a year back at ONU, Lisa left for a longer-term stay in Moscow. Three years later, when Dr. Bell retired from Olivet, Lisa was invited to return to teach at the University.
Over her 27 years as a faculty member, Lisa has mentored University Honors Program students and contributed to many research projects and papers, some with other Olivet faculty, including two recent projects with Kristian Veit, Ph.D. and Alison Young Reusser, Ph.D., which are funded by grants from the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. In 2007, Lisa’s teaching merits were recognized when she was awarded the Richard M. Jones Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence. In 2015, she received the Samuel L. Mayhugh Award for Scholarly Excellence.
Lisa has published and/or presented more than 40 solo projects plus 15 more contributions as the lead author and an additional 17 contributions to publications in journals and conference presentations around the world. Her work can be challenging, but Lisa optimistically views research and analysis as methods for personal and professional growth.
“It can be challenging when the data you gather doesn’t say what you want it to say,” Lisa says. “You’ve got to be humble, which makes for a good exercise in critical thinking. Things not going to plan can help with creativity — it forces us to consider if there are other ways to look at the problem.”
On multiple occasions, Lisa has consulted with Olivet’s accreditation team and developed campuswide surveys that were used to clarify institutional priorities. In 2024, she embraced a new position as associate dean of Institutional Effectiveness (IE). In addition to her new research-based position, she has maintained a partial course load of teaching that has allowed her to witness the human experience behind data points, both qualitative and quantitative.
“One of the reasons I wanted to help with IE was the ability to use my research skills in a way that would have fairly immediate impact for the campus community,” Lisa says of her work. “We use institutional research to meet government requirements and accreditation standards, but the ultimate goal is to help the University thrive by enhancing the student experience. Given that we look at effectiveness of programs, being able to speak into what affects students, particularly those who are at a disadvantage, has been very fulfilling.”
Lisa, for your commitment to institutional effectiveness, academic excellence, investment in the campus community, dedication to Olivet’s mission, and faithful service to our Lord, we salute you as the 2025 Faculty Member of the Year.
2025 STAFF MEMBER OF THE YEAR
Cynthia Taylor ’06 M.A., Ph.D.
Dean, Multiethnic Student Services
THE BEST PART OF MY JOB IS seeing a little bit of heaven here on earth as students, faculty, staff and administration come together to celebrate one another.” says Cynthia Taylor ’06 M.A., Ph.D., dean of Multiethnic Student Services. “You don’t have to totally understand everyone else’s experiences if you can engage in honoring and respecting the differences. The important thing is to commune with one another and welcome everyone to the table.”
Cynthia had just completed a counseling internship at Olivet while her son, Jasper, was a student, when she was asked to consider joining the full-time staff in Counseling and Health Services. Around the same time, Jasper submitted a proposal to form a student association, Multicultural Student Services, that would encourage students to celebrate their cultural heritages. Cynthia was eventually asked to coordinate the planning of two student events per year in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month and Black History Month. Her work over the past 10 years has led to the formalized development of Multiethnic Student Services (MSS) and the expansion of student programming on campus.
“I am so grateful to be able to pour into young adults spiritually, academically and culturally so they can develop a sense of belonging and purpose,” Cynthia says of her work. “Olivet is a microcosm of the world. What better way than to pour into students as they become change agents for a world that is so divided?”
MSS now supports six affinity groups, which include Asian, Black and Hispanic Student Christian Associations, as well as Pacific Rim,
international students and Olivet’s chapter of MuKappa (an intercultural student society). Each group is led by student officers who organize weekly Bible studies, participate in worship opportunities, share meals and host other activities to help students develop a sense of home away from home as they also integrate into the greater campus community. Cynthia and her MSS team also plan five to six annual campus-wide events to recognize culturally-significant holidays, festivals and commemorative months.
“My general mindset is: people don’t know what they don’t know,” Cynthia says. “I see my work at Olivet as an opportunity to raise awareness. We live in a world that is designed by God with differences, not deficits. In MSS, we want to raise self-awareness, but also challenge students to grow in their multifaceted identities. When I see students — and faculty and staff — flourish in who they are, that’s a win for me.”
Cynthia’s primary goal in her work is to be an advocate for encouraging constructive dialogue. She has overseen the expansion of a Civil Rights bus tour, the integration of Unity Week in partnership with the Office of Spiritual Life and increased retention of underrepresented students.
“Seeing our area become a department that’s sought after, included and valued has brought me so much joy,” Cynthia reflects. “I hope that when other people hear about Olivet, they are drawn in because they see that our campus community exemplifies the light of Jesus to the world by embracing the diversity of what God has ordained and created in our human experience.”
Cynthia, for your commitment to engaging with students so that they can establish an authentic sense of belonging that honors their background and broadens their perspectives on the future, and for your dedication to Olivet’s mission through faithful service to our Lord, we salute you as the 2025 Staff Member of the Year.
SEPTEMBER 2024–AUGUST 2025
New Staff
Names listed are those that were hired since the President’s Dinner in 2024.
Samuel Arns
Resident Director for Men Office of Student Development
Constance Beatty Perry Life Center Staff Office of Student Development
Grace Beatty Theatre Assistant Department of Communication
Dustin Blevins Assistant Coach, Track & Field Department of Athletics
Itzel Brown Administrative Assistant, Multiethnic Student Services Office of Student Development
Tim Daly Online Advisor Graduate and Continuing Studies
Hanna Diggory Assistant to the Registrar Office of the Registrar
Amy Forbes Outreach Coordinator Office of Counseling & Health Services
Marcelo Fretes Program Director Brilla.FM
DeShawn Gilbert Assistant Football Coach Department of Athletics
Karalyn Hewett Guest Experiences Events Manager Office of Admissions
Randall Kinder Recruitment Specialist Office of Admissions
Chad Koch Head Athletic Trainer Department of Athletics
Jenna Laken Admissions Counselor Office of Admissions
Karl Lotzer Military Support Specialist Office of Academic Affairs
Logan Lunsford Public Safety Officer Department of Public Safety
Matthew Maitlen Public Safety Officer Department of Public Safety
Emily Mantor
Assistant RD, University Place Office of Student Development
Ethan Mills
Resident Director for Men Office of Student Development
Hector Morataya Public Safety Officer Department of Public Safety
Ashton Nolte Admissions Counselor, Graduate & Continuing Studies Office of Admissions
Nicholas Orth Technology Coordinator Office of Admissions
Ashley Owen Staff Part-Time School of Theology & Christian Ministry
Viviana Perez Robalino Director of Spanish Ministry Brilla.FM
Meghan Peterson Biology Lab Manager Department of Biological Sciences
Stacy Plese Administrative Assistant Department of Public Safety
Charity Prairie Administrative Assistant Office of Student Financial Services
Ana Punches Director of Recruitment Office of Admissions
Noah Sears Marketing Media Specialist Office of Marketing & Engagement
Quonyel Shelton Admissions Counselor Office of Admissions
Molly Sherman Admissions Counselor Office of Admissions
Zoie Summers Data Coordinator & Research Specialist Office of Advancement Services
Kristin Sumner Administrative Assistant Office of Human Resources
Livia Throckmorton Full Stack Developer Office of Information Technology
Cole Tueck Third Shift Custodian Office of Building Services
Savannah White Admissions Counselor Office of Admissions
New Faculty
Ramsey Burgeson
Instructor, Family and Consumer Science
B.S., Interior Design, Olivet Nazarene University, 2022
Alissa Denault
Assistant Professor, Social Work and Criminal Justice
B.S., Social Work, Olivet Nazarene University, 2009
MSW, Aurora University, 2010
Dan Ferris
Assistant Professor, Business
B.S., General Engineering, Olivet Nazarene University, 1990
MBA, Olivet Nazarene University, 2001
Hammerskjoeld Munyaradzi Katongera
Assistant Professor, Computer Science Department
B.S. in Electrical Engineering, National University of Science and Technology, 2002
MSE specializing in Industrial Technologies, Bern University of Applied Sciences, 2016
Elizabeth Lowe
Assistant Professor, Nursing
B.S., Nursing, Olivet Nazarene University, 2021
MSN, Olivet Nazarene University, 2024
Tara Rewerts
Assistant Professor, Nursing
B.S., Nursing, Olivet Nazarene University, 2010
MSN, Olivet Nazarene University, 2011
Ryan Younger
Assistant Professor, Computer Science
BSc, Business Information Systems, Swansea University, 2001
Ph.D., Computing, University of West London, 2019
YEARS OF SERVICE RECOGNITIONS
5 YEARS
Faculty
Amanda Chorak
Andrew Hoag
Kristin Mathews
Tonya Peterson
Karen Smith
Simone Twibell
Nicole Vander Schaaf
Staff
Michael Conway
John Coursey
Brice Kudej
Brian Tiarks
David Brock
Antoine (AJ) St. Louis
10 YEARS
Faculty
Brooke Piper
Matthew Adamson
Hillary Cole
Suzanne Phipps
Ryan Himes
Dawn Schwartzkopf
Jonathan Fightmaster
Jeremy Lyle
Darl Rassi
Karen Leonard
Kathleen Meleskie-Lippert
Staff
Brett Hull
Scott Rattin
Angie Muhlstadt
Ann Nagi
Dale Gross
Keri Langan
Ryan Abrassart
Rob Forster
Doug Meister
Cynthia (Cindy) Hannay
Mark Wray
Laura Dreyer
Ann Smith
Kyle Rago
15 YEARS
Faculty
Kyle Olney
Rachel Guimond
Judson Strain
Staff
Adam Ollervidez
Allysa Macari
Doug Hewitt
Ben White
Lynn Nogoda
Margaret Szczech
Kristen Lewis
Troy Lovell
Warren Rogers
Justin Marshall
20 YEARS
Faculty
Willa Harper
Aggie Veld
Tiffany Greer
Charles Perabeau
Staff
Heather Hathaway
Donna Hoevet
25 YEARS
Faculty
Neal Woodruff
30 YEARS
Faculty
Greg Long
Matt Foor
Kent Olney
40 YEARS
Staff
Keith Reel
Matt Adams
Tom Ascher
Abigail Bagley
Camille Church
Chase DeMott
Devlin DeVore
Shemara Fontes
Jana Hacker
Zontavius Johnson
Kimberly Lynch
Allysa Macari
Andy Mize
Ann Nagi
Tania Negley
Mary Peeken
Hannah Priest
FOR 2024–2025
Staff Recognitions
• Earned a Master of Organizational Leadership (MOL) degree from Olivet.
• Earned a silver medal at the World Championships in the Scottish Highland Games.
• Selected as a coach for Team Navy at the Department of Defense Warrior Games.
• Became a member of the Board of Directors for United Way of Kankakee & Iroquois Counties in January 2025.
• Earned a Master of Social Work degree from Aurora University, May 2025.
• Completed the Olivet Nazarene University Leadership Institute.
• Completed the Olivet Nazarene University Leadership Institute.
• Completed the Olivet Nazarene University Leadership Institute.
• Completed the Olivet Nazarene University Leadership Institute.
• Passed the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) to become a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor.
• Named NAIA Women’s Indoor Track and Field National Assistant Coach of the Year for a second year in a row.
• Authored a peer-reviewed article titled: “Inherited Cancer Susceptibility Syndromes: Focus on Gynecologic Cancers,” published in the Clinical Journal for Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health (CJNPWH), Volume 2, Number 2, 2025 (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1891/CJNPWH-2514).
• Completed the Olivet Nazarene University Leadership Institute.
• Completed the Olivet Nazarene University Leadership Institute.
• Earned Chief of Staff Certification, Nova Chief of Staff.
• Master’s degree in business administration received in May 2025.
• Earned the Ed.D. in Educational Psychology from Regent University with a dissertation entitled, “Factors Related to Educators Staying in the Classroom.”
• Completed the Olivet Nazarene University Leadership Institute.
Hannah Sears
Elizabeth (Liz) Sonneveld
Houston Thompson
Staff Recognitions –
• Completed the Olivet Nazarene University Leadership Institute.
• Completed the Olivet Nazarene University Leadership Institute.
• Juried research proposal accepted for presentation at the Association of Healthcare and Human Services National Conference.
• Co-chaired the Grant Professionals Network with the Church of the Nazarene’s Global Education and Clergy Development Department
• Member of the National Grant Professionals Association
• Co-led a two-day grant training for African constituents of the Global Church of the Nazarene.
• Served as a supply pastor on the Southwest Indiana and Indianapolis Districts of the Church of the Nazarene.
Michelle Tong
Brian Utter
Aaron Wheeler
Susan Willis
Karen Wright
• Earned a master’s degree in library science (MLS) in December 2024.
• Sponsored and lectured at El Festival in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This two-day master class in film was live streamed globally in English, Portuguese and Spanish and launched a 90-day global film competition. September 2024.
• Participated with students at Christian Music Broadcaster University in Nashville, Tennessee. November 2024.
• Spoke and recorded several international podcasts at Third Wave Conference in Orlando, Florida. January 2025.
• Presented radio ministries at the M25 Conference in Kansas City, Missouri. February 2025.
• Presented a lecture at the Broadcast Educators Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, “Successes and Struggles at a Student Run Production Agency at a Local College.” April 2025.
• Led the Project Shalom media team in Guatemala and lectured on podcasting during the media camp. May 2025.
• Attended the Christian Music Broadcasters Momentum Conference in Orlando, Florida. May 2025.
• Completed required hours under supervision to sit for the licensure exam to become a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor.
• Completed the Olivet Nazarene University Leadership Institute.
• Completed the Olivet Nazarene University Leadership Institute.
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Faculty Recognitions
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES FOR 2024–2025
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Scholarship and Professional Development
Aram Agajanian
Daniel Allen
Brandon Arbuckle
Jeff Bell
• Advisor of Automatic Plasma Cartridge Changer-Peddinghaus and the co-adviser of VanFab Spool Production System senior design projects. Projects were presented, published and turned into posters.
• Allen, D. M., Glanzer, P. L., & Dougherty, K. D. (2025). A Hindrance or a Help? The Chapel Experience and Student Religiosity at a Christian University. Christian Higher Education, 24(1), 3-21.
• Allen, D.M., Brown, J., Chavez, L., & Christy, R. (2024). Blessing our communities: A study assessing Nazarene church involvement in local communities. Church of the Nazarene.
• Allen, D.M., Brown, J., Chavez, L., & Christy, R. 2024. Are We Blessing Our Communities? A Study Assessing Nazarene Church Involvement in Local Communities. Baylor Symposium on Faith & Culture, Institute for Faith and Learning, Baylor University, Waco, Texas.
• Presented brief six-week course of study on Models of Psychotherapy.
• Presented “Of a Certain Age” solo faculty recital at ONU, September 2024.
• Conducted Orpheus Choir in recording sessions of choral music, April 2025.
• Guest clinician for Lafayette (Indiana) Junior High School combined choirs, May 2025.
Nick Boros
Charles Carrigan
Steve Case
• Completed project with Dan Green on trying to improve parking for faculty and staff on campus, and submitted our findings to Olivet’s Office of Public Safety.
• Lead investigator on “Winter Chloride Levels in Bourbonnais Creek Reach 1/3 that of Sea Water,” presented during ONU Scholar Week, with five students and two faculty co-authors.
• Keynote speaker for workshop at the Royal Society on the correspondence of Sir John Herschel.
• Organized and spoke at a conference at the Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Society: “John Herschel, the Last Polymath.”
• Published Cambridge Companion to “John Herschel” (Cambridge University Press, May 2024).
• Published “Creatures of Reason: John Herschel and the Invention of Science” (University of Pittsburgh Press, November 2024).
Sonya Comer
Kelsie Davis
• Completed Doctoral Thesis: Self-Care as an Indicator of Success for the Undergraduate Music Education Major.
• Director of ONU Theatre fall play: “33 Variations,” by Moisés Kaufman.
• Oversaw “Orbecche” play reading (in collaboration with General Studies).
• Director of ONU Theatre Spring Musical: “Tuck Everlasting,” based on the novel by Natalie Babbitt.
Scholarship and Professional Development
Scott Dombrowski
Dan Green
Willa Harper
• Oversaw several Green Room student-led productions throughout the year.
• Director of Professional Theatre Conference (in collaboration with George Wolff).
• Director of Weekend of One-Acts (final presentation of Directing class).
• Change of Heart Press: Production of a few series of “zines” that share my documentation of two generations of underground music scenes. Series included:
• I Love You, Kid — which showcases my documentation of punk and hardcore bands and some of their stories between their influence on my life in the ’90s and early 2000s as well as the newly formed scene in Kankakee through the Kankakee Arts CoLab.
• Xenador — an exploration and discussion of cultural issues as seen from a comparison of Gen X and Gen Z worldviews.
• The Screwtape Emails — a ChatGPT collaboration to create letters in the vein of C.S. Lewis’ “The Screwtape Letters,” exploring spiritual responses to contemporary issues.
• Presentation with Nick Boros: A Statistical Analysis of Parking at ONU, to the Office of Public Safety.
• Supervised student poster presented at the ACS Spring 2025 Meeting and Expo in San Diego, California. “Synthesis of Uranyl Fluoride Heterocyclic Complexes via One-Pot Dehydration Reaction,” Grant D. Wheeler, Lucas W. Henderson, James A. Kaduck, Bruce J. Heyen and Willa S. Harper.
Dale Hathaway
Luc Henderson
Ryan Himes
Andrew Hoag
David Hoekman
• Book published: “Letters from a WWII Airman: How his faith sustained him,” Kharis Publishing, 2025.
• Led students in testing local CBD products for THC content at the request of the Bradley Police Department; presented findings to the Bradley village Board of Trustees.
• “Analysis of Olivet’s Historical Electricity Consumption and Proposal for Solar Battery Installation.” Scholar Week presentation with Honors student Anna Shoup.
• Co-led a session for Olivet’s Scholar Week for the publication of this year’s edition of TYGR Student Art and Literary Magazine.
• Presentation: Becksfort, J., D. Hoekman. 2025. Effects of Small-Scale Burning and Mowing on Restored Prairie Plant Communities. Poster Presentation: WILD THINGS 2025 conservation and educational program of Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves, Rosemont, Illinois.
Matt Jacklin
• Artist in residence for the Hear Here Festival (Albuquerque, New Mexico) — three-week intensive composer/choreographer collaboration and performance.
• Release of the first ONU Steel Band CD, “Here Goes Nothin.”
• Hippenhammer Grant recipient — “Bridging the Gap of Pedagogical/Compositional Materials in Steel Pan Improvisation.”
• Guest Artist Western Illinois University (Macomb, Illinois) — a duo recital with professor Tyler Carpenter (Illinois College).
• Faculty Recital/Scholar Week presentation, ONU.
• Sunport Serenades Recital Series (Albuquerque, New Mexico), multiple performances.
• College Church Recital Series.
Scholarship and Professional Development –
Josh Johnson
Marvin Jones
Paul Kenyon
• Guest speaker for a Turning Point USA event, March 27. The talk was entitled, “Faith in Action: The Christian Call to Public Engagement.”
• Guest high school choir director for ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International) Music Festival, along with accompanist Dr. Paul Kenyon.
• Active in the Music Teachers National Association and present regularly at local and state meetings. In October, I gave a presentation on developing student’s musical interpretive skills to the Southern Chicago Area Music Teachers Association.
• Oversaw and performed on the “Music at College Church” concert series, presenting six concerts each year utilizing the Ovid Young Steinway, and frequently featuring faculty members from the ONU School of Music.
• Presentation of a series of musical programs at the Riverside Westwood Oaks Senior Living facility in Kankakee. Six programs offered this past year, often including ONU students and faculty.
Parry Kietzman
Karen Knudson
Mary Beth Koszut
Elyse Lamszus
• Engineering senior project sponsor: provided feedback to three engineering students developing and installing solar power and a water catchment/storage system at the Swanberg Sanctuary.
• Presentation on the topic: “King Solomon’s Time-Traveling Ship in Malory’s Quest of the Holy Grail” at the Medieval Out of Time and Space conference in September 2024.
• Featured in an article written about my current series by Steve Case for Olivet the Magazine. https://www.olivet.edu/news/making-art-from-the-everyday/.
• Article: “We were the land: Displacement and Language in Diane Glancy’s Pushing the Bear” was published in Friendship, Hospitality, and Christian Exchange: A Festschrift in Honor of Michael Vander Weele, edited by Timothy Hendrickson (Dordt Press), summer 2024.
• Submitted chapter to They Didn’t Give Up: Olivet Faculty Tell Their Stories of Persistence, Olivet Nazarene University, 2025.
Jeremy Lyle
• Article: “Independent sets in K 6-free graphs with large degree,” for Discrete Mathematics.
• Article: “Graph Theory meets the Birthday Problem” (with D. Hathaway), submitted to The Mathematical Gazette.
• Article: “Counting Unit graphs of finite rings” (with J. Brown and A. Nelson), submitted to Communications in Algebra.
Heather McLaughlin
• Submitted chapter to They Didn’t Give Up: Olivet Faculty Tell Their Stories of Persistence, Olivet Nazarene University, 2025.
• Heather McLaughlin & Ava Tueck, presentation, 2025. “Studio Production Workshop.” CreaCom Media Camp, Iglesia del Nazareno Norcentral. Guatemala City, Guatemala. May 10, 2025.
• Heather McLaughlin & Ava Tueck, presentation, 2025. “Documentary Video Production Workshop.” CreaCom Media Camp, Iglesia del Nazareno Norcentral. Guatemala City, Guatemala. May 9, 2025.
• Heather McLaughlin & David Gonzalez, presentation, 2025. “Narrative Video Production Workshop.” CreaCom Media Camp, Iglesia del Nazareno Norcentral. Guatemala City, Guatemala. May 8, 2025.
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Scholarship and Professional Development –
• Heather McLaughlin & Madison Zeldenrust, presentation, 2025. “Public Speaking Workshop.” CreaCom Media Camp, Iglesia del Nazareno Norcentral. Guatemala City, Guatemala. May 8, 2025.
• Heather McLaughlin, presentation, 2024. “Storytelling.” Designed to Communicate Media Camp, Church of the Nazarene Eurasia. Vlaardingen, Netherlands. July 5, 2024.
Beth Patrick-Trippel
Scott Ragan
Kyle Robinson
• Submitted chapter to They Didn’t Give Up: Olivet Faculty Tell Their Stories of Persistence, Olivet Nazarene University, 2025.
• Attended NCA this past year.
• Presentation at the 10th Forensic Congress of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in Seattle, Washington, November 2024. The paper was entitled, “Determining Tornado Velocity for Tornado Force Coefficients for a Thin-Cylinder Structure and Comparison to ASCE 7.”
• A senior design project was entered in the NCEES student design competition in spring 2024. The project was an affordable house design. The project was awarded an honorable mention for the competition.
• Another senior design project was entered in the NCEES student design competition in spring 2025. The project was a Shine.FM building addition project. The results of the competition are forthcoming.
• Presentation for the Phi Delta Lambda society at ONU’s Homecoming titled: “Word and Image: The Holiness Legacy of Adam Clark” on Oct. 25, 2024. Based on my research for the same titled exhibit that I created and opened in the spring of 2024 in the Holiness Reading Room on campus.
Beth Schurman
• Mentored three University Honors projects presented together at the Illinois Association of Teachers Conference in November.
• Submitted chapter to They Didn’t Give Up: Olivet Faculty Tell Their Stories of Persistence, Olivet Nazarene University, 2025.
Jon Seals
Madeline Shepley
• Yale University Art Exhibition: curator/participant in artwork at Yale Institute For Sacred Music. Exhibition title: “Symphonia: Dialogues of Landscape, Ritual, and Resilience.” Featured Artists: Joanne Aono, Karen Azarnia, Jon Seals, Michelle Wasson. January 23–March 6. Reception and Talk: March 6. Also provided a watercolor workshop at Yale’s Marsh Botanical Garden for faculty and staff. Sponsored by the ISM’s Religion, cology, and Expressive Culture Initiative.
• Solo art exhibition, “Reflections: Watercolor Notations of Natural Phenomena,” Brooker Creek Preserve Environmental Education Center, Tarpon Springs, Florida. December 14–February 23. Also provided a watercolor workshop on location that was open to the public.
• “Some of the Best Things in Life Are … Impromptu: Strickler Planetarium’s March 2025 Lunar Eclipse Observing Party,” (GLPA Illinois State Meeting, April 2025).
• Invited to a Q&A session by IU’s Astronomy Club (February 2025).
• “Taking Flight Amongst The Stars: From BSU Grad Student to ONU Planetarium Director and Professor,” (Ball State University Physics and Astronomy Colloquium, November 2024).
• “Perspectives of an Alumna” (IU invited lunch talk to current physics and astronomy students, November 2024).
• “Charting A New Course: Improvements to HIST 372 Captain Cook Visualizations” (GLPA Annual Conference, October 2024).
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Scholarship and Professional Development –
• “Exoplanets 101” (Kankakee Public Library Talk, June 2024).
• Did a Digistar official tutorial class to unlock more knowledge about the basics of the software.
Matt Stratton
• Adjudicator for Illinois State Marching Band Championships.
• Florida Music Educators Conference, presentation on “Practical Tips for Fine Tuning Your Ensemble with HD300.”
• Adjudicator/clinician for Midwest Music Festival.
• Adjudicator/clinician for Illinois Music Educators Association Festival at Northern Chicago.
• Adjudicator/clinician for Festivals of Music.
• Spring concert at The Grove.
• Bands of America Summer Camp, three presentations in Director’s Academy, and master classes for tuba and euphonium students.
Nick Troendle
Nicole Vander Schaaf
Kristian Veit
• Mentored Honors student Grace Beatty in her research project: “DNA Metabarcoding of Bombus Pollen In Kankakee County.”
• Identification of Microbial Species Using an Instance Segmentation Model. Davis, C., Lange, A., Blaszczyk, S., Heldt, H., Vander Schaaf, N., & Manjarrés, J. (2024). 2024 IEEE International Conference on Bioinformatics and Biomedicine (BIBM), 4901-4908.
• Advancing Women’s Health through HPV Testing in Papua New Guinea. Oral Presentation, invited guest speaker for a meeting of Zonta Club of Kankakee, Kankakee County, Illinois. February 2025.
• Screening for High-Risk HPV in Kudjip, Papua New Guinea and the Validation of a Low-Cost HPV Detection Assay. Oral Presentation, co-presented with student Lucy Martinson, Scholar Week, Olivet Nazarene University, April 2025.
• Presentation: Young Reusser, A. I., Veit, K. M., Gassin, E. A., & Case, J. P. (2024). Countering online toxicity with benevolence: Findings from Reddit, interviews, experiments. [Paper]. 2024 Association for Psychological Science Annual Convention, San Francisco, California.
• Study on “Correlating loneliness with a facet-level measure of personality” was accepted for presentation at the 2025 APA Annual Convention in Denver, Colorado.
• Five of my students presented their Quantitative Research Project at the 2025 Associated Colleges of the Chicago Area (ACCA) student symposium. They are as follows:
– Hall, K. (2025, April). Exploring the relationships between victim and participant sex with victim-blaming attitudes. [Paper presentation]. Associated Colleges of the Chicago Area Student Symposium, Lewis University, Romeoville, Illinois.
– Haugen, R. (2025, April). Exploring the relationships between competition, winning, achievement-striving, and learning enjoyment. [Paper presentation]. Associated Colleges of the Chicago Area Student Symposium, Lewis University, Romeoville, Illinois.
– Kessler, N. (2025, April). Does non-chronic illness impact willingness to aid in research? [Paper presentation]. Associated Colleges of the Chicago Area Student Symposium, Lewis University, Romeoville, Illinois.
– Meinert, N. (2025, April). The impact of exposure to varying degrees of violence in movie synopses on self-perceived attractiveness and body satisfaction among male and female participants. [Paper presentation]. Associated Colleges of the Chicago Area Student Symposium, Lewis University, Romeoville, Illinois.
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Scholarship and Professional Development –
– Rubien, J. (2025, April). Relationship between male first-year student success and RA quality. [Paper presentation]. Associated Colleges of the Chicago Area Student Symposium, Lewis University, Romeoville, Illinois.
• Mentored a student who presented her study at the 2025 MPA meeting. Her study is listed below:
Wadhams, E. (2025, April). Perceptions of autism spectrum disorder in females. [Poster presentation]. Annual Meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, Illinois.
Aggie Veld
Neal Woodruff
• Submitted chapter to They Didn’t Give Up: Olivet Faculty Tell Their Stories of Persistence, Olivet Nazarene University, 2025.
• Adjudicator for the American Choral Director’s Association National Honor Choir Auditions.
• Adjudicator for the National Association of Teachers of Singing National Student Auditions.
• Adjudicator for the Classical Singer National Convention Student Auditions.
• Clinician for the Oak Lawn School District Chorus; Conductor for the ONU Spring Musical “Tuck Everlasting.”
• Conductor for Olivet’s 88th annual performance of Handel’s Messiah.
• Conductor for Olivet’s 112th annual Commencement Concert.
• Vocal soloist for ONU Faculty Jazz concerts.
Advanced Degrees Earned and Professional Development
Wilfredo Canales
Sonya Comer
Heather McLaughlin
• Ph.D. in Latin American Studies, Mention Communication and Culture, Universidad de Arte y Ciencias Sociales (University of Art and Social Sciences, UARCIS), Santiago, Chile. June 19, 2024.
• Doctor of Music Education (DME).
• Hubspot Inbound Marketing Certification, June 2025; Hubspot Content Marketing Certification, June 2025.
Recent Scholarship Grant Recipients
Aram Agajanian
Charles Carrigan
• McGraw STEM Student Engagement Program grant of $926, allowing five students and I to attend the IEEE Nexus Conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on November 12, 2025. At the NCEES competition, our Olivet students won an award for $10,000.
• ONU Catalyst Funds: Student Scholarships for Geology Field Course to the Southwest U.S. National Parks.
• McGraw Engagement Grant: Student Scholarships for Geology Field Course to the Southwest U.S. National Parks.
COLLEGE
Recent Scholarship Grant Recipients
Steve Case
Bruce Heyen
Ryan Himes
Matt Jacklin
Josh Johnson
Parry Kietzman
Jon Seals
Dan Sharda
• Hippenhammer Grant: “Herschel Archives in London and Norwich, UK.”
• McGraw STEM grant to help with attending the national American Chemical Society meeting with another faculty and three students to present their research.
• Pence-Boyce grant for research during summer of 2025 with a student.
• Helped secure $3,540 in rebates from ComEd’s Energy Efficiency Program.
• Hippenhammer Grant.
• The Craighton and Linda Hippenhammer Faculty Scholarship Grant ($750).
• Hippenhammer Grant.
• Pence-Boyce Scholarship (with student Francesca Baisler).
• Funding for exhibition at Yale was provided by the Institute of Sacred Music’s Religion, Ecology, and Expressive Culture Initiative and Olivet’s Hippenhammer Faculty Scholarship Grant.
• McGraw STEM grant of $3,100 for design and installation of off-grid solar at the Swanberg Biological Sanctuary.
• Funding supported three engineering students to design and purchase needed supplies, provide power, and enable many additional opportunities out at the Sanctuary.
Madeline Shepley
Nicole Vander Schaaf
• McGraw STEM Engagement Grant for the ESS 399 trip.
• McGraw STEM grant of $1,029.58 was awarded for my research project with students entitled, “Identification of Microbial Species Using Deep Learning Technology.”
Professional Leadership
Aram Agajanian
Mark Bishop
Justin Brown
• Initiated and coordinated the Engineering faculty to meet regarding ABET assessment, senior design projects, and sharing of faculty teaching and learning experiences.
• Mentored the new Engineering faculty.
• Advisor for the IEEE Student Club. IEEE Student Club, which includes monthly meetings with Club officers.
• Advised students to perform some PCB (printed circuit board) design work using the Altium software under the guidance of James William, Peddinghaus robotics engineer.
• Completed fifth year as a Resident Director on campus in the University Place Apartments. Responsible for two Resident Assistants and 90 male residents, and conducted many one-on-one meetings.
• Mathematics program external reviewer for Greenville University.
• Reviewed two articles for Mathematical Reviews. These can be found at https://mathscinet.ams.org.
Sonya Comer
Kelsie Davis
David Hoekman
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Professional Leadership –
• Kankakee Valley Music Educators Association president.
• Summer Music Camp at ONU director.
• ONU Theatre director. Green Room Theatre Company supervisor/producer.
• Chair, ground beetle Technical Working Group (TWG) for the National Ecological Observatory Network. https://www.neonscience.org/about/advisory-groups/twgs.
• Taught various field courses in different field settings, representing ONU, promoting the reputation of ONU, building inter-institutional connections, and graining valuable research and teaching experience that makes me better equipped for my work here on campus.
• Taught a three-week Insect Ecology class at the Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies (May–June).
• Taught a four-week Field Ecology class at the Wheaton College Science Station in the Black Hills (June–July).
• Served on the Academic Programs Committee for the Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies.
Josh Johnson
Mary Beth Koszut
Elyse Lamszus
Jeremy Lyle
Heather McLaughlin
Scott Ragan
Kyle Robinson
Joe Schroeder
Matt Stratton
Nicole Vander Schaaf
• Director of Constitutive Relations and Student Recruitment for The Center for Law and Culture.
• Planned and facilitated the Fall Art Symposium, a mini-conference for all art majors at the beginning of the semester. This involved organizing faculty, alumni, and professionals in the field to give presentations for students as we begin the school year.
• Evaluator for Sigma Tau Delta’s Spring Awards Cycle in May 2025.
• Reviewer for Discrete Applied Mathematics.
• Reviewer for Utilitas Mathematica.
• Board member, Los Angeles Film Studies Center 501c(3).
• Faculty mentor for the ASCE student group at ONU.
• Vice president, Kankakee County Historical Society.
• Faculty advisor for Olivet SAE-Baja competition team, 2024–2025.
• Faculty advisor for ASME Olivet Student Section, 2024–2025.
• Brass caption supervisor: The Cavaliers.
• Faculty co-advisor for the Biophilic (Biology) club.
• Co-leader of the summer 2025 Papua New Guinea missions trip with five Olivet students.
• Co-host of Honors Day 2024.
Aggie Veld
• Faculty sponsor for the National Science Teacher Association.
Community Engagement and Recognition
Aram Agajanian
• Support the Armenian Apostolic Church community.
• Member, Knights of Vartan (KOV) organization, which serves the needs of the Armenian community.
• Contribute to the Armenian Mekhitaryan Catholic High School organization.
• Support our two nieces financially and spiritually.
• Provide help to several individuals here in Kankakee area both through financial and moral support.
Jeff Bell
Mark Bishop
Nancy Bonilla
Nick Boros
• Weekly volunteer at Center of Hope (Kankakee) Sunday service.
• Olivet Resident Director with all its needs and demands throughout the year.
• Nursery worker, College Church University Avenue.
• Answer BBCHS parent questions about Early Scholars program.
• Involved parent of athletes, for example, hosted team dinner for BBCHS girls’ basketball team.
• Led the Garden Ministry at the Manteno Church of the Nazarene, until it closed last fall. Went with students to judge the oral part of high school math competitions in the fall and spring semesters.
Wilfredo Canales
Charles Carrigan
Steve Case
Sonya Comer
Kelsie Davis
Scott Dombrowski
• Serve as an editor for Synergy Ministries, a Spanish/English translation and publishing service company for evangelical churches in the U.S. and Canada.
• Various ministry/speaking opportunities in connection with Hispanics in the USA-Canada region, throughout the Church of the Nazarene.
• Associate pastor for Hispanic Ministries at Kankakee First Church of the Nazarene.
• Coordinator of the Master of Ministry in Hispanic Ministry Program at the School of Theology and Christian Ministry, Olivet Nazarene University.
• Instructor in USA-ONU-Master of Ministry Program (Spanish).
• Speaker, at the Peru North Pacific District Pastoral Retreat, July 2024.
• Speaker at Latin American Theological Fellowship (Fraternidad Teológica Latinoamericana), Theological Consultation, October 2024, Buenos Aires, Argentina/Virtual.
• Board secretary, College Church University Avenue.
• Lead organizer for the Olivet River Keepers Kankakee River Clean Up Day, where faculty and students volunteer along the Kankakee River.
• Kankakee City Planning board member.
• Wright in Kankakee board of directors.
• Played keys at GatheringPoint Church of the Nazarene.
• Participated in Community Theatre production of “A Christmas Carol.”
• Vacation Bible Party at College Church University Avenue, summer 2024.
• Work with the Kankakee Arts CoLab to develop art programs and events, along with documenting the music side of the program through its various venues.
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Community Engagement and Recognition –
Dan Green
Willa Harper
Dale Hathaway
Luc Henderson
Bruce Heyen
Ryan Himes
• Developed questions for a local high school math competition and helped judge oral presentation for two such competitions.
• Affiliate with a group of Catholic sisters and serve on the affiliate board. Presented on faith/science integration to the group.
• Completed the Michigan Olympic length Triathlon on August 11, 2024, raising money for clean water for World Vision.
• Led the audio/visual tech team at my church.
• Volunteer for Vacation Bible School and AWANA.
• Active with Kankakee Valley Theater Association. Vocal director for two of their shows during the 2024–2025 season.
• Served as a musician and children’s programming volunteer at Manteno Church of the Nazarene.
• Christmas kettling for The Salvation Army.
• Volunteered for Riverside Healthcare’s “Making Strides Against Cancer” walk/run.
• Volunteered at Shabbona Elementary School.
Andrew Hoag
David Hoekman
• Served in GatheringPoint Church of the Nazarene’s Be Rich serve day, packing meals for underprivileged families.
• Volunteered to serve at GatheringPoint’s Night to Shine prom for individuals with disabilities in Kankakee County.
• Completed mentorship training through GatheringPoint’s leadership and discipleship training to serve as a mentor and small group leader through the church.
• Participated in the Kankakee River clean-up day.
• Liturgist during worship services at Asbury Methodist Church.
• Peer reviewer for the journal Hydrobiologia.
• Presented at the Rotary Club about the Swanberg Sanctuary.
• Presented at “Green drinks” — a local chapter of an environmental organization — on our restoration work at the Swanberg Sanctuary.
• Joined the local chapter of Strong Towns, a community organization advocating for safe, livable, inviting, resilient communities.
Josh Johnson
Daniel Kender
Paul Kenyon
Parry Kietzman
• Served on my church’s worship team.
• Participated in our church’s tutoring ministry, tutoring in a variety of subjects including computer science and mathematics.
• Participated in a ministry at College Church University Avenue called, “Blessing Our Community.” As part of this work, we engaged in outreach and canvassing activities in the neighborhood around the Hidden Glen apartments on Stadium Drive.
• Fundraising assistance, Griffin Gate Equestrian Team (501c3 nonprofit).
• Winter and spring concerts, Kankakee Valley Symphony Orchestra (violin).
• Co-leader, Anglican Creation Care Ministry Network.
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Community Engagement and Recognition –
Mary Beth Koszut
Elyse Lamszus
Karen Leonard
Jeremy Lyle
• Taught first grade religious education classes weekly at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Peotone, as well as volunteered at variety of events at St. Paul’s Lutheran School in Bourbonnais.
• Volunteered for HedgeApple Arts Center, Empty Bowl’s event with Olivet students. We made bowls to donate to raise funds for food insecurity in Kankakee as well as worked at the event.
• Served as an usher and in the nursery at my local church. Also ran the Chicago Marathon in October 2024 with Team World Vision, raising over $13,000.
• Served as a reviewer for several journals: System, the International Journal of Applied Linguistics, and the International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching.
• Judge for the State ICTM Competition.
• Judge for the River Valley Mathematics Competition.
• Judge for the Beecher Mathematics Competition.
Heather McLaughlin
• Served at River Valley Christian Fellowship in children’s ministry and media.
• Helped my husband with a smoothie business, providing smoothies at events in the local schools and at the farmers market.
Scott Ragan
Darl Rassi
Jeffrey Rice
Kyle Robinson
• Faculty Mentor for the ASCE student group at ONU.
• Led a group of 200 volunteers from the Apostolic Christian Church in a multi-year project that entails writing Sunday school curriculum and lesson resources.
• KCC IT Program Advisory Committee.
• Kankakee Area Career Center Advisory Committee.
• Grace Baptist Church, Deacon Board.
• 2024 Christmas Choral, Ordinary Dads Making An Extraordinary Difference.
• Presentation of my exhibit talk for “Word and Image: Exhibiting the Holiness Legacy of Adam Clarke” titled “Walking through Material Studies in British Methodism” to the College Church Wesley Cell on Oct. 27, 2024.
• Volunteer: Rhubarb Festival, Kankakee County Museum, May 18, 2025.
• Committee member, Kankakee County Museum & French Heritage Museum: Bastille Day Festival 2025.
• Committee member, Kankakee County Museum: Kankakee County Museum sports exhibit, spring 2025.
Joe Schroeder
• Kankakee Symphony Orchestra, bass trombone.
• American Lutheran Church, Bourbonnais: council member, discipleship chair, assisting minster, lector, worship leader, and musician.
• Official and referee for many swimming and diving competitions, local USA-Swimming clubs, YMCA, high schools, and colleges throughout the nation.
Dan Sharda
• Volunteer at various Bourbonnais schools.
• Led the Kankakee Tennis Summer League, which included tennis matches from the end of May through the beginning of August.
Community Engagement and Recognition –
Madeline Shepley
Matt Stratton
• Participated in the Biophilic Club’s trash clean-up day behind Shephard and Shabbona schools.
• Volunteered at various church activities this past year.
• Moderator for an online writing group called Inkwells and Anvils.
• Co-leader of the young adult group at my parish.
• Tigers Marching Band fall community service project of raking leaves.
• Tigers Marching Band winter community service project of shoveling snow.
• Worked with Youth for Christ to relaunch the Drumline and ColorGuard for Youth in Kankakee.
Nick Troendle
• Committee member for the Kankakee River Basin Commission.
• Board member for the Kankakee Valley Theater Association.
• Through the Olivet Animal Care program, I supervised nearly a dozen community education programs serving around 600 community members through local schools, libraries, and partnered with the Kankakee River State Park and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to host an event for the public at their locations.
• Partnered together with Dr. Kietzman and the DuPage County Forestry Preserve in the preservation of the critically endangered Blanding’s Turtle here on our campus.
• Training and consultation at MidAmerica Nazarene University, helping them gain use of genetic sequencing and analysis so that they can bring that technology into their courses.
Nicole Vander Schaaf
• Volunteered in Community Cup Church of the Nazarene’s “Youngest Worshippers” ministry (August 2021–present).
• Volunteered in Community Cup Church of the Nazarene’s Worship Arts team (February 2023–present).
• Director of Hospitality at Community Cup Church of the Nazarene (December 2022–present).
• Served as NMI president and delegate on the church board at Community Cup Church of the Nazarene (February 2024–present).
David Van Heemst
Kristian Veit
Aggie Veld
Michael Wade
Jonathan Weber
• Assisted departmental students with their internships in variety of places from local shelters to the state’s attorney’s office and beyond.
• Statistical consultant for Manteno Church of the Nazarene (the MC MileStones group) and a methodological/statistical consultant and researcher-in-residence for PlasticityBoom, LLC.
• Served lunch to the Crete Police Department on behalf of Veld Visio Center.
• Helped with The Garden of Prayer Youth Center (GOPYC) of Kankakee, for their Super Bowl fundraiser. Also volunteered with Total Deliverance Church of the Nazarene, visiting and playing music at the local senior center in Kankakee.
• Invested in various engineering students who worked on projects in Reed labs and the tech center.
FOR 2024–2025
Faculty Recognitions
COLLEGE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
Recent Scholarship Grant Recipients
Amanda Chorak
Rachel Guimond
Tiffany Greer
Laurie Hofman
• With the School of Education, received additional ECACE Grant funds for Child Development and Early Childhood programs for 2022–2025.
• Worked on the HRSA Scholarship for Disadvantaged Students with an Olivet team in hopes of receiving grant funding.
• Worked on the HRSA Scholarship for Disadvantaged Students with an Olivet team in hopes of receiving grant funding.
• Received $250 seed money from Thrivent Action Team’s Community Impact Card for Student-Teacher Self-Care Sessions, Teddy Bear Clinic, Day to Play, Trunk or Treat, Education Emphasis Day, and purchased The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt for students.
Amber Residori
Dawn Schwarzkopf
• Secured two annual $1,000 scholarships from Riverside Medical Center for nursing or biology ROTC students (2023–present).
• Secured two annual scholarships from Riverside Medical Center for nursing students covering their junior and senior year tuition.
• Recipient of the PNC Grow Up Great Grant for $25,000.
• Recipient of two Thrivent Grants ($500 each) for Kappa Delta Pi Trunk or Treat and Kappa Delta Pi Education Emphasis Day.
Scholarship Projects (Completed)
Janet Chaney
Amanda Chorak
Jasmine Cieszynski
• Recorded presentation. (2024). Practitioner Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment. POLST Illinois: Emergency Medical Professionals & First Responders.
• Presentation. (May 2024). Nurture and Therapeutic Touch: Infant & Parent Attachment. Success By Six Trauma Summit.
• Recorded presentation. Healthy Parenting Series: Mental Health Parenting Curriculum. Olivet Nazarene University Center for Faith & Family.
• Recorded presentation. Healthy Parenting Series: Importance of Play Parenting Curriculum. Olivet Nazarene University Center for Faith & Family.
• Scholar Week presentation. (April 2025). Stewarding Scholarship, Special Collections, and Funds: Migrating the University’s Institutional Repository from Digital Commons to JSTOR Forum. Olivet Nazarene University.
• Cieszynski, J., Contreras, L. (May 2025). Restructuring an assignment to match education student readiness. CARLI Instructional Showcase Lightening Talk.
Scholarship Projects (Completed) –
Hillary Cole
Laura Contreras
Jonathan Fightmaster
Amy Flynn
Pam Greenlee
Tiffany Greer
• Completed a semester-length needs assessment with Social Work senior students to explore ONU traditional undergraduate student experiences with food insecurity.
• Scholar Week presentation with Social Work Practice III fall 2024 students. (April, 2025). Food Insecurity Among ONU Undergraduate Students: A Community Needs Assessment. Olivet Nazarene University.
• Led Social Work program curriculum transition from CSWE 2015 accreditation criteria to 2022 standards.
• Cieszynski, J., Contreras, L. (May 2025). Restructuring an assignment to match education student readiness. CARLI Instructional Showcase Lightening Talk.
• Scholar Week presentation. (April 2025). Using the Carnegie Model to Evaluate Rigor Within an Academic Department. Olivet Nazarene University.
• Provided private educational consulting for preparation of three-year re-evaluations, IEP development, connecting families to community-based resources and programs, and promoting open collaboration between school teams and client families.
• Johnston, A. S., Hathaway, D. K., Hugo, A., Marcukaitis, M. W., & Greenlee, P. (2024). Strategies for retaining generation Z student employees. The Christian Librarian, 67(1), 3.
• Contributed a personal piece to the collaborative Olivet Persistence book, They Didn’t Give Up.
• Keynote speaker. (February 2025). Real Life Community Church Women’s Breakfast.
• Preached multiple times at Highland Nazarene Church and once at Real Life Community Church.
Rachel Guimond
Laurie Hofman
• Scholar Week presentation. (April 2025). Using the Carnegie Model to Evaluate Rigor Within an Academic Department. Olivet Nazarene University.
• Hofman, L., Nummela-Hanel, B., Lippert, K., & Rodrigues, C. (2024). Perceptions of university culture and community among online adjuncts. Christian Higher Education, 23(5), 464–483.
• Presentation. (August, 2024). Perceptions of University Culture and Community Among Online Adjuncts. Concordia University Irvine’s Annual Faculty Development Day.
• Scholar Week presentation mentor for student Mackenzie Doolittle. (April 2025). Analyzing Second Grade Teacher Perceptions of Using the Mood Meter as a Tool to Integrate Emotion Identification with Mathematics. Olivet Nazarene University.
Ann Johnston
Lance Kilpatrick
Kimberly Lynch
• Johnston, A. S., Hathaway, D. K., Hugo, A., Marcukaitis, M. W., & Greenlee, P. (2024). Strategies for retaining generation Z student employees. The Christian Librarian, 67(1), 3.
• Completed Parts I and II of the Title II Federal Education Report for United States Department of Education.
• Completed the Illinois Annual Program Report for the Illinois State Board of Education.
• Completed the IPES Standard Alignment for all Education Licensure Programs for the Illinois State Board of Education.
• Lynch, K. (2025). Inherited cancer susceptibility syndromes: Focus on gynecologic cancers. National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health, 2(2).
COLLEGE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
Scholarship Projects (Completed) –
Kristin Mathews
• Presentation. (June, 2024). Understanding Positionality: Addressing Bias and Understanding Culture. Golden Apple Summer Institute for Rising Juniors, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois.
• Virtual presentation. (July 2024). Understanding Positionality: Addressing Bias and Understanding Culture. Golden Apple Summer Institute for Rising Freshmen. Juniors.
• Virtual presentation. (February 2025). Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leading Standards: Aligning, Enacting, Assessing, and Reflecting. Center for Success. Lake Barrington, Illinois.
• Presentation. (October 2024). Teaching in the 21st Century. Bishop McNamara Catholic School.
• Scholar Week presentation mentor for student Abigail Lovell. (April 2025). Effects of Older Siblings Within Families on Social-Emotional Behaviors in Early Childhood Classrooms. Olivet Nazarene University.
Kathi Meleskie-Lippert
• Presentation. (August 2024). Perceptions of University Culture and Community Among Online Adjuncts. Concordia University Irvine’s Annual Faculty Development Day.
Tonya Peterson
Amber Residori
• Dissertation Defense. (March 2025). Faculty Perceptions of Neurodiverse College Students and Neurodiversity-Affirming Practices. Governor’s State University.
• Scholar Week Presentation. (April 2025). Faculty Perceptions of Neurodiverse College Students and Neurodiversity-Affirming Practices. Olivet Nazarene University.
• Contributed a personal piece to the collaborative Olivet persistence book, They Didn’t Give Up.
• Presentation. (February 2025). The Importance of Relational Leadership, Olivet Nazarene University Leadership Institute.
• Virtual presentation. (December 2024) Swimming in Deep Waters. Provision Living’s Leadership Team.
• Presentation. (November 2024). Flying Lessons. Olivet Nazarene University Honors Banquet.
• Presentation (November 2024). Wrap-Up Session: Lessons Learned. Olivet Nazarene University Leadership Institute.
• Presentation. (June 2024). Welcome to Our Family: Ready, Set, Go. Closing Speech for Olivet Nazarene University Orientation.
• Virtual presentation. (Ongoing). Ethics and the Office: Swimming in Deep Waters. The North American Association of Christians in Social Work CEU Online Workshops.
• Publication. (2024). Parent Guide: The Process of Becoming. Olivet the Magazine.
Josh Riley
Dawn Schwarzkopf
Judson Strain
• Scholar Week presentation. (April 2025). Using the Carnegie Model to Evaluate Rigor Within an Academic Department. Olivet Nazarene University.
• Scholar Week presentation. (April 2025). Hosted a teacher panel, principal panel and student-teacher panel. Olivet Nazarene University.
• Hosted eight-week, fall and spring semester PNC Parent-Child Interactive Workshops.
• Scholar Week presentation. (April 2025). Participated in the History Department’s Roundtable Reflection on the summer 2024 academic trip to the UK: Traveling in Captain Hook’s England. Olivet Nazarene University.
COLLEGE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
Scholarship Projects (Completed) –
Shelly Stroud
Cynth Veronda
Michael Watson
• Presentation (December 2024). Olivet’s Criminal Justice Program. Bradley Bourbonnais Rotary Club.
• Scholar Week presentation with student Grady Lara-Monterossa. (April 2025). Drugs and the Impact on the Criminal Justice System Enforcement. Olivet Nazarene University.
• Presentation (June 2024). Sharing Strategies to Support Student Persistence to Reach Their Goals. ECACE Consortium.
• Scholar Week presentation. (April 2025). Fishers and Men: Subsidiarity and Property-Rights Environmentalist Solutions to Overfishing. Olivet Nazarene University.
• Speaker at Olivet Nazarene University’s Honors Program Immigration Symposium.
Jeff Williamson
• Book published. (2024). Joy Cafe: Rediscovering Community, Connection & Belonging.
Professional Leadership
Matt Adamson
• Advisory Board for Kankakee Community College.
• Eastern Illinois Law Enforcement Association board member.
• Conviction Integrity Unit for Kankakee County at the request of the State’s Attorney.
• Proctored Kankakee Police Recruit Testing.
• Rewrote and proctored the Kankakee Police Detective Exam.
Kelly Brown
Tina Burton
Amanda Chorak
Jasmine Cieszynski
Cathy Dillinger
Tom Edwards
Susie Enfield
John Fightmaster
Anne Figus
• Treasurer for Illinois Association of Colleges of Teacher Education.
• Senior pastor of Resurrection Community Church of the Nazarene.
• ECACE Scholarship & Grant Program Child Development Program Director.
• In collaboration with Deb Kimberlin, co-chair of the Kappa Omnicron Nu National Honor Society for Human Services local Olivet Chapter - Kappa Delta Rho.
• Helped Grace Christian Academy gain access to the State Library pre-paid databases.
• Riverside Medical Center Nursing Advisory Board.
• Sigma President.
• Diakonia faculty sponsor.
• Kappa Sigma faculty counselor.
• Sigma International Nurse Leader Review board member.
• Academic Liaison for Athletics.
• Faculty Athletics representative.
• SUFACS Club advisor.
• American Society of Interior Design Student Chapter sponsor.
COLLEGE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
Professional Leadership –
Tiffany Greer
Rachel Guimond
Lance Kilpatrick
Deb Kimberlin
Kimberly Lynch
Tricia Mills
Doug Neilson
Tonya Peterson
Suzanne Phipps
Brooke Piper
Amber Residori
Josh Riley
Yvette Rose
Dawn Schwarzkopf
Karen Smith
Shelly Stroud
Cynth Veronda
Jeff Williamson
continued
• Illinois Association of Colleges of Nursing Vice-Chair.
• Youth pastor and board member for Highland Church of the Nazarene.
• RISE Program Director.
• Provided Grief Counseling to Staff Members of Uplifted Care.
• Director of the ECACE Project.
• Co-Director of the Teacher Education Program.
• Chair, EPP Committee.
• Board of Directors, Kappa Omicron Nu National Honor Society.
• Governance Committee Member of Kappa Sigma.
• President of Sigma Beta Delta Honor Society – Olivet’s local chapter.
• Oversaw School of Business Investment Club.
• Director of Academic Advising, fall semester.
• National Association of Family Nurse Practitioners founding member.
• National Association of Family Nurse Practitioners co-chair of the Awards and Recognition Committee.
• Program Director, Special Interest Group, National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties.
• Kappa Sigma Leadership Succession committee member.
• Provided weekly License Clinical Social Work (LCSW) supervision to a local social worker and Olivet alumni.
• Provided ongoing mentorship and leadership consultation to community leaders from various organizations.
• FALCON-AI literary courseinstructor for faculty.
• Fortitude Community Outreach board member.
• Director of the Early Childhood Education program.
• Chapter counselor for the Nu Beta Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi Educational Honor Society.
• Led Selah, Olivet’s Nurses Christian Fellowship.
• Vice president of the Board and Executive Council for Child Network.
• Executive Council and board member for Kankakee County Re-entry Opportunities.
• ECACE program coordinator.
• Led strategic planning process for the Kankakee Valley Symphony Orchestra Board.
Advanced Degrees Earned and Professional Development
Matt Adamson
Tina Burton
Tiffany Greer
Laurie Hofman
Kristin Mathews
Tonya Peterson
Lauren Rouse
Jeff Williamson
• Glock Armorer School Certification, and Retired Police Officer Annual Firearms Qualification.
• Master of Arts in Pastoral Leadership from Olivet Nazarene University.
• Renewal of District Minister’s License in the Church of the Nazarene.
• Masters of Education in Social-Emotional Learning, Mindfulness and Yoga from Woolf University.
• Ed.D. in Curriculum and Teaching from National University.
• Ed.D. in Interdisciplinary Leadership in Higher Education from Governor’s State University.
• Certified Health Education Specialist.
• Renewal of Gallup-Certified Clifton Strengths Coach.
Community Engagement and Recognitions
Matt Adamson
• Announcer at Kankakee Trinity Academy charity basketball game.
• Led the Missions Team Ministry at Calvary Bible Church.
• Led the Men’s Group and Adult Sunday School at Calvary Bible Church.
• Served as Security at Calvary Bible Church.
Amanda Chorak
• United Way Success by Six Steering Committee & Coalition member.
• United Way Strong Neighborhood House Program.
• Healthy Families of Illinois advisory board.
• Theraplay County Planning Committee events member.
Jasmine Cieszynski
April Clark
Hillary Cole
Laura Contreras
Jeremy Croy
Cathy Dillinger
• Volunteer at Manteno Church of the Nazarene VBS and Nursery.
• Volunteer for Manteno School District Show Choir.
• Volunteer at Night to Shine event.
• Power of the Purse volunteer.
• Volunteer at Bishop McNamara Catholic School.
• Volunteer at Maternity BVM Parish.
• Volunteer at Bishop McNamara Catholic School.
• Volunteer at Maternity BVM Parish.
• Assisted with Girl Scouts Troop.
• Medical Team Lead at A Night to Shine event.
• Power of the Purse volunteer.
• United Way volunteer.
• Baby Talk volunteer.
• Honor Flight Chicago volunteer.
COLLEGE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
Community Engagement and Recognitions –
Tom Edwards
Susie Enfield
John Fightmaster
Anne Figus
• Feed My Starving Children volunteer.
• Sweet Darren’s volunteer.
• American Red Cross Sound the Alarm volunteer.
• Gideon’s International member and co-chair for the Gideon State Conference.
• Volunteer at GatheringPoint Church with Senior High Youth and Media Team.
• Vice-Chairperson of the Board of Directors for Maternity BVM Credit Union.
• Warm Their Hearts Service Project for Kankakee Animal Control.
• Created after-labor care packages for new moms at the Pregnancy Resource Center.
Amy Flynn
• Worship leader at Lemont First Nazarene Church.
• Hope and Friendship Foundation volunteer.
• Abide in Me volunteer.
• Giving Back to Lemont volunteer.
• Feed 6-Domestic Hunger Relief Charity volunteer.
Tiffany Greer
• Member of the Project SUN Advisory Board.
• Kankakee County MAPP Steering Committee member.
• Kankakee County Teen Conference Planning Committee member.
• Youth pastor at Highland Church of the Nazarene.
• Fill-in pastor at Highland Church of the Nazarene.
• Member of the District NYI Council through Northwest Indiana District.
Rachel Guimond
Laurie Hofman
Dave Horton
Brian Hyma
Lance Kilpatrick
• Journey group leader, middle school youth sponsor, children’s volunteer, and NYI Council at Manteno Church of the Nazarene.
• Manteno Youth Baseball/Softball League equipment exchange coordinator.
• Manteno Middle School volunteer.
• Bourbonnais Public Library Board of Trustees.
• Personnel Committee Chair – Bourbonnais Public Library.
• With Tricia Mills, led the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program for community members in need.
• Assistant scout master for the Bourbonnais Boy Scout Troop.
• Worship team member at Manteno Church of the Nazarene.
• Served on the Nazarene Discipleship International (NDI) Committee.
• Direct the Men’s Basketball Outreach Program at Manteno Church of the Nazarene.
• Salvation Army bell ringer (played my trombone in a trombone quintet) assistant.
Deb Kimberlin
Kimberly Lynch
• Kappa Delta Rho service project.
• Participated in Healthy Kids Day at Kankakee Area YMCA.
• Volunteer with Feed My Starving Children.
COLLEGE OF
Community Engagement and Recognitions –
Kristin Mathews
• Children’s Church lead teacher at Life Compass Church.
• VBS lead teacher at Life Compass Church.
• Adult ESL course co-instructor at Life Compass Church.
Kathi Meleskie-Lippert
• Southwest Indiana Food Bank volunteer.
• Volunteer at Meals on Wheels in Northwest Indiana.
Tricia Mills
Doug Nielsen
Tonya Peterson
Suzanne Phipps
Amber Residori
• With Dave Horton, led the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program for community members in need.
• Led a men’s bible study at College Church University Avenue.
• Cancer Care Team Ministry founder and director at Christ First Baptist Church.
• Nursery worker at Christ First Baptist Church.
• Minooka Community High School Strategic Plan Community volunteer.
• Volunteer for Feed My Starving Children.
• Human Trafficking Ministry at Willow Creek Community Church.
• Riverside Medical Center executive board member.
• Riverside Medical Center board member, vice chair.
• Riverside Medical Center Joint Conference sub-committee.
• Riverside Medical Center Ad Hoc Governance board member.
• Kankakee County Partnership for Healthy Communities steering committee member.
• Kankakee County Partnership for Healthy Communities Education & Employment sub-committee member.
Josh Riley
Yvette Rose
Dawn Schwarzkopf
• Pastor of First Baptist Church of Kankakee.
• Recipient of Olivet Nazarene University’s 2025 Faculty Scholar Award.
• Volunteer at Still I Rise Back to School event.
• Volunteer at ALIVE Literacy & Baby Talk Program.
• Volunteer at Ascension St. Mary’s Mobile Food Pantry.
• Volunteer at Pregnancy Resource Center Curbside.
• Volunteer at Morning Star Church blood drive.
• Volunteer at Merchant Street Music Fest.
• Solicited donations for March of Dimes.
• Volunteer at Women United.
• Volunteer at Gallery of Trees.
• Volunteer at Christmas in the Wards Holiday Giving event.
• Night to Shine volunteer.
• Advisory board for Aunt Martha’s Healthy Families Program.
• Volunteer on the Community Theraplay Committee for Kankakee County through Project SUN.
Community Engagement and Recognitions –
• Volunteer in the toddlers room, small group leader, and Leadership Development Project at GatheringPoint Church of the Nazarene.
• Member of Stand for the Children Illinois Literacy Coalition.
• Volunteer at Path Forward/Illinois Collaboration Literacy Action Plan.
Karen Smith
Shelly Stroud
• Volunteer at Bolingbrook Christian Medical Center.
• Volunteer at a homeless shelter in Aurora, Illinois.
• National Night Out volunteer.
• ONU First Responder Hockey Night volunteer.
• Kankakee County Rapid Deployment volunteer.
• Bradley Lighted Christmas Parade volunteer.
• 5K Hero Run volunteer.
• Kankakee Forgives - Park Clean Up volunteer.
• Kankakee Hero Give Away volunteer.
• Crushers Club volunteer.
• Preschool program volunteer at Manteno Church of the Nazarene.
Brad Thomas
DeAnna VanKuren
Cynth Veronda
Becky Vine
Michael Watson
• Marketing assistant for the Bourbonnais Township Park District.
• Hospitality minister at Maternity BVM Parish.
• Interim member of the Kankakee School District Board of Education.
• Dr. Teresa Lance, KSD Superintendent, transition team member.
• Clove Alliance volunteer.
• Participated in Success by Six events.
• Imerman Angels volunteer.
• Kankakee Waterways subcommittee member.
• Camp Shaw-Waw-Nas-See board member.
• Volunteer at Pioneer Park Community Day.
• Volunteer for Olivet Nazarene University’s Center for Law & Culture events.
Faculty Recognitions
SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY AND CHRISTIAN MINISTRY FOR 2024–2025
Scholarship and Professional Development
Leon Blanchette
Mark Frisius
Kevin Lowery
Chad Maxson
• “Better Together: Faith for a Lifetime” presentation at Scholar Week on Christian Parenting and Caregiving Lilly grant progress. This same presentation was made at the Children’s Pastors Conference in January in Orlando as a breakout workshop.
• Presentation: Evangelism in Early Christianity, given in October 2024 at the Chic Shaver Conference on Evangelism.
• Podcast: The Happy Cynics (with Isaac Dillman) — 24 published episodes; over 25 hours. (The podcast was closed on December 31, 2024).
• Delivered the Leopold von Ranke Lecture for the History Honors Society.
• Presented a paper, “”Liturgical Permeability: Navigating Competing Spirits in White American Evangelicalism” at the Phenomenology, Religious Experience, and Spiritual Practices Conference at Fordham University.
Kevin Mellish
Charles Perabeau
Laura Widstrom
• Four-part commentary and exposition series on texts in Leviticus-Deuteronomy for Faith Connections curriculum.
• An article on sacrifice in the Old Testament for Illustrated Bible Life.
• Presentation: Secularization and the Religiously Unaffiliated, given October 2024 at the Chic Shaver Conference on Evangelism.
• Paper presentation with Reuben Lillie, “Interdependence as Participation: An Ecclesiology of District Administration,” at the Wesleyan Theological Society meeting at Baylor University, March 2025.
• Presentation to Illinois District Pastors: “Preaching Biblical Holiness,” March 2025.
• Dr. Mike Severe (Taylor University) and I have an accepted contract through Baker Books for a text with a working title of “Youth Ministry on the Margin.” We aim to submit our full draft by June 1, 2025.
Professional Leadership
Leon Blanchette
• Part-time children’s pastor at Kankakee First Church of the Nazarene.
• Served as a certified coach for two children’s pastors at the Children’s Pastors Conference.
SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY AND CHRISTIAN MINISTRY
Professional Leadership –
Leon Blanchette
Eddie Ellis
Mark Frisius
Chad Maxson
Charles Perabeau
• Board of Ministry executive committee member, Chicago Central District.
• Board of Ministry committee member, Chicago Central District.
• Participated in a packing party for Phil’s Friends, an organization that assembles care packages and sends them to people who are battling cancer.
• Acted as volunteer docents/tour guides with my wife at the Dr. A.L. Small Memorial Home in Kankakee during the Rhubarb Festival.
• Oversaw the community garden at Kankakee First Church.
• Estes Park Theological Consultation participant for the Church of the Nazarene.
• Board of Ministry executive committee member, Chicago Central District Church of the Nazarene.
• Estes Park Theological Consultation participant, USA/Canada Church of the Nazarene.
• Regional Course of Study Action committee member, USA/Canada Church of the Nazarene.
• Shalom Project team leader to Ecuador.
Laura Widstrom
• Coach for Dynamo Soccer, U8 division, July–October 2024.
• Coach for Adventure Commons, U8 division, January–March 2025.
• Coach for Chicagoland United, U8 division, April–June 2025.
• Check-in desk for Wednesday night Journey children’s ministry, Kankakee First Church of the Nazarene, September 2024–April 2025.
Faculty/Staff Member of the Year Awards
2024
Dr. Dale Hathaway/ Mr. Brian Utter 2023
Dr. Lance Kilpatrick/ Mrs. Stacey Moore 2022
Dr. Tiffany Greer/ Mr. Drew Benson 2021
Dr. Dan Sharda/ Mr. Kyle Olney 2019
Mr. Gary Newsome/ Mr. Rob Lalumendre 2018
Dr. Joseph Schroeder/ Dr. Lisa Vander Veer 2017
Dr. Mike Pyle/ Mr. Jeremy Alderson 2016
Dr. David Van Heemst/ Miss Faith Newman 2015
Professor Jerry Cohagan/ Mr. Tony Fightmaster 2014
Dr. Glen Rewerts/ Mr. Marlin Wallace 2013
Professor David Wine/ Mrs. Marjorie Vinson 2012
Professor. Bill Bahr/ Mr. Thane Moore 2011
Dr. James Upchurch/ Mrs. Susan Wolff 2010
Dr. Don Daake/ Mr. Donnie Johnson 2009
All Faculty and Staff 2008
Dr. Jeff Bell/ Mrs. Dianne Schaafsma 2007
Dr. Bob Wright/ Mrs. Kathy Steinacker 2006
Dr. Don Reddick/ Mr. Greg Bruner 2005
Dr. Shirlee A. McGuire/
Mr. Brian Parker
PAST RECIPENTS
2004
Dr. Carol Maxson/ Mr. Matt Whitis 2003
Dr. Diane Richardson/ Mr. Dan Ferris 2002
Dr. Sara Spruce/ Rev. Walter “Woody” Webb 2001
Professor Amy Golyshko/ Mrs. Mary Anderson 2000
Dr. Richard Colling/ Mr. Brian Allen 1999
Dr. Judith Whitis/ Mr. Wendy Parsons 1998
Mrs. Kathy Boyens/ Mrs. Phyllis Harris 1997
Mr. Larry Watson/ Mr. Gary Griffin 1996
Professor Mike LaReau/ Mrs. Betty Elliott 1995
Dr. Henry L. Smith/ Mr. David J. Pickering 1994
Dr. Randal D. Johnson/ Mr. Darrell W. Bellomy 1993
Rev. William Foote/ Mrs. Joyce Muhm 1992
Professor Charlotte Keck/ Mr. Donald Keck 1991
Dr. Harlow Hopkins/ Mrs. Mary Gates 1990
Mr. Allan Wiens/ Mrs. Thelma Collins 1989
Dr. Gerald Anderson/ Mrs. Connie Skinner 1988
Mr. Frank Garton/ Mr. Dennis Seymour
1987
Mr. Don Toland/ Mr. Jim Knight 1986
Dr. Gary Streit/ Mr. Doug Perry 1985
Dr. William Ellwanger/ Rev. John Mongerson 1984
Dr. Harry Westfall/ Mr. Phil Richardson 1983
Dr. Carolyn Sechrist/ Mr. Clifford Hayman and Mrs. June Hayman 1982
Dr. David Atkinson/ Rev. Gordon Wickersham 1981
Mrs. Gunnell Jorden/ Mr. Pat Duncan 1980
Dr. George Dunbar/ Mr. Richard Matheny 1979
Dr. Joseph Nielson/ Mr. James Tripp 1978
Dr. Harvey Collins/ Mr. Linford Marquart 1977
Mr. C.W. Ward and Dr. Richard Wirt/ Dr. William Hodges and Ms. Judy King 1976
Dr. Max Reams/ Dr. Ted Lee 1975
Dr. Harry Fulton/ Mr. Efton Elliott 1974
Dr. Joseph Nielson/ Mr. James Tripp 1973
Dr. William Bell/ Dr. L.A. Marquart 1972
Dr. Otho Jennings/ Rev. Norman Moore
1971
Dr. Ralph Perry/ Dr. Mervyn Goins 1970
Professor Naomi Larsen/ Mr. Roy Brown 1969
Dr. Mary Shaffer/ Ms. Esther Tripp 1968
Professor Elbert Pence/ Mr. Charles Beatty 1967
Dr. Vernal Carmichael/ Mr. William Bennett 1966
Dr. John Hanson/ Mrs. Ruth Lane 1965
Dr. Fordyce Bennett/ Dr. John Cotner 1964
Dr. David Jones/ Mr. Charles Henderson 1963
Dr. Vernon Groves/ Mrs. Gladys Corbett 1962
Dr. Billy Hobbs/ Mrs. Dorothy Swearengen 1961
Professor Gardner Walmsley/ Mr. Albert Bloom 1960
Professor Rockwell Brank/ Mr. Harlan Milby 1959
Dr. Coral Demaray/ Mrs. Emily Reeves 1958
Mr. Leonard Anderson/ Dr. Willis Snowbarger 1957
Dr. Walter Larsen/ Dr. R.L. Lunsford 1956
Dr. Clarence Grothaus/ Mr. Ed Brodien 1955
Professor Leo Slagg/ Dr. Paul Schwada 1954
Dr. D.J. Strickler/ Mr. Alyn Fletcher
FROM 1907 TO THE PRESENT
Historical Markers at Olivet
Olivet Nazarene University’s origins can be traced to the first decade of the last century and to the resolve of several families in east central Illinois who were committed to providing a Christian education for their children.
In 1907 the prologue to the Olivet story began with elementary school classes taught by Miss Mary Nesbitt in a home in the community of Georgetown, Illinois. A year later, the founders of this small school acquired several acres of land in the nearby village called Olivet. There, they raised a modest building and added the secondary level of instruction. A College of Liberal Arts followed in 1909, along with the first name for this fledgling, but ambitious institution: “Illinois Holiness University.” The articles of incorporation established the school as a liberal arts institution which focused on the classics and included the study of the Bible based on the Wesleyan theological concept of entire sanctification. The first president, A.M. Hills, was appointed in 1909.
By 1912, the ambitions of Olivet’s founders outran their capacity. Nearing bankruptcy, the school was saved by 25 congregations of the Chicago District of the Church of the Nazarene, in a sum of modern equivalent to $3 million. This young denomination loved education, having established 10 schools in its first decade. In fact, the denomination was given its name by J.P. Widney, president of the University of Southern California, and a panel at Harvard on denominationally-affiliated universities concluded that the Church of the Nazarene cannot be conceived apart from its schools. That early church commitment is still being perpetuated by the more than 800 Nazarene congregations throughout Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin.
The school grew slowly during the next decade. There were several acting and short-term presidents and the campus of 18 acres contained only a few small buildings. The first yearbook, the Aurora, was published in 1914. A new school name followed in 1915: “Olivet University,” and in 1923, the name was changed to “Olivet College.”
Historical Markers at Olivet
The 1920s were a defining decade for the school. The world was experiencing unprecedented societal liberation following the end of World War I. However, Olivet remained steadfast in its conservative fabric. As was the case with many small church colleges at the time, Olivet’s finances eroded significantly with just 75 cents in the bank and a debt of modern equivalent of $5 million, forcing the trustees to declare bankruptcy in 1926. The then-college treasurer and Nazarene pastor, Dr. T.W. Willingham, bought the school personally at a public auction, gifted it back to the trustees, and outlined a new plan for solvency. He was elected that night as president.
A devastating fire destroyed the main campus building in November 1938, prompting the newly elected president, A.L. Parrott, and the trustees to consider locating a new campus as an alternative to rebuilding at their rural site. They found the present campus in Bourbonnais in 1939 which had been lost to bankruptcy by St. Viator’s College, who launched the 42-acre campus in 1868. Olivet made an offer that was accepted, but was short the modern equivalent of $2 million. Once again, Nazarene congregations made up the difference. Olivet moved in the summer of 1940, and “Nazarene” was added to the college’s name that same year. Four of the original 1868 buildings are still in use today: Burke Administration Building, Chapman Hall, Miller Business Center, and Birchard Gymnasium.
Receiving formal recognition and accreditation by the University of Illinois in 1939 was a major academic milestone for Olivet. The college catalogs of the 1940s reflected a School of Liberal Arts, a School of Music, a School of Religion, and a high school Academy.
Dr. Harold W. Reed, president from 1949–1975, led Olivet through a period of remarkable growth. As World War II ended, the GI Bill provided unprecedented financial support for a quickly-growing U.S. population to attend college. Olivet reaped the benefit, tripling in enrollment during the era. Dr. Reed was hugely influential in securing funding for the construction and renovation of 20 major buildings to keep pace with swelling enrollment. Intercollegiate athletic contests were added in the 1960s, beginning with men’s basketball in 1965, and expanding through the late 60s and early 70s with seven more sports including women’s basketball and volleyball.
Olivet purchased additional properties to expand the campus, some of which later became the Snowbarger Athletic Complex named for the academic dean
Historical Markers at Olivet
of the time. Also added were academic buildings including Reed Hall of Science, Wisner Hall of Nursing, Chalfant Hall and Strickler Planetarium. Notably, a destructive tornado in 1963 caused more than $1 million of damages and injured 40 students, but again, Olivet survived crisis.
Dr. Leslie Parrott continued a focus on campus expansion, development and beautification during his 16-year presidential tenure from 1975-1991, with a specific interest in the elevation of Olivet to university status. In 1986, the school’s name was changed to “Olivet Nazarene University” to reflect the diversity of academic programs and graduate studies. With a new name came other changes including the design of an official University seal, created by assistant art professor Donald Royal, and repainting the smokestack with a new acronym.
Dr. Parrott expanded intercollegiate athletics into football, led by C.W. “Butch” Ward, in 1976. He also oversaw the construction of Larsen Fine Arts Center, Hardy C. Powers President’s Home, Warming House, J.R. Tripp Maintenance Center and the Leslie Parrott Convocation Center. In 1982, to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Olivet’s 75 years as a college, professor Harvey Collins was commissioned to paint a mural depicting the history of the school in the dining hall of Ludwig Center.
Dr. John C. Bowling became Olivet’s longest-serving and in many ways most significant president, 1991–2021. The macro-economic and cultural mores of the nation supported an average of 60% enrollment growth across the entire 115-member Council of Christian Colleges & Universities, Olivet included. The Bowling era was notable for doubling the size of the student body; fortifying Olivet’s academic offerings and reputation; expanding varsity athletics to include 22 teams; and producing many new facilities, such as Hopkins Alumni Center, Hammes bookstore, the Bowling Admissions Center, Weber Center, Fortin Villa ROTC building, the 3,000-seat Hawkins Centennial Chapel, the Perry Student Life and Recreation Center, a 20,000-square-foot addition to Reed Hall of Science, the Sims Education Center, and more.
Consequential programmatic features added value, such as establishing Olivet’s first professional fundraising program which today consistently provides 10% of annual revenues, including a remarkable $2 million annually from the Central Region of the Church of the Nazarene’s 800 congregations. There was also the creation of a Chaplaincy; the expansion of study abroad programs and
Historical Markers at Olivet
local Christian mission projects; updating all IT and computer lab services; establishing the Center for Student Success and later the Center for Academic Excellence; an 18-year partnership beginning in 2002 with the Chicago Bears to host summer practices; Shine.FM (WONU) radio broadcasting grew to 200,000 listeners; digital sheet music and iPads contributed to the School of Music’s Apple Distinguished Program designation; the ONU Tigers Marching Band performed London and Washington, D.C. and Rome, Italy; and more. From 2000–2017, the University also experienced remarkable growth in academic programs and services to non-traditional students — peaking at nearly 2,500 enrolled students in Graduate and Continuing Studies programs.
By the mid-2010s, the “enrollment cliff” struck higher education with the challenging circumstances of decreased birth rates (drastically reducing available traditional-aged students), the lowest interest rates in 50 years, and lowest unemployment rate in 30 years (disincentivizing non-traditional student enrollment). Soon after, the worst pandemic in a century struck the world in late 2019. COVID shut down businesses, churches, and very briefly, Olivet’s campus, and imploded the economy for two years. All colleges across the state of Illinois, regardless of institution type, were impacted by significant decreases in enrollment. But God is faithful and Olivet was able to continue opening its doors to receive students who are interested in “Education With a Christian Purpose.”
In 2021, the Board of Trustees elected Gregg Chenoweth, Ph.D. as Olivet’s 13th president. Following a discernment phase with hundreds of constituents and nearly 30 faculty and staff leaders, Olivet now stewards five priorities through 2027: (1) helping students persist to record graduation rates, (2) making Olivet affordable for target populations of greatest need, (3) applying Olivet’s virtue to strengthen four moral issues of our time, (4) installing a series of operational efficiencies while raising an aspirational quantity of funds, and (5) stabilizing enrollment through niche recruitment domains.
For 18 consecutive years, U.S. News and World Report named Olivet as a top regional university in its “America’s Best Colleges” report and the Best Christian Workplaces Institute consistently qualifies Olivet among the top work cultures among its national participants.
As we begin the 2025–2026 academic school year, Olivet welcomes another historically large group of new students. ■
COLLEGES, SCHOOLS & MAJORS
Undergraduate Areas of Study
AND GRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAMS
The University offers a wide variety of opportunities for students — traditional, transfer and advanced degree seekers — to grow personally, spiritually and professionally as they make the most of their college experience.
College of Arts and Sciences
Art
Art – Studio Art
Art Education
Communication Studies
Corporate Communication
English
English as a Second Language
English as a Second Language Education
English Education
History
Leadership Studies
Legal Studies
Literature
Multimedia Communication
Multimedia Communication –Film Studies
Multimedia Communication –Journalism
Multimedia Communication –Live Event Media Management
Multimedia Communication –Radio/Audio Media
Multimedia Communication –TV/Video Production
Musical Theatre
Photography
Political Science
Political Science – Public Policy
Pre-Art Therapy
Pre-Law
Psychology
Public Relations & Strategic Communication
Social Science Education
Sociology
Spanish
Spanish Education
Theatre Production & Performance
Writing
SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Music
Music – Commercial Music
Music – Composition
Music Education
Music – Performance
Music – Recording Arts
Worship Arts
WALKER SCHOOL OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS
Actuarial Science
Biology
Chemistry
Chemistry – Biochemistry
Chemistry – Earth/ Environmental Chemistry
Chemistry – Forensics
Computer Science –
Networking & Data Communications
Computer Science –
Software Development
Computer Science –
Software Entrepreneurship
Computing Technology
Cybersecurity
Data Science
Earth & Space Science
Engineering – Architectural
Engineering – Chemical and Biochemical
Engineering – Civil
Engineering – Computer
Engineering – Electrical
Engineering – Mechanical
Environmental Science
Geography
Geological Science
Geological Science – Geochemistry
Geological Science – Geotechnical
Geological Science – Life Science
Mathematics
Mathematics Education
Pre-Dental
Pre-Medicine
Pre-Optometry
Pre-Pharmacy
Pre-Physician’s Assistant
Pre-Veterinary
Science Education – Biology
Science Education – Chemistry
Science Education –Earth/Space Science
Zoology
Master of Science in Management
College of Professional Studies
Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice – Criminology
Criminal Justice – Law Enforcement
Health Education
Interior and Architectural Design
Kinesiology
Kinesiology – Exercise Physiology
Kinesiology – Pre-Athletic Training
Kinesiology – Pre-Occupational Therapy
Kinesiology – Pre-Physical Therapy
Military Affairs
Military Science
Physical Education
Recreation and Sport Studies
Social Work
Sport Management
Areas of Study –
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
Child Development
Early Childhood Education
Elementary Education
Special Education
Master of Arts in Education: Curriculum and Instruction
Master of Arts in Education: Educational Leadership
Master of Arts in Education: Reading Specialist
Doctor of Education: Ethical Leadership
MCGRAW SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
Accounting
Business – Human Resource Management
Business – Management
Business – Operations Management
Business – Philanthropy/Not-for-Profit
Business Administration
Economics
Economics & Finance –Applied Economics
Economics & Finance –Certified Financial Planning
Economics & Finance –Corporate Finance
Entrepreneurship
Finance
International Business
Management
Management Information Systems
Marketing
Marketing – Commercial Graphics
Marketing – Corporate Relations
Marketing – International
Marketing – Management
Master of Business Administration
Master of Organizational Leadership
SCHOOL OF NURSING
Nursing
Master of Science in Nursing: Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
Master of Science in Nursing: Education
Master of Science in Nursing: Transformational Leadership
RN to BSN
School of Theology and Christian Ministry
Biblical Languages
Biblical Studies
Children’s Ministry
Christian Education
Christian Ministry
Christian Studies
Greek
Hebrew
Intercultural Studies
Ministerial Missions
Pastoral Ministry
Philosophy
Philosophy & Religion
Pre-Seminary
Theology
Youth Ministry
Master of Arts: Christian Ministry
Master of Arts: Family Ministry
Master of Arts: Ministerial Studies
Master of Arts: Missional Multiplication
Master of Arts: Pastoral Leadership
Master of Arts: Religion
Master of Arts: Urban Ministry
Master of Divinity
Master of Ministry
Master of Ministry: Spanish
GENERAL STUDIES
General Studies
OUR MISSION
Olivet Nazarene University, a denominational university in the Wesleyan tradition, exists to provide a university-level liberal arts “Education With a Christian Purpose.”
Our mission is to provide high-quality academic instruction for the purpose of personal development, career and professional readiness, and the preparation of individuals for lives of service to God and humanity.
“We seek the strongest scholarship and the deepest piety, knowing that they are compatible [and] … a Christian environment … where not only knowledge but character is sought.” (The quotation is taken from the Olivet Catalog, 1915.)
This mission provides the common ground for us as we blend our various gifts and interests together to impact each student. You will have many opportunities this year to live out this mission. Watch for those occasions, for they are moments of great possibility and reward. Through our mission, we transform lives for eternity.
OUR VALUES
Christ-Centered Christ transforms people and the entire University.
Community
Sharing life together is sacred.
Stewardship God expects a return on His provision.
Innovation
We respond quickly to needs and opportunities.
Distinction
We make extraordinary impact.
Heritage A legacy lives in heart and practice.
OUR PEOPLE PRINCIPLES
Exhibit grace.
Seek to understand rather than be understood.
Assume good intentions. Be transparent.
Support, encourage and empower.