Dr. Ben Ruth ’09, a noninvasive cardiologist with Sentara Cardiology Specialists in Harrisonburg, received the 2026 Golden Stethoscope Award.

Ruth was selected from 43 nominees and more than 400 physicians on the Sentara RMH Medical Center staff to receive the award. Now in its 18th year, nomination for the annual award is “one of the highest honors a Sentara RMH physician can receive,” according to a sent by Sentara Health on April 1.

“I am truly honored to receive this award,” Ruth said in the release, “especially knowing it comes from colleagues I respect and collaborate with every day.”

The Golden Stethoscope Award is announced each year on National Doctors’ Day (March 30) and recognizes outstanding physicians who demonstrate excellence in patient care, customer service, communication, and teamwork.

‘EMU helped prepare me’

Originally from the Philadelphia area, Ruth came to the Shenandoah Valley to attend EMU and graduated with a degree in biology and a minor in math. “It’s here that I met my wife (Laura Ruth ’09) and I really grew to love this area,” .

“EMU helped prepare me with the empathy, integrity, and the clinical skills that my patients need,” he said in a last summer.

After graduating from EMU, Ruth earned his doctor of medicine from Pennsylvania State College of Medicine (Hershey, Pennsylvania) in 2015. He completed his residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in general cardiology at the University of Virginia Health System. He joined the at Sentara RMH Medical Center in Harrisonburg in August 2021.

Treats patients with compassion and humility

At Sentara, Ruth specializes in advanced imaging and preventive cardiology. His patients not only enjoy his professionalism, the release says, but also his warm, friendly demeanor.

Colleagues noted in their nominations that Ruth is a highly skilled, compassionate physician who provides exceptional, patient-centered care. He is known for listening carefully, communicating clearly, and going above and beyond to ensure patients feel respected, understood, and well cared for.

“Dr. Ruth brings a combination of clinical and imaging skills, compassion, and humility to every patient encounter,” Dr. Brad Rash, medical director of Sentara Cardiology Specialists, said in the release. “He is also an exceptional colleague and resource for our cardiology team. This recognition is well-deserved and a fitting tribute to the positive impact he has on the community.”

“Dr. Ruth earned that recognition through consistent excellence,” Dr. Robert Garwood, vice president and market chief medical officer at Sentara RMH Medical Center, said in the release. “He keeps his team well-informed, fosters a collaborative environment, and serves as an exceptional mentor. His sound judgment and thoughtful decision-making ensure the highest quality of care for his patients.”

“With upgraded equipment, EMU will provide richer, practical laboratory, research, and project-based experiences to prepare students for lucrative careers in STEM fields and nursing,” states a grant application submitted by Dr. Tara Kishbaugh, dean of faculty and student success for EMU.

The grant request also includes a “small salary allocation to support the procurement, calibration, and installation of equipment” and to train faculty and students on its use.

It further states that the upgraded equipment would provide a significant educational opportunity for current students, attract faculty and students to EMU, and enhance contributions to STEM and health care fields through research, publication, consultation with local businesses, and a better-prepared workforce in Virginia.

“This project would amplify the impact of our current NSF STEM scholarship program, which increases postsecondary education access for academically talented, Pell-eligible students,” the request states.

The “EMU grows STEM” project is among a list of community priorities highlighted in the Fiscal Year 2026 federal spending bill, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., announced in a news release in February.

For a full list of projects in the Shenandoah Valley and Highlands regions of Virginia funded through the FY26 spending bill, .

About EMU

EMU is a fully accredited university known for its outstanding STEM and health program preparation. Over 90% of job-seeking graduates of EMU find employment quickly, with many in nursing and STEM employed before graduation. EMU is a Forbes Best Return on Investment University and is one of the best colleges in the regional South (U.S. News & World Report). EMU STEM students gain practical and technical skills through project-based experiences and social networks through mentorship from faculty and supportive learning communities. 

Those faculty members are:

• Dr. Katherine Evans: Jesse T. Byler Endowed Chair in Education
• Dr. James Leaman: Longacre Endowed Chair in Business and Leadership
• Dr. Peter Dula: Myron S. Augsburger Endowed Chair of Theology
• Dr. James Yoder: Daniel B. Suter Endowed Chair of Science

Dr. Tynisha Willingham, provost and vice president of academic affairs for EMU, said these faculty members were chosen as endowed chairs because of their demonstrated leadership, service, teaching, and research, as well as their capacity to be champions of their programs at EMU. 

“Endowed chairs are a critical component of EMU’s academic vitality,” she said. “Our goal is to elevate the recognition of our faculty who hold this honor and to celebrate the donors whose generosity helps to support academic excellence in this way.”

The endowed chair positions provide funding for each faculty position within a particular discipline, along with scholarships for students in the discipline and funds for program initiatives. Chairs receive professional development funds to support their research and scholarship. An endowed chair appointment is one of the highest honors a faculty member can receive at EMU, supporting their continued excellence in scholarship and teaching, said the Rev. Dr. Sarah Ann Bixler, dean of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.

Keep reading for bios of each professor.

Dr. Katherine Evans

Professor of Teacher Education and director of the Undergraduate Teacher Education program
Jesse T. Byler Endowed Chair in Education

Kathy Evans is a professor of Teacher Education at EMU, teaching courses in educational psychology, special education, and restorative justice in education. She earned her PhD from the University of Tennessee in educational psychology and research. Her research, teaching, and scholarship focus on ways in which educators participate in creating more just and equitable educational opportunities for all students, including those with disability labels, those who exhibit challenging behavior, and those who are marginalized for a variety of reasons, including race, ethnicity, language, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity. 

During her 15 years at EMU, Evans has helped develop EMU’s graduate program in Restorative Justice in Education (RJE), which supports educators as they create learning environments that promote relational approaches to teaching and learning, justice and equity in schools and classrooms, and transformational approaches to conflict and harm. She is the co-author of The Little Book of Restorative Justice in Education and has published several articles and book chapters related to restorative justice in education, school culture and climate, and school discipline practices, focusing on the ways in which restorative justice is applied to educational contexts. 

How do you feel to be granted this position?

It’s an honor to be appointed as the Jesse T. Byler Endowed Chair in Education. The Byler endowment has historically been such a gift to the Teacher Education Program at EMU, providing support for pre-service teachers in the way of fee waivers for testing and licensure, conference registration for networking with other pre-service teachers, scholarships, and resources that support their success through their EMU program. We are in a season of growth and expansion and I am grateful for the opportunities I will have in this position to support that growth, both in the recruitment of talented and dedicated teachers and in the ongoing professional development for our faculty. At this moment in time, we need teachers who are committed to justice and peacebuilding. Embedding restorative justice within our teacher education program at both the undergraduate and graduate levels opens up spaces to support educators who want to not only excel as educators, but to be educators who nurture the well-being of each student. The Byler endowment helps us to do that work better.

What do you love about EMU?

This is my 15th year at EMU and I am more hopeful about EMU’s future today than I have been since I arrived. The commitment to peacebuilding and justice—even when we don’t fully live into that commitment—means that there is a unifying set of values that guide our collective work. I see our students, staff, and faculty working to honor those values and that mission. Our students are amazing and they remind me every day that the work of justice is ongoing, intergenerational, and worth it.

What is a fun fact about you?

When I’m not working, I might be fishing—bass fishing at Silver Lake or fly-fishing at Dry River. I find the water so peaceful.

Dr. James M. Leaman

Associate Professor of Business and director of the Business and Leadership program
Longacre Endowed Chair in Business and Leadership

Jim Leaman chairs the Business and Leadership Program, where he teaches undergraduate courses in management, finance, and economics, and graduate courses in organizational and leadership studies. His industry experience spans both private business and nonprofit administration, including 12 years of service with an international non-governmental organization (INGO) in Kenya. The EMU alumnus has a PhD in Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh.

The perspective Leaman adds to his field is analyzing and teaching about the role and impact of business and organizations within ecological limits and dynamic social systems, resulting in an integrated lens of sustainability, stewardship and justice. Leaman researches and publishes in the areas of sustainable housing and energy, and his most recent scholarly work is a management textbook, with which he collaborated with an international team of authors to publish in the creative commons, resulting in lower resource costs for students. 

How do you feel to be granted this position?

It is an honor to hold the endowed chair position in business and to steward the gifts and vision of the Longacre family as the program serves and prepares the next generation of business leaders.

What do you love about EMU?

The EMU mission to prepare students to serve and lead in a global context becomes more relevant with each new innovation and global integration.

What is a fun fact about you?

In awe of the vastness and complexity of the universe, I’ve gained an avocational interest in learning as much as I can about the cosmos.

Dr. Peter Dula

Professor of Religion and Culture
Myron S. Augsburger Endowed Chair of Theology

Peter Dula is the professor of Religion and Culture at EMU. The EMU alumnus received a PhD from Duke University in theology and ethics in 2004. He is the author of Cavell, Companionship, and Christian Theology (Oxford, 2011). Before coming to EMU in 2006, he was the Mennonite Central Committee Iraq Program Coordinator. He has taught at Lancaster Mennonite High School and at the Meserete Kristos College in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he was a Fulbright scholar in 2001-02.

This is his 20th year at EMU. He teaches primarily in the undergraduate program, as well as one class each year at the seminary and the Bioethics course in the MA in Biomedicine program. He is married to Ilse Ackerman and they have two children, Simon (17) and Nina (15). 

What do you love about EMU?

Two things I love about EMU are its smart and interesting faculty colleagues and its location in the Shenandoah Valley.

What is a fun fact about you? 

I planted 500 trees over the last couple of years. The latest Weather Vane issue has . Along with Trina Trotter Nussbaum at the Center for Interfaith Engagement, I organized last month’s consultation on Judaism, the Bible, and Anabaptism. The Weather Vane also has . 

Dr. James Yoder

Professor of Biology and director of the Natural Sciences programs
Daniel B. Suter Endowed Chair of Science

Jim Yoder is the chair of EMU’s Department of Natural Sciences, advising environmental science and biology majors and teaching evolution, ecology, and conservation biology. A 1994 alumnus of EMU, he earned his PhD from The Ohio State University, where he studied the effects of habitat fragmentation on ruffed grouse movements at large spatial scales. His research interests include conservation, landscape and behavioral ecology, animal movement, invasive species, stream restoration, nitrogen and carbon footprint tracking, and insect movement using harmonic radar. He has also led multiple intercultural programs to New Zealand, the Navajo Nation, and Washington D.C. (upcoming), as well as three research trips with undergraduates to Australia. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, traveling, and hiking with his wife Kathy. 

How do you feel to be granted this position?

I’m honored to be named the Suter Endowed Chair of Science and work to continue the level of scholarship and teaching Daniel Suter established in the natural sciences at EMU. Coordinating the long-running Suter Science Seminar Series with a diverse array of speakers and increasing collaborative research among our science faculty and undergraduate students are two aspects of being Suter Chair that I’m most excited to focus on. 

What do you love about EMU?

Wonderful colleagues, a diverse student body, and the beautiful Shenandoah Valley—it’s a great place to be a field biologist!

What is a fun fact about you?

My wife and I recently moved into a loft apartment in the heart of downtown Harrisonburg above . It keeps us young at heart!  And we are soon to be grandparents for the first time!

According to a , Rogers played a pivotal role in launching a comprehensive redesign that modernized the program’s structure, expanded its reach, and strengthened its position as a leading doctoral pathway for physician associates. “I’m honored by the trust placed in me and deeply grateful to the leaders, mentors, and colleagues who paved the way for my growth,” he said.

He holds a DMSc from the University of Lynchburg, a master of physician assistant studies from James Madison University, and a bachelor’s degree in biology and environmental sustainability from EMU.

Rogers said EMU prepared him by grounding his education in service, perspective, and purpose. “My intercultural experience in Bolivia with Dr. Doug Graber Neufeld expanded my understanding of global health and challenged me to think beyond my own context,” he said. “At the same time, Dr. Carolyn Stauffer‘s Sociology of Health course helped me see how social, cultural, and systemic factors shape patient outcomes. Together, those experiences shaped not only my career path, but how I lead and serve today.”

Dr. Tara Kishbaugh, dean of faculty and student success, taught Rogers in general chemistry when he was a student at EMU. She said he showed a strong sense of civic engagement and confidence in his coursework, along with exceptional leadership and a commitment to service.

“I am thrilled to see him take on this leadership role in an educational setting and look forward to seeing how he inspires others to reach their academic potential while giving back to their communities,” she said. 

Clockwise from top left: Blake Rogers ’14 helps Clover Hill EMTs check inventory in one of their ambulances at the station in 2014. | Rogers speaks during a 2015 workshop for the Shenandoah Valley Soil and Water Conservation District. | Then a physician assistant student at JMU, Rogers receives the 2018 PA Student of the Year Award. | Rogers ’14 and Matt Tieszen ’10, MA ’15 (biomedicine), return from an elective clinical rotation at Shirati KTM Hospital in Tanzania in 2018.

This isn’t the first time Rogers has been featured in EMU News. 

While a double major at EMU, he volunteered with the Clover Hill Volunteer Fire Co. and interned at the Shenandoah Valley Soil and Water Conservation District, where he was hired after graduation. As a grad student at JMU, he received the 2018 Physician Assistant Student of the Year award and completed a clinical rotation at a hospital in Tanzania. 

Rogers spent his EMU intercultural experience studying biology and Spanish in Bolivia and the Galápagos Islands. A medical mission team experience in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, confirmed his desire to enter the medical field. 

At the University of Lynchburg, Rogers said his favorite course to instruct is Ethics and Regulation of AI, where he guides students through modern dilemmas in health care. “I remain deeply influenced by EMU’s emphasis on service, community, and global perspective as we prepare clinicians to lead and serve in a rapidly evolving health care landscape,” he said.

Olga Salama, a first-year biology major who came to the United States through refugee status, grew up in Burundi, East Africa, where access to affordable health care and education was limited. It’s also where she found her passion and her purpose.

The oldest of eight, she would take her younger siblings to school. One day, as she dropped off the tuition check to pay for their education, she overheard a mother asking whether her child, who had an intellectual disability, could attend classes with the other children.

“She was denied,” said Salama. “She was told, ‘This would be too difficult, and that little child would be too difficult for the other children.’”

“I kind of understood it,” she added, noting that many cultures in Africa lack support for people with disabilities. “But, for me, that didn’t seem right.”

That experience drew her to study biology and fuels her passion for improving the lives of others. Her dream is to graduate from medical school and become a pediatrician.

“When you save the life of a child, you save the future,” she said. “When a child is surrounded by good people, that affects how they grow.”

Salama and her family arrived in the U.S. in July 2021. At the time, she spoke Swahili and French, but no English. She quickly became a rising star at Charlottesville High School, where she received the top scholarship from the . Past recipients include Sandra Day O’Connor and Caroline Kennedy. 

As a high school senior, the first-generation college student applied to nine schools. Each of them could guide her toward her passion. Each of them offered her substantial financial aid packages. But, only one of those schools had values that matched her own, and that was EMU. 

“My high school counselors told me I could go anywhere I wanted, because I had all this scholarship support,” said Salama. “I had to choose where I saw myself thriving and being impacted the most, and EMU was that place for me.”

She said she was struck by how friendly and communicative everyone was at EMU, from her admissions counselor and professors to fellow students. “People are there for you,” she said. “Everyone’s welcoming.”

She added that, out of the nine schools she applied to, only one of them, EMU, sent her a card for her birthday. “That was different, and was beyond my expectations,” Salama said. “That’s the sign of a place that cares.”

Like the 100% of undergraduate students at EMU who receive financial aid, Salama is the recipient of numerous awards, including the highly selective President’s Scholarship. 

“I knew I wanted to go to college and, although I had a little bit of fear about the financial part, I trusted that God was going to provide,” said Salama. “If he called me to do this, then he will provide.”

Your support helps students like Olga pursue a quality college education without financial barriers. Join us for the 10th annual LovEMU Giving Day and contribute to the scholarships that empower future EMU students. On April 1, let’s show that our generosity knows no bounds…for the record!

“I got to practice incisions and suturing, and we had some frogs that needed postoperative care,” he said. “That was a really valuable experience, and I don’t think I would’ve gotten that at a lot of other schools.”

These days, Prock doesn’t operate on frogs. His patients are mostly dogs and cats. The vet is the co-founder of Furgent Care, a veterinary urgent care in Virginia Beach that offers evening and weekend services for pet owners when their primary care veterinarian is unavailable.

Identifying a need

In 2018, following four tough years at veterinary school (Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech), Prock earned his doctor of veterinary medicine degree. After working as a general practice vet at a clinic in South Florida for three years, he returned to his hometown of Virginia Beach with his wife, Katie (Landis) Prock ’12—they met at EMU—and worked as a locum, filling in for understaffed hospitals that needed help.

“Think of it like substitute teaching, but for veterinarians,” Prock said.

That experience opened his eyes to the growing need for after-hours veterinary services.

“It shocked me the amount of clients who would call in with sick pets and say, ‘My dog is vomiting or has diarrhea or has an ear infection,’” said Prock. “And the answer was, ‘Our first available appointment is in two weeks.’ That’s just how the system works. But it felt wrong to say no to so many sick pets.”

That motivated him to reach out to his roommate from vet school, Jonah Williams, and together they opened Furgent Care in 2024. The clinic is staffed by 16 total employees, including four doctors. It has 164 reviews and a 4.9-out-of-5 rating.

“Our core values are compassion and collaboration, and that’s been echoed in our reviews,” Prock said. “People get what we’re doing and they appreciate it.”

Seeking a balance

From a young age, Prock had a love for animals. He said he’s always known he wanted to become a veterinarian.

“My parents let us keep weird pets,” he said. “I had all sorts of reptiles growing up, hedgehogs, guinea pigs, and bunnies. You name it, we took care of it.”

That taught him the responsibility of pet ownership and fostered in him a connection to animals. He added that he’s also always been fascinated with the subject of biology, the natural sciences, and the “huge, complex system that makes all living things, living things.” 

Those interests coincided with a passion for volleyball. A skilled player in high school, he started attracting attention from college recruiters across the country.

His older sister played volleyball at a Division I school, and he saw the commitment required to compete at that level. “I got to see firsthand what having, essentially, a full-time job on top of college looked like,” Prock said. “That helped steer me toward Division III and EMU.”

“From my visit to EMU, I felt like I could achieve a balance: smaller class sizes and professors who were involved and cared for their students more than they could in a thousand-student lecture hall,” he said. “As an athlete, I was given some flexibility with my assignments. They understood I had more than just school going on and helped me outside of class when I missed it.”

“I think that balance made a huge impact on my ability to eventually get into vet school,” he added.

At EMU, Prock excelled as a student-athlete. He was named to the first-ever Continental Volleyball Conference All-East Division Team during the inaugural season of the conference. His name still ranks No. 2 on the all-time digs list for EMU.

Although no amount of work can truly prepare someone for the rigors and stressors of vet school, he said, EMU’s coursework and degree equipped him as best it could. “It was absolutely difficult and was a new level of challenging, but as far as fundamentals go, I had everything I needed,” he said.

It’s also incredibly difficult to get accepted into vet school, he added. After graduating from EMU with a biology degree, he stayed in Harrisonburg for a couple years, working as an assistant at Heartland Veterinary Clinic and serving as an assistant coach for the men’s volleyball team at EMU. At the same time, he applied to a flurry of veterinary schools across the country.

“I tell people I took one year off on purpose and one year off by accident, because I didn’t get into veterinary school,” said Prock. He was eventually accepted during a second round of applications. 

When he started vet school, he had three goals. One was to graduate. Another was to stay married. And a third goal was to get as much sleep as he could. “My priorities looked different than most people’s,” Prock said, noting the hypercompetitive nature of vet school students. “It was never my goal to become the world’s best veterinarian or the world’s best clinician. I always wanted to help people and I knew I could do that by helping pets and working with animals.”

Keeping his passion going

One of his most meaningful experiences from his time at EMU occurred during a senior seminar class taught by Professor Emeritus Roman Miller. Prock recalled an assignment to shadow a large-animal veterinarian at cattle farms around Harrisonburg for several weeks. They performed everything from routine pregnancy checks to emergency calls and surgery.

“That was wonderful preparation,” Prock said. “I gained an immense amount of respect for farmers and for large-animal vets who work incredibly long and hard hours. To have that kind of foresight in making me do that was really wise and paid off in keeping my passion going.”

As Prock’s responsibilities at the clinic have shifted, he’s spent more time on the business side, building teams and systems, and less time on the floor seeing patients.

For those like him, seeking a career in veterinary medicine, he said the role requires a “specific type of brain.” 

“It’s common to find people who have a passion for animals,” he said. “It’s less common to find those who have a passion for helping people, solving problems, and working with teams.”

Learn more about the clinic at .

Nathan Derstine ’10, a chemical ecologist and physiologist whose research focuses on insect pheromones, was recently recognized for his groundbreaking work on how bees, wasps, and other insects communicate. He received the Early Career Award from the International Society of Chemical Ecology (ISCE) at its annual meeting held in New Zealand this past August. 

The award recognizes “cutting-edge research in any area of chemical ecology performed by the new generation of scientists” and is open to researchers within 10 years of earning their PhD, according to . It honors Derstine for “his outstanding achievements in advancing our understanding of the plasticity and regulation of chemical signals governing social behavior in insects.”

What is chemical ecology?
Chemical ecology is the study integrating chemistry and biology to examine the chemical interactions among organisms and their environment. It includes signaling processes and communication between individuals, for instance in pheromone responses. ()

“There are so many remarkable and excellent researchers who are equally, if not more, deserving of this award, so I didn’t expect to get it,” Derstine said. “I’ve had the opportunity to work on a wide array of projects with a lot of great mentors, and it feels very affirming to be recognized for all the work I’ve done and put in over the years.”

Along with receiving the award, Derstine was invited to present a plenary lecture on his research at the conference, with all travel, accommodation, and conference fees fully covered. “It was a great trip,” he said. “It was cool to see New Zealand and connect with a different group of chemical ecologists. It’s always rewarding to put a face to the names of the papers you’ve read.”

He arrived back in the U.S. two days before fall classes started at the , where he teaches as a visiting assistant professor of biology. Since moving to the city this summer, he’s been approached by more than one solicitor who’s knocked on his door and offered to spray for bugs. “I always have to tell them that they’re barking up the wrong tree,” he said.

Planting the seeds

Derstine said he’s always been interested in biology, but had never thought of himself as an entomologist or “insect person.” “In retrospect, I realize I may have had a unique background compared to others,” he said.

His parents were beekeepers for as long as he’s been alive—his father Kenton, professor emeritus at Eastern Mennonite Seminary, maintained a few bee hives on the EMU Hill back in the day—“so I grew up doing it and never thought of it as anything other than normal,” he said.

While at EMU, most of his student research was with Roman Miller, professor emeritus of biology, on how plant hormones affect the development of reproductive organs in mice. He got involved in Professor Matthew Siderhurst’s entomology research and spent two summers as a student at a U.S. Department of Agriculture lab in Hilo, Hawaii, where he worked to identify and develop strategies for managing invasive pests such as the little fire ant. 

“That was the seed of where it all began, through my involvement with Matt,” said Derstine, who remains in close communication with the professor.

He said that EMU’s small class sizes, as well as the biology program’s exclusive focus on undergraduate students, helped him form close connections with faculty and allowed him to gain hands-on experience working alongside professors as they conducted research projects. “That’s a big benefit,” he said. “There’s no doubt that there’s a very direct link between my experiences and the network of people I now know, who have helped me not only get a job but also continue to provide mentorship and guidance.”

After graduating from EMU with a biology degree in 2010, Derstine worked for two years as a research technician with Siderhurst at the lab in Hawaii before deciding to pursue graduate school. He earned a master of science from Simon Fraser University (Vancouver, Canada) in 2016. From 2017 to 2018, he conducted research on the spotted lanternfly at a USDA lab in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts. He earned his PhD in entomology from Pennsylvania State University in 2023. 

He has also studied and contributed to research papers on yellowjackets and bumblebees, fruit-piercing moths, coffee berry borers, coconut rhinoceros beetles, and fruit flies.

Derstine fondly recalled spending long hours at Suter Science Center identifying specimens for an insect collection and late nights in the basement of Sadie Hartzler Library studying with friends. He returned to campus in March 2024 to lead a Suter Science Seminar talk on the “Sociality and Evolution of Reproductive Signals in Bees.”

“I loved my time at EMU,” he said. “I couldn’t imagine it any other way.”

“That’s when things went wrong,” he recounted during a Suter Science Seminar on Friday morning. “The bus had no brakes.”

Loaded full of Eastern Mennonite students and their luggage, the bus barreled over sidewalks and hurtled through intersections without control, said Zapanta, reading aloud from a letter he sent his parents at the time. The driver pulled to a stop several times to fix the brakes, but they would soon malfunction again, sending them careening into danger. Eventually, the group of students piled out and waited along the side of the road for another bus to transport them.

It was harrowing moments of chaos like this one that proved formative for the EMU alumnus, who is now a highly accomplished otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat doctor) with Sovah Health in Danville, Virginia. After graduating from EMU, Zapanta earned his MD from the University of Virginia and completed his residency at George Washington University (GWU). He spent 16 years in academics, running the GWU otolaryngology residency program and teaching at the medical school. The doctor, who specializes in facial trauma and sleep apnea surgery, also is a U.S. Army colonel and has numerous awards through his deployments and mobilizations. 

Returning to campus to dispense some life lessons for today’s health science students, Zapanta shared the importance of intercultural experiences at EMU. Before his semester spent abroad, which took him to France in addition to the Ivory Coast, Zapanta said he was an introvert. Through “the power of immersion” and having to navigate conversations with his host families, he said “speaking in a second language tricked my mind into not being shy” and he broke out of his introverted bubble. Through the “organized chaos” of the Ivory Coast, he learned to be flexible and embrace the moment. All of these things, he said, taught him how to comfortably talk to his patients and to “be comfortable with the uncomfortable.”

In addition to stories from his time in the West African country—one other lesson: don’t rely on a photocopy of your passport—Zapanta spoke about his Christian faith, shared photos and tales of memorable trauma patients he operated on, and explained why he chose to leave Washington, D.C., to live and work in rural Danville. 

“I wanted to work in an underserved area,” he said. “I wanted to work somewhere I felt appreciated.”

Zapanta also spoke to students about the science of sleep apnea and introduced them to a new treatment called the Inspire device that protrudes and stiffens the tongue while asleep.

At the end of his lecture, in response to a student who asked what advice he would give his younger self, Zapanta said, “I would tell myself, ‘It will all work out. God has a plan.’”

Zapanta and his wife, EMU alumna Anne Charbeneau Zapanta ’97, have two adult kids and “a very naughty husky.”

There are two more Suter Science seminars scheduled for this semester! For more information on those, visit: emu.edu/science-seminars

The grant, awarded through the NSF’s , will fund up to $15,000 annually for each scholarship recipient throughout the length of their degree. Overall, the S-STEM Scholarship will fund a quality undergraduate education for 23 EMU students among three cohorts over the next six years, beginning with first-year students entering the Fall 2025 semester.

The scholarship is open to academically talented students with financial need who are majoring in the following fields: Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Environmental Science, Math, and Psychology (research/STEM track).

Applicants for the S-STEM Scholarship must submit their application and reference forms by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025. For more information about the program and how to apply, visit: emu.edu/stem/scholarship

In addition to scholarships, the program offers students a paid one-week Bridge to College experience, where they can meet professors, learn material from their discipline, acquire study skills, and become better prepared for college.

EMU Biology Professor Dr. Kristopher Schmidt said that some first-year students can struggle to adjust to life on campus, and that the grant aims to ease that adjustment.

“We want to create a sense of belonging,” said Schmidt, who is principal investigator for the grant program.

The program also provides funding for embedded tutoring services and paid tutoring opportunities for students, specialized advising, and guidance from professional STEM mentors.

“This would be a person outside the university in their field of interest who can encourage them, help them, and connect with them along their four-year program,” Schmidt said about the mentors. 

The S-STEM Scholarship program offers innovative opportunities for place-based learning and funding for an eight-week paid internship. Students can use grant-funded resources to conduct research on forest restoration in the Park Woods space, which serves as a key learning lab for STEM students.

This latest grant builds on the success of a similar STEM grant that wrapped up in 2023.

By leveraging grants like these, EMU lives into its mission and vision, outlined in its 2023-28 strategic plan Pathways of Promise of opening new pathways of access and achievement, and can help the NSF achieve its goal of diversifying the STEM workforce.

“We were thrilled to receive this,” Schmidt said. “We’re excited and grateful the NSF has chosen to invest in our students at EMU.”

Faculty members Kristopher Schmidt, Jim Yoder, Daniel Showalter, Stefano Colafranceschi and Dean Tara Kishbaugh wrote the S-STEM grant proposal.

��ݮ���� (EMU) is pleased to announce that senior Meredith Lehman, from Dover, Ohio, has been named a recipient of the prestigious . 

Lehman was one of only 32 students in the US—from a pool of nearly 3,000 applicants—selected to become a Rhodes Scholar for 2025. The program provides scholarships covering all expenses for student-scholars to study at Oxford University.

The award, considered to be the most prized international scholarship for American college graduates, was established in 1903 through the final will and bequest of Cecil John Rhodes. Award criteria includes the highest level of academic excellence, integrity of character, interest in and respect for fellow beings, and a student’s ability to lead. 

Lehman is excited about the opportunities that the Rhodes scholarship will provide, intending to pursue a Master of Philosophy in International Relations while at Oxford. “I hope to someday work as a bridge builder between science and policy, particularly in international spaces,” she says.

A double major in Biology and Political Science with a Chemistry minor, Lehman is an accomplished tutor, recipient of several top academic awards, and has already compiled an impressive research portfolio with several publications under review. Her research on drug delivery systems for anticancer drugs has been funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). 

During the summer of 2023, Lehman was part of a six-student undergraduate research team in North Queensland, Australia. Dr. Jim Yoder, Professor of Biology; Director of Biology, Chemistry, & Environmental Science Programs; and trip co-leader describes Lehman as “level headed, dependable, and meticulous in her work in both laboratory and field settings,” calling her research and publication record “extraordinary.”

Dr. Ji Eun Kim, Associate Professor of Political Science, adds: “Any person who meets Meredith will instantly recognize her sharp intellect and outstanding leadership which stems from her deep commitment to working for the common good and serving others.” 

During her time as President of both EMU’s Student Government Association and award-winning Young Democrats Club, Lehman has been a persistent and passionate leader in the diversity, equity and inclusion space at EMU, including around issues of human rights and climate justice. She was chosen to join the President’s Cabinet in 2022-23 as “the student voice” for the creation of the university strategic plan. 

President Susan Huxman affirms: “From working with advancement to raise money for diversity, equity and inclusion grants, partnering with faculty and designers to create a sustainable fashion design course, to assisting as a legal intern for asylum seekers and elementary students for whom English is a second language, Meredith has been a voice for equity, peace and justice in Harrisonburg, VA; Washington, DC; and her hometown in Ohio.”

About her time at EMU, Lehman says, “This amazing opportunity is truly a product of the EMU community and all of its incredible people … faculty and staff have empowered me to pursue knowledge and critical thinking and to also exercise empathy and compassion.”

Lehman will become part of a legacy of changemaking alumni, including Nobel Peace Laureate Leymah Gbowee MA ’07, renowned peace activist, trained social worker and women’s rights advocate who graduated from EMU’s Center for Justice and Peacebuilding (CJP). 

A leader among faith-based universities, EMU emphasizes academic excellence, peace and justice, and an active faith. Founded in 1917 in Harrisonburg, Virginia, EMU is an educational institution of Mennonite Church USA serving undergraduate, graduate, and seminary students of diverse religious and cultural backgrounds. Learn more on the EMU admissions website or by visiting our Harrisonburg campus.

Read emerging national news coverage on Lehman and the Rhodes scholarship from and .

Johnson shared insights from her research on kidney disease using zebrafish at Notre Dame this past summer as well as her personal journey of falling in love with research. After an EMU professor asked her to present research from an EMU organic chemistry lab at UVA’s Chemical Society meeting, Johnson realized that she loved sharing her work with others. 

Johnson adheres to the personal motto “just keep swimming” from the movie Finding Nemo to guide her career choices. Her professors also highly influenced her journey into research through their constant encouragement and by providing opportunities including a trip to Australia to research fruit flies. “They have taught me to dream big and go for things I never would have expected myself to do,” she said.

Between nursing school and finishing her debut novel “Heartache on the Play Stage,” Mellinger was used to putting herself last. After a series of hardships while trying to become a licensed nurse post-graduation, she shared her realization of needing to prioritize herself.

“Trying to pour from an empty cup isn’t going to work,” she cautioned, detailing the ways in which she has begun to practice self-care, from sleep hygiene to exercise to choosing more nutritious foods. “Self care is not optional. It is essential for a healthy lifestyle,” she said.

Mark Sawin is a name known to many on campus, but his work is not limited to the classroom. Sawin spoke about his recent research and efforts to preserve Mrs. Isa Mae (Banks) Francis’ Green Book house where traveling Black folks stayed when hotels turned them away. Listed in the Green Book from 1953-1961, the house sits at 252 N. Mason Street. It is the last remaining Green Book house in Harrisonburg and was kept in its original state by siblings Henry and Lois Rouser, descendants of Mrs. Isa Mae (Banks) Francis.

William Reed, father of EMU’s own Mayor Deanna Reed, inherited the property from Lois Rouser in 2022. The Reeds called in experts, including Sawin, with the hope of further honoring the house’s legacy. Sawin has been researching the property and the family’s history because he says “being a historian is honoring people by telling their story.”

Tara Kishbaugh, chemistry professor and dean of the School of School of Sciences, Engineering, Art and Nursing—along with math professor Owen Byer, engineering professor Esther Tian and biology professor Jim Yoder—modeled the program off of one in the engineering program at Ohio State University. The four leveraged personal connections and LinkedIn to find mentors.

“It’s a mutually beneficial relationship that gives students a safe space to practice their networking skills, learn to ask good questions and listen well, hear professional perspectives, and develop long-term mentoring relationships,” said Kishbaugh. “It also gives mentors the opportunity to impart their skills and knowledge for students’ personal and professional growth.”

Luke Wheeler is a mechanical engineering major from Hudson, Michigan, whose mentor is Ashley Driver, president and owner of AD Engineering LLC based out of Timberville, Virginia. Wheeler is working part-time for Kawneer in Harrisonburg while finishing up his classes and will begin as an associate process engineer with Merck in Elton, Virginia, after graduation. Wheeler says it has been nice to have a resource to reach out to for advice and that he sees the STEM Mentorship Program as a gateway for internships and jobs for students in the years to come.

Ethan Spicher is a mechanical engineering major from Colorado Springs, Colorado, whose mentor is Gil Colman, civil engineer, owner and principal at Colman Engineering, PLC in Harrisonburg. Spicher says he and Colman have talked at length about his resume, engineering projects, and what it’s like to own a firm. Upon graduating, Spicher will work for JZ Engineering, a structural engineering company based in Harrisonburg.

Ben Bontrager-Singer is a mechanical engineering major from Goshen, Indiana, whose mentor is Kevin Nufer, an aerospace structural engineer at Leidos in Manassas, Virginia. Bontrager-Singer says Nufer looked at this resume and helped him to prepare for his job interview with Seattle-based Blue Origin, where Bontrager-Singer landed a job as a propulsion engineer starting after graduation. “It’s valuable to provide connections between students and the workforce and also a good opportunity for engineers to see what education looks like these days,” said Bontrager-Singer.

Interested in participating as an EMU student or community-based mentor in the STEM Mentorship Program? Email Tara Kishbaugh at tara.kishbaugh@emu.edu.

Read more about Bontrager-Singer’s internship at Tesla and all three seniors’ work with Engineers in Action.

This semester’s Suter Science Seminar lineup at ��ݮ���� (EMU) includes three biologists, a psychologist, and a registered nurse.

The events will be held in Swartzendruber Hall of the Suter Science Center, and will be live streamed for the off-campus community on the . [You do not need to be a member of Facebook to view the livestream.]

Wednesday, Jan. 25, 4 p.m. — “Multiple Roles for UNC-53/NAV2 in Axonal Guidance, Intracellular Trafficking, and Innate Immunity” with Dr. Kristopher Schmidt, associate professor of biology at ��ݮ����.

Wednesday, Feb. 8, 4 p.m. — “Phycosphere Interactions: Novel Insights into Harmful Algal Bloom Dynamics” with Dr. Morgan Steffen and Dr. Louie Wurch, associate professors of biology at James Madison University.

Wednesday, March 1, 4 p.m. — “If You Say it Loud Enough: Exploring Emotional Arousal in Learning and Communication” with Dr. Allison Wilck, associate professor and program director of psychology at EMU.

Wednesday, March 22, 4 p.m. — “Pediatric Behavioral Health: Strategy to Improve Access and Care” with Dr. Anne Brenneman, director of the University Health Center at James Madison University.

The lectures are made possible by the sponsorship of the Daniel B. Suter Endowment in Biology and the co-sponsorship of supporting programs. 

Named in honor of long-time EMU biology professor, Daniel B. Suter (1920-2006), the Endowment in Biology was established in 1986 through the generous donations of alumni and friends and currently consists of over $1 million of invested funds. EMU hopes to double the Suter Endowment in order to more adequately support distinguished faculty and to increase scholarship aid to deserving students.

Professor Steven David Johnson, conservation photographer, partnered with production company and writer-director Michael Oates on a new nature documentary “Wetlands of Wonder: The Hidden World of Vernal Pools.” The documentary is funded by the with assistance from the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The 54-minute program features the annual life cycle of vernal pools — unique, isolated wetland ecosystems that usually emerge in shallow depressions in the ground around forests, seasonally-flooded woodlands or floodplains.

The film began airing last month on .

Johnson’s video and images “add both visual beauty and a deeper ecological understanding” to the film, Oates said.

He reached out after seeing Johnson’s work on the Nature Conservancy website. The Nature Conservancy also featured Johnson’s photos on the cover and in a feature article in the Summer 2021 issue. The feature content and cover design later won . 

Johnson focuses on vernal pools of Appalachia. For more on his work, visit .

Oates said he most appreciated how Johnson’s footage captures the vernal pools as an intensely competitive environment. “All of us know of the lions, leopards, and hyenas that predate the animals of the African plains, but few of us realize that similar predators, with equally large appetites, exist in these small pools. Steve’s footage captures that and does so in a way that viewers can relate to.”

The documentary provides up-close views as well as rare underwater footage of the daily behavior of species that inhabit vernal pools, including the striking Eastern tiger salamander, a state endangered species in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. 

Additional production partners for the film include the Delaware Forest Service, University of Delaware, Delaware Nature Society, ��ݮ���� and Virginia Vernal Pools, LLC.