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!

Leading a new school comes with its own set of challenges, says Ryan Henschel ’15, co-principal of Rocktown High School in Harrisonburg.

For one thing, there isn’t much of a blueprint to follow. There’s no history to draw on or precedent for how things are done.

“We’re still developing the identity of the school,” Henschel said. “And we’re creating all the processes from scratch to keep things running smoothly.”

It’s a formidable task, but also one filled with excitement and possibility.

“There aren’t as many ‘bad habits’ we need to undo before setting the tone for the school,” he said. “In that way, it’s a little easier.”

Henschel, in his first year as co-principal, leads over 1,000 students and several EMU alumni on staff at Rocktown, which opened in fall 2024. He previously served as its assistant principal.

Originally from New Market, Henschel said the opportunity to play collegiate baseball drew him to EMU. During his four seasons on the team, the starting pitcher contributed to the Royals’ growing success. In 2015, as a team captain, he helped lead the squad to its first ODAC Tournament appearance since 2002, when former MLB catcher Erik Kratz ’02 was on the team.

Baseball helped him grow, teaching him to manage his time, strengthen his organizational skills, and develop as a leader. It may have been what brought him to campus, but the school’s close-knit community and small class sizes led him to stay.

“I got to know my professors,” he said. “As an athlete, I knew almost all the other athletes and coaches and would interact with them. That played a huge role in making me feel like I truly belong to this community.”

EMU is a Division III school, which means it cannot offer athletic scholarships. For Henschel, receiving the President’s Scholarship, which is awarded to EMU students who maintain a 3.0 GPA, made a real difference.

“That scholarship helped reduce the financial burden both during and after my time at EMU,” he said.

Henschel chose to major in math education because he “really enjoyed math.” “You don’t hear that a lot,” he said. “It came easier to me than other subjects, and I could help other students learn math, which gave me great joy.”

After graduating from EMU in 2015, Henschel taught math at Harrisonburg High School until 2023, when he was named assistant principal. When Rocktown opened the following year, he joined the new school as assistant principal. Henschel, who has a master’s degree in education from James Madison University, became Rocktown’s co-principal last fall.

His wife, Rachel Richard Henschel ’15, a teacher at Spotswood Elementary School, is also an alum of EMU’s acclaimed teacher education program. He credits the program, and its immediate, hands-on experiences, with preparing teachers to serve and lead in the classroom.

During his first semester at EMU, an introduction to teaching course placed him in a local school practicum, where he could quickly translate course theory into practice.

“That’s when I fell in love with teaching,” he said.

Since welcoming students two years ago, Rocktown has earned awards across a wide range of categories, from its innovative architecture and cardiac arrest preparedness to its music education and athletics programs.

“As a new school,” said Henschel, “we’re currently in the exciting phase of cultivating a culture of excellence and seeing our students reach their full potential.”

Your support helps students 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!

EMU senior Arelys Martinez Fabian caught the teaching bug in first grade.

The Winchester, Virginia, native would print out math worksheets for her younger sister to complete. With a classroom of stuffed animals gathered around them, she taught her sister, then a preschooler, basic lessons in addition and subtraction.

“I’ve switched my career choices through the years, but I’ve always gone back to teaching,” said Martinez Fabian, an education and Spanish double major. “When you make a connection with students and they realize, Oh, I can do it, that’s my favorite part of teaching.”

A first-generation college student, Martinez Fabian fully immersed herself in EMU’s rich campus life. She served as co-president of the Student Government Association and as orientation leader, worked as product manager for Common Grounds Coffeehouse, and held leadership roles with the Latinx Student Alliance (LSA). She also served as a student representative on the Interim President Search Committee last spring.

It’s difficult for her to imagine herself anywhere other than EMU. That wasn’t always the case.

During her senior year at Millbrook High School, she learned she had been accepted to the University of Virginia. It was her lifelong dream school. The decision should’ve been an easy one.

“At the same time,” she said, “I kept seeing signs that I should attend EMU.”

High school teachers would unexpectedly mention EMU in passing. A coworker at her day care job shared how impactful her own EMU education had been. 

When EMU accepted her and offered its highest academic award, the four-year, full-tuition Yoder/Webb Scholarship, the choice became clear: she would become a Royal.

Looking back, she’s sure she made the right call.

She believes EMU’s nationally accredited teacher education program has prepared her well for the realities of the classroom. As a student teacher at Bluestone Elementary in Harrisonburg, she spent the first week of school last fall observing how teachers set rules and expectations. 

EMU’s small class sizes have allowed her to form close relationships with professors. She said she has always felt comfortable seeking their guidance and support. 

During recent immigration-related crackdowns across the country, Martinez Fabian, who has relatives from Latin America, said professors regularly checked in with her to make sure she felt safe.

“I knew I could go to them for support,” she said. “I was able to get through some tough times because of them.”

Your support helps students like Arelys 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!

Restorative Justice in Education Conference
Date: Tuesday-Wednesday, June 24-25, 2025
Location: Campus Center at EMU, 1200 Park Rd, Harrisonburg, Virginia
Cost: $350 for full-program registration. $100 for virtual access.
Online:

For the past decade, the annual Restorative Justice in Education (RJE) Conference at EMU has drawn participants from across Virginia, the U.S., and as far away as Canada and South America to learn how to apply the values and concepts of restorative justice in their classrooms and school divisions.����

The gathering has grown in size over those years and expanded in its offerings, but its purpose remains the same: to provide a space where RJE scholars and practitioners, teachers, educators, and EMU faculty and staff can connect, learn together, and encourage one another in the work they’re doing.

“It’s all about fostering conversations among practitioners,” said EMU Professor Kathy Evans, a member of the conference planning team. “We’ll have classroom teachers who are completely new to restorative justice sitting alongside folks who’ve written books and conducted scholarly research on RJ. Together, we’ll share ideas and explore how we can collaborate to bring about the kind of world we all want to see.”

The 10th annual RJE Conference, held Tuesday and Wednesday, June 24-25, is available to attend in-person and online. All events will be held at EMU’s Campus Center. Visit for more information and a conference schedule.

The conference includes a keynote address, breakout sessions, and a welcome reception held at a local vineyard. The event will conclude on June 25 with a closing reflection circle at 3:45 p.m.

Keynote speakers

The theme for this year’s conference is “Language Matters: Exploring the Role of Discourse and Communication in Restorative Justice in Education,” which is drawn from the scholarship of . Her work has been integrated into EMU’s Graduate Teacher Education program in RJE.

Keynote speakers Bella Finau-Faumuina and Dwanna Nicole will open the conference with their address, “Stolen Language: Restoring Indigeneity in Restorative Justice Practices” on June 24 at 10 a.m.��Finau-Faumuina is an advocate and educator dedicated to implementing Hawaiian culture, history, and practices into public schools across Hawaii. She is part of the Office of Hawaiian Education, and promotes traditional Hawaiian knowledge as context and content throughout the state’s Department of Education. Nicole is executive director of the Restorative Justice Partnership, where she works within school communities throughout the country to assist in developing strategies to create more positive school climates for students, educators, and families. She also provides training and support in the implementation of restorative justice in schools.��

Their address will touch on the resurgence of cultural practices, including language, land, and restorative justice, within Hawaiian communities, and will highlight how one educator is using restorative justice to heal the cultural trauma that students experience and bring into the classroom.

Noting that restorative justice practices are rooted in Indigenous traditions, Evans said that this year’s theme feels especially timely.��“I’m excited to have them here to set the tone for the conference,” she said. “It’s a powerful opportunity to reflect on how language shapes our efforts to build a more just and equitable world.”

Breakout sessions

Conference sessions will include offerings for newcomers of RJ as well as veterans of the field. Participants can choose between four sessions for each 90-minute block of time. 

One session, led by Tonya Walls, the executive director for Code Switch: Restorative Justice for Girls of Color, will explore the transformative power of language and communication in fostering healing and empowerment for girls of color in educational settings. Another session, titled “Using Language of Competence within Restorative Special Education,” will consider the ways in which ableism gets perpetuated through language.

The language we use to describe our students truly matters, Evans said. “It shows up in the way we refer to our students with special needs,” she explained. “Do we call them students with disabilities? Students with different learning styles? Or students who are neurodivergent? The words we choose shape how we see them and how they see themselves.”

Welcome reception

To kick off the conference, a special gathering at Bluestone Vineyard in Bridgewater, Virginia, on Monday, June 23, at 6 p.m. will offer conference participants, RJE graduates and practitioners, and EMU faculty and staff a chance to connect with one another and build relationships. The evening reception promises to include light appetizers, delicious cake and wine, and great company. Participation at the welcome reception is also open to those who aren’t attending the RJE Conference.

Evans said one of the most meaningful compliments she received came from a participant last year who told her the event felt more like a community gathering than a typical conference.

“I love that,” she said. “I love how casual and comfortable it feels. It doesn’t feel formal like a conference. It feels like a bunch of good friends coming together to support and cheer one another on in the work we’re all doing.”

For questions about the RJE Conference, contact cape@emu.edu.

Classrooms are in crisis.

The teaching profession is experiencing its lowest levels of employment in 50 years, according to the . More and more of those who are teaching have a short-term provisional license in lieu of a standard license and often have little to no actual training as teachers. There’s a growing need in the educational landscape and EMU has responded.

A new graduate certificate program equips provisionally licensed teachers with the skills and tools needed to better serve their students, while preparing them for licensure and helping tackle a nationwide teacher shortage. 

The Teaching and Learning Graduate Certificate, offered through EMU’s Graduate Teacher Education , is designed for those with a bachelor’s degree and a provisional license.

EMU’s Teaching and Learning Graduate Certificate program, which launched during the Spring 2025 semester, consists of five courses totaling 15 credit hours. Those who complete the sequence of courses advance their academic training and fulfill the professional requirements set by the Virginia Department of Education for a full teaching license, while earning graduate credit. The classes can be applied toward a master’s degree in education if students want to continue their studies. The graduate certificate also serves as a standalone credential and can be used to burnish a resume.

The program is fully asynchronous and online, offering flexibility that allows students from across the commonwealth and beyond to complete the coursework on their own schedules. Despite the virtual nature of the program, students can find belonging in a supportive professional learning community, said Paul Yoder, associate professor of teacher education and director of graduate teacher education at EMU.

“Some folks with a provisional license will take programs that are completely autonomous,” he said. “We’re bringing people together to learn and share their experiences with a seasoned educator as well as with others who are in the same boat. Rather than just reading something or watching videos, we want to engage people so that they can support each other.”

Yoder said the graduate certificate offers another way that EMU can meet real needs in the community.��

“While we have existing programs at EMU, including the preservice teacher program for undergraduate students, and that has been the predominant way that teachers have been prepared in the U.S. and Virginia, we see that it’s been shifting in the past decade,” he said. “We want to help meet that significant emerging need for training nontraditionally prepared teachers.”

From addressing social and ethical issues in the classroom to supporting positive classroom behavior and human growth and development, the courses enable new teachers to serve confidently and lead in a global context while making a difference in their classroom. The five courses that form the graduate certificate are: Curriculum and Instructional Strategies, Supporting Positive Classroom Behavior, Assessment of Learners, Social and Ethical Issues in Education, and Human Growth and Development.

One quality that sets EMU’s program apart from its peers is its fundamental emphasis on principles of restorative justice in education, such as building relationships and healthy communities.

“That’s going to be integrated within all of these courses,” Yoder said. 

He said that EMU looks forward to leveraging its existing partnerships with school divisions such as Harrisonburg City Public Schools as well as with others that have relied on quality EMU teachers over the years.

For more information about the Teaching and Learning Graduate Certificate, visit:

“They were extraordinary people,” Berry recalled. “They played such an important role in helping to shape the course of my life.”

Because of his church family at Newtown Gospel Chapel, Berry joined the Mennonite community and chose to attend EMU. He became an educator and later a lawyer, inspiring and defending countless others over a 53-year career.

Berry has been selected by EMU’s Alumni Association and its Awards and Nominations Committee as the winner of the 2024 Distinguished Service Award, which honors EMU alumni who have significantly impacted the lives of others.

Berry’s first experience with Mennonites began near Hartville, Ohio, during the 1950s. A child of migrant farm workers, Berry, now 80, would travel each summer with his parents and siblings from Sarasota to work on the mucklands harvesting vegetables. 

Members of local Mennonite churches would come to the migrant camps and invite children his age to vacation Bible school after the workday ended. It was a welcome diversion from working all day in the Ohio fields. It was also his first experience as a Black child attending a church with white people, and he came away with a sense that the Mennonites were different from whites he encountered in the South.

“They treated us as human beings,” he said. “Their actions seemed to coincide with the beliefs they professed.”

Berry later met more Mennonites in Florida after a white man came to the migrant camp and invited him and others to church in Newtown, the predominantly Black section of Sarasota. Though he resisted numerous invitations, he had great respect for the Newtown Gospel Chapel congregation.

After graduating from high school in 1961 and taking months to search his soul, Berry decided to become a Christian. That winter, he was baptized and became a member at Newtown Gospel Chapel. He was still a migrant farm worker, but was thinking seriously about college. 

In the early 1960s, colleges and universities in the South remained highly segregated, so Berry had his eye on either Morehouse College, a liberal arts college that taught Black men, or Gibbs Junior College, an all-Black school in nearby St. Petersburg. He shared his plans with his pastor, who encouraged him to apply to EMU.

Berry was accepted to EMU and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in history and secondary education. “EMU helped me prepare [for future career and educational endeavors],” he said. “You never stop learning.”

Following graduation, he applied for admission to the Mennonite Voluntary Service program in Elkhart, Indiana. In September 1966, he received a two-year assignment to the Voluntary Service Unit in Cleveland, Ohio, and became a public-school teacher. In June 1968, he returned to Elkhart and finished his Voluntary Service commitment by writing articles about the work of Mennonite volunteers in urban areas.

That fall, Berry enrolled as a graduate student at the University of Notre Dame where he received a master’s and PhD. In 1969, he became the first African American faculty member at Goshen College, teaching politics, Latin American studies and Black history part-time until his retirement in 2010.

While at Goshen, Berry took a sabbatical to pursue law school at Indiana University. In 1985, he was admitted to the Indiana bar and started his full-time law practice.

Many of Berry’s law clients were migrants from Central America and Mexico who encountered legal problems in Indiana but were not fluent in English and sought legal assistance from lawyers who could communicate with them in Spanish. 

Eventually more Hispanic lawyers came to the area, but in the 1980s, Berry was one of the few who could serve that community.

“My objective was to be effective by doing the best that I could for them,” he said.

Now retired and living in Goshen, Indiana, Berry has himself a family of educators.

His wife, Elizabeth A. Hostetler Berry, a graduate of Goshen College with two master’s degrees, was a member of the Goshen College faculty and served as a teacher and the head librarian at Bethany Christian Schools in Goshen. Their three children—Dr. Joseph Berry, Dr. Malinda Berry, and Anne Berry (MFA)—are also in higher education.

Kendra Conrad Bailey ’03, MA ’05, a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) at her own private Iowa practice, was in a client session when her office received a call from ��ݮ����. When she checked with members of her staff, they assured her the call wasn’t important.

She later learned that while she was helping clients that day, her colleagues were dancing in the halls. They had heard that Bailey, whom they had nominated, had been selected by EMU’s Alumni Association and its Awards and Nominations Committee as the 2024 Alum of the Year.

The award is given annually to an alum who has been recognized for significant achievement in her/his/their profession, community or church. Given to honor the alum, it is also awarded to inspire EMU students and fellow alumni to live lives of service and vocational excellence.

“I felt honored and humbled [to receive the award],” said Bailey, who added that being viewed by her staff in a way that drove them to nominate her was “the greatest gift.”

Bailey, 43, lives on a farm in Riverside, Iowa, with her husband, Jace Bailey ’04, and their three children: Bryce (17), Kale (15), and Jalise (11). An Iowa native, she learned about EMU when college recruiters made a stop at the school she was attending. Upon visiting EMU, Bailey said she “just overwhelmingly felt it was where the Lord was calling me.”

Bailey went on to attend both undergraduate and graduate school at EMU where she earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education in 2003 and a master’s degree in school and clinical counseling in 2005. She credits her EMU professors with noticing her strengths in the classroom—and recognizing how she might excel as a therapist, a career she decided to pursue after undergrad.

Bailey had no intention of starting her own business until some former clients, colleagues and her husband started asking, “Why not?” She told them she couldn’t imagine it. When her husband suggested it might be God’s will, Bailey confessed there was one place she could see God leading her: to downtown North Liberty, Iowa, in a particular neighborhood that, as far as she knew, had no suitable space.

The following day, a man approached her husband at the bank where he works as a commercial loan officer and asked if he knew anyone looking to rent a space in exactly the spot Bailey had named. She recalled the space needing a lot of work but could “see the vision.” “It’s like the Lord opened my eyes and allowed me to see what could be.”

Bailey obtained a LMHC license in the state of Iowa and opened her business Imagine Therapy Solutions, which draws its mission statement from Ephesians 3:20: “And to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, to Him be the glory.”

That was nearly 10 years ago. Now with two locations, the business provides in-person and telehealth services to children, adolescents, adults, and families with a variety of mental and behavioral healthcare needs. “From the day we opened, we’ve had a waiting list and never advertised,” said Bailey, who along with 10 other therapists and five office staffers help clients throughout Iowa to envision themselves achieving their goals so that they can take the necessary steps for self-improvement.

“I enjoy sitting with clients one-on-one to be able to walk with them,” Bailey said. “I am humbled that people allow me to journey with them in their life story.”

In addition to carrying a full-client caseload at Imagine, Bailey provides supervision to therapists in training who are working to acquire their mental health license. She wrote “Tower of Trust,” an interactive storybook for children teaching them the value of second chances, and also speaks publicly on the topic of mental health to surrounding organizations, churches and schools.

EMU’s 2024 Teachers of Promise are:

• Maria Bettilyon, from Ashburn, Virginia; Mathematics, Secondary Education, 6-12
• Lucy Unzicker, from Benson, Illinois; Spanish, Secondary Education, 6-12
• Erin Keith, from Stuart, Virginia; Health & Physical Education, K-12
• Shania Coleman, from Stanardsville, Virginia; Elementary Education, PreK-6
• Lyndsay Harris, from Stuarts Draft, Virginia;�� Elementary Education, PreK-6
• Alex Gulisano, from Chesapeake, Virginia; Elementary Education, PreK-6

The honorees exemplify strong potential for impacting students in the classroom, high academic standing, commitment to the teaching profession, and embody EMU’s teacher education mission to “teach boldly in a changing world through an ethic of care and critical reflection,” said program director and professor of education Holly Rusher.��

“This is a delightful group of honorees,” Rusher added. “I am confident that these future teachers will positively influence the lives of each student in their classrooms as they create and advocate for just and equitable learning environments.”

Professor Barbara Wheatley is the students’ teacher education faculty advisor. 

EMU’s education program values experiential learning, offering early practicum experiences that help candidates determine their professional path. Teacher candidates choose from 15 different licensure programs. The teacher education program is National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) accredited through the (CAEP).

If any student in his class can find a topic they care about that he can’t apply to statistics, they win a clean, crisp $100 bill.

“It’s always fun,” Showalter said. “Students will write to me about something or another and I’ll show them some research paper that has been done related to that.”

To date, nobody has won his challenge, and there’s a good chance nobody ever will. It just goes to show how applicable statistics is to the world around us and to everyone in it. “Statistics is one of those areas that connects to every part of our life like faith, relationships, justice, mental health,” he said.  

Whether it’s applying a statistical lens to childhood poverty, to racial discrimination in hiring or to the educational quality in rural school districts, Showalter strives to help his students connect with and care about statistics in a way that isn’t just about numbers and formulas. His class shows them how statistics can be used as a perspective to improve the quality of life and change the world. 

Meeting his heroes

Now in his ninth year at EMU, Showalter, the program director for mathematics and computer science, is the recipient of next year’s Robert V. Hogg Award for Excellence in Teaching Introductory Statistics.��

The national award is presented yearly by the Special Interest Group of the Mathematical Association of America on Statistics Education to someone who’s been teaching introductory statistics at the college level between three and 15 years and has “shown both excellence and growth in teaching during that time ().” Its namesake Robert Hogg was a professor of statistics at the University of Iowa and was well-known for his textbooks on statistics. 

Showalter was nominated by his doctoral adviser Greg Foley, from Ohio University, for the award. He also submitted four letters of recommendation, including two from students, for consideration by the awards committee.

“The committee was impressed with your work in course design, your service to the community, and your impact on students,” a committee member wrote in an email to Showalter.

Past winners of the Hogg award include three statistics educators who are among Showalter’s biggest inspirations: Talithia Williams of Harvey Mudd College, Nathan Tintle of the University of Illinois Chicago, and Mine Çetinkaya-Rundel of Duke University.

“They have been some of my heroes, who have really shaped how I teach statistics and use personal, relevant data,” Showalter said.

The EMU professor will receive the Hogg award at the 2024 MathFest in Indianapolis in August. He said he looks forward to forging professional connections with past award winners as well as trading ideas with other statistics professors. 

Along with the award comes a $500 prize. Showalter plans to use the money to invest in promoting the sharing of stories between EMU students, a topic he talked about in his this past spring. 

‘Teach people, not statistics’

This isn’t the first award he’s received for his teaching.

Showalter was the 2021 recipient of the John M. Smith Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching, a regional math honor bestowed to professors who are “widely recognized as extraordinarily successful in their teaching.” Read more about that recognition in our writeup here. 

He was the 2020 recipient of EMU’s Excellence in Teaching Award for tenured faculty. And, he’s received accolades from across the country for his work on a analyzing the contexts and conditions of rural education in each state.

Showalter, who led a Thailand crosscultural group in 2021, said the trip proved to be a “real turning point” for him as a professor. 

 “I was able to interact with these students and see a lot more of what they were going through from the other side, not just from the front of the classroom, but as a supporter,” he said.

At the beginning of every semester, he has his students fill out intro surveys, where they describe themselves and their relationship with mathematics. The surveys provide him with a glimpse into their lives and allow him to form personal connections with them. 

Showalter starts his first sabbatical next semester, one that will focus on how professors can aid in students’ mental health. He said it’s important for him to “teach people, not statistics.”

“You can’t just take this curriculum and apply it to any given set of students,” he said. “From the very beginning, I want to know each student individually as much as they’ll let me get to know them. … Even if they don’t learn statistics, I want every student to come out of here feeling like they’re valued or to find ways to affirm them as a person.”

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect the new position accepted by Dr. Basil Marin.

America’s youth face myriad risks and challenges meeting them head-on. From mental health struggles and bullying to academic concerns and the perils of social media, vulnerable children in the U.S. have a lot on their minds—and many just need someone to show that they care. 

prides himself on being that person, continuing his work with students who act out and struggle in school. By parlaying his lived experiences with advanced degrees in the field of education, he also has blossomed into a sought-after keynote speaker on education topics. 

As selected by ��ݮ����’s Alumni Association and its Awards and Nominations Committee, Marin is the 2023 Outstanding Young Alum of the Year. The Outstanding Young Alum Award is given annually to an alumna or alumnus who, through her or his professional achievement and/or Christ-like compassionate service, is making a significant contribution to the local, national or global community. 

“I am grateful to the EMU community for thinking of me during one of the lowest periods of my adult life,” Marin said of winning the award. “Losing my father a year ago has truly impacted my life in a significant way. Being the Outstanding Young Alum of the Year is not only an honor but a dedication to my father’s legacy of serving others. This award has given me hope in the Bible verse Galatians 6:9, which states, ‘Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.’” 

Marin, previously principal of Thomas Harrison Middle School in Harrisonburg, is a self-described “disruptor of the status quo.” Whether he’s in the classroom, mentoring teachers, leading in various capacities or volunteering with professional organizations — he counts at least five he’s currently involved with — Marin stays busy. In the 13 years since leaving EMU with his business administration and management degree in tow, he’s hardly stayed still. 

Marin recently accepted a new position within Harrisonburg City Public Schools, where he will be working with Equity and Community Engagement to extend the work of the office into support of students with disabilities, according to a release from the school division on Friday.

“He always exhibited a remarkable amount of passion, dedication and drive when it came to students, parents and the community,” said Shawn Millaci, principal of Churchland High School in Portsmouth, Virginia. “Basil’s demeanor was calm and supportive, and he always put students, parents, colleagues and stakeholders at ease. He could often be found counseling at-risk students and gave many of our students the hope that they needed to persevere.” 

His master’s degree in special education and teaching from Liberty University preceded a pair of degrees from Old Dominion University, including a PhD in educational leadership and administration. That formal training has proven invaluable since his first high school assistant principal post in 2017. 

As a high school student, Marin’s inspiring mentor instilled in him the power of education. 

“I believe wholeheartedly that I was placed on Earth to help young scholars who have the mentality that they will never amount to anything,” Marin reflected. “Too easily, our underserved youth believe the societal lies that they will never be successful nor have access to quality educational experiences.” 

Marin will be recognized on Saturday, Oct. 14, at the Opening Homecoming Celebration Breakfast in Yoder Arena. Following a morning worship service on Oct. 15, EMU also will host a luncheon in honor of Marin, 2023 Alum of the Year Andy Dula ‘91, and 2023 Distinguished Service Award co-winners Paul and Lisa Zendt Shelly ‘89. 

“In order to be a Christian, one must have a personal connection with God,” Marin said. “I struggled with this concept growing up but always felt God calling me in with a small, still voice. As I got older, I started to develop a stronger connection to God, and my years at EMU also helped to deepen my walk with Christ, as many of my professors and other leaders showed me grace and compassion day in and day out.”

“Christianity is a major component in my life, and I could not see me living life any other way.”

Honorees demonstrate a strong potential to impact students in the classroom, high academic standing, and commitment to the teaching profession. EMU’s Teachers of Promise were chosen by EMU teacher education program faculty. “I know these five future teachers will be a positive influence in the lives of their students,” said Professor Barbara Wheatley, the students’ faculty advisor.

EMU’s 2023 Teachers of Promise are:

• Morgan Evans, from Dayton, Va.; Biology, Secondary Education, 6-12
• Amanda Kibler, from Woodstock, Va.; Music Education; PreK-12
• Stephanie Palomino, from Goshen, In.; English as a Second Language (ESL), PreK-12
• Caitlin Weaver, from Rockingham, Va.; Elementary Education, PreK-6
• Carrie Yoder, from Harrisonburg, Va.; History & Social Science, Secondary Education, 6-12

“The institute was an exciting opportunity to bond with EMU education students as well as other Virginia college education students,” said Yoder, who was also able to get advice from a mentor educator about her first year of teaching. Palomino was honored to be nominated for the institute and says she left feeling “inspired and re-energized” about her future career as an ESL educator.

EMU’s education program values experiential learning, offering early practicum experiences that help candidates determine their professional path. Teacher candidates choose from 15 different licensure programs, which are approved by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) and accredited by the (CAEP).

The was established in 2004 to identify and recognize the best prospective teachers from college and university schools of education across Virginia. The Institute is funded by The Teachers of Promise Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization based in Roanoke, Virginia, and is organized by a team of practicing educators. To date, the Institute has honored more than 3,650 Teachers of Promise from more than three dozen institutions of higher education.

Ask educators and filmmakers Kendal Swartzentruber ‘07, MA ‘12 and Jesse Rodriguez ‘05 to tell you the story of their current professional collaboration and they’ll quickly point to their time at Spotswood High School in Rockingham County.

There the two friends took a broadcasting class and were involved in a peer mentoring program that introduced them to the rewards of working alongside people with disabilities.

Fast forward several years. After graduating from ��ݮ����’s teacher preparation program, both started their careers in separate special education classrooms in the Shenandoah Valley.

“We used to joke that we should teach together, but eventually we were able to make that happen at Montevideo, which ironically is where we both went to middle school,” Rodriguez said. They co-taught special education, created a new peer mentorship program that promoted inclusivity, and began incorporating their journalism and media skills into a classroom blog that included videos, photos and text created and published by their students.

The duo now serve as co-state coordinators of the award-winning Virginia Department of Education’s I’m Determined project. The program, headquartered at James Madison University, includes 25 youth leaders, and 13 regional “Determinators” — special education professionals who consult with and facilitate programming for youth, educators, and families to practice self-determined behavior. 

In 2022, the National Disability Mentoring Coalition named the program as one of the five U.S. honorees in the Susan M. Daniels Disability Mentoring Hall of Fame. Rodriguez was also honored as 2022 Practitioner of the Year by Virginia’s Division on Career Development and Transition. (Swartzentruber was recognized similarly in 2019.)

Those media skills came in handy during the COVID pandemic, when programming went virtual. But Swartzentruber and Rodriguez also recognized that powerful storytelling could start conversations about important issues.

“We serve a population of individuals who are often not seen and heard and we use the skills we developed in journalism and marketing to raise them up and to allow them to be seen and heard,” Rodriguez said.

Their new nine-part short film series titled “Elemental” does just that — telling the stories of three teenagers within the disability community: a student-athlete learning how to advocate for his undiagnosed dyslexia; a student with cerebral palsy trying to be heard; and a young woman who is a caregiver for her autistic brother. 

The films will premiere at Court Square Theater on Wednesday, March 29. March is National Disability Awareness Month. Viewers can also find the videos on the and . View the event flyer here.

Each character engages with peers, parents, and educators; the theme of self-advocacy and self-discovery weaves together with the challenges of being a teenager in the 21st century world:  the characters encounter issues of social justice and intersectionality, disability rights, societal constraints and communication challenges, among other themes. 

“We didn’t want to wrap these characters and these stories in a bow,” Swartzentruber said. “It’s not about giving answers but it’s about the critical discourse that happens from watching it collectively. We really want you to think more deeply about what these characters are experiencing.”

One goal for the film series is to showcase important skills promoted within the I’m Determined program: choice making, self-regulation and self advocacy.

“So many times someone with a disability has been taught that they need to hide it or find ways to work around it or fix it, but our approach comes to them with the idea that it is a part of their identity that they can embrace and we all can embrace,” Rodriguez said. “How can we help them fold that into their own identity in a way that helps them be successful and allows them to share their unique perspectives and skills with others?”

The educators also want the stories of Tony, Steph, and Emma to help educate the general public about what it’s like to live with a disability and what it means to be a self-advocate.

“We work with highly talented individuals who successfully overcome what can be significant barriers on a daily basis,” Swartzentruber said. “If you are not in special education or in a profession where you  might interact with this population or you don’t have a family member with a disability, you may not know very much about or have a relationship with someone who can help you understand better.”

The 18-month project has not been without its stresses, as the partners kept other programming and collaborations going alongside the production work. But at the root of their work together is a deep and lasting friendship, which they realize has become a valuable model for those they interact with. 

“We realize that we are providing a unique example of people who care, especially men who care, and what that genuine care looks like,” Swartzentruber says. “That’s not a relational piece that a lot of families interacting in the special education world get to see.”

Rodriguez says their collective sensitivity and acceptance of and openness to diversity sets their partnership apart: “There’s something about our coordination and collaboration that is super unique …  [We] embrace the quirkiness of everyone, including ourselves!”

Ten ��ݮ���� students are gaining professional experience this fall at the Washington Community Scholars’ Center (WCSC). They represent nine different majors, showing the range of placement possibilities available through the program. The diversity includes four computer science majors (with two also double majoring in math), two history and social science majors, one social work major, one liberal arts major, one digital media major, and one peacebuilding and development major.

The center, located in the nation’s capital since 1976, is a program of ��ݮ����.

The semester-long experience is also a community-building endeavor, with students living together in the Nelson Good House in the Brookland neighborhood of Northeast Washington, DC. This semester’s placements include several organizations that are long-time hosts of EMU students, highlighting WCSC’s deep ties within the region. Many alumni can trace their careers back to a pivotal experience at WCSC. 

Read more about WCSC success! Nursing major Ashlyn Eby talks about personal growth and learning from her internship. Grads Tessa Waidelich and Terry Jones find full-time work after their internships.

Read on to learn more about the students, their placements and the organizations they are involved with. 

Zyeasha Ba, a peace and development major from Stafford, Virginia, is with the peace education program . She helps to lead discussions about conflict resolution with elementary school age children and men experiencing homelessness.

Seth Andreas, a math and computer science major from Bluffton, Ohio, is doing a variety of tasks at , from scripting to 3D modeling, in the realm of virtual reality game development.

KC Argueta-Rivas, a social work major from Springfield, Virginia, works with case managers at providing legal services and social services to clients.

Cor’Shauna Cunningham, a liberal arts major and psychology minor from Brooklyn, New York, is with , an addiction treatment center.

Mykenzie Davis, a digital media and communications major from Lititz, Pennsylvania, is with , where she is filming and editing videos for clients and enhancing her portfolio for post-graduation job search.

Natalia Hernandez, a computer science major from San Pedro Sula, Honduras, is with , where she is implementing malware detection software. She was recently offered a position as a service desk engineer at the same organization.

Anya Kauffman, a history and social science major from Goshen, Indiana, is interning at the criminal defense law firm, . “I help two legal assistants with tasks including requesting accident reports from the police department, scheduling hearings at the DMV, checking for court dates or case numbers. I think the most significant learning experience will be working in a fast-paced law firm, understanding the ins and outs of a criminal defense firm, and learning the process of a criminal legal case.”

Tace Martin, a history and social science major from Eugene, Oregon, is with . The site was one of the first public schools for African American children in the United States, and currently houses a museum, a research room, art exhibits, and the archives of the District of Columbia Public Schools. He is documenting and rehousing collections related to the school itself, as well as “pulling collections for upcoming scholarly visits.” Martin is also contributing to the site’s draft application to be listed on the National Park Service Register of Historic Places.

Joey Sun, a computer science major from Shenyang, China, is with the . His role consists of providing technical support to all Smithsonian employees regarding verification issues, technology assistance, and moderating access to special documents. He is learning to navigate the user interface and software the OCIO uses to support the entire Smithsonian network.

Noah Swartzentruber, a math and computer science major from Lancaster, Pa., is working on projects for the Smithsonian National Zoo’s website and collaborating on a web-based tool for zookeeping staff.

Summer 2022 placements included:

• A physical therapy practice
• Mennonite Central Committee’s National Justice and Peace Ministries office 
• Community of Hope, a community health clinic that provides quality healthcare and housing to families 
• Covenant House, an organization that provides educational programs, job training and placement, medical services, mental health and substance use counseling, legal aid and beyond to homeless youth
• St. Anthony Catholic School, gaining experience working with children and observing different teaching styles
• Washington Digital Media, making business cards and several other templates.
• Bread for the City’s primary care clinic in a Spanish-language setting
• Anacostia Watershed Society with their adult education classes, tree surveying, invasive species removal, wetland planting, and boat tours on the Anacostia River
• Keegan Theater
• Girls on the Run DC
• Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development, which fosters just and equitable community development solutions that address the needs and aspirations of low- and moderate-income district residents.

Jamie Reich, WCSC’s associate director of communications and retention, contributed to this article.