EMU students that participated included: Allison Bontrager, from Wellman, Ia.; Allison Eanes, from Harrisonburg, Va.; Laci Gautsche, from Archbold, Ohio; Owen Longacre, from Telford, Pa.; Rebecca Stoesz-Nagy, from Harrisonburg, Va.; and Amber Shelly, special from Bluffton, Ohio.

“I cannot imagine a more inspiring event to ignite the passion and spirit of our future teachers than the Teachers of Promise Institute,” said , assistant professor of teacher education at EMU.

The two-day workshop featured sessions on 鈥淐reating Cultural Connections鈥� and 鈥淓ngaging Learners in Active Lessons.鈥�

“Being surrounded by the best educators in the state, as well as a few nationally recognized teachers, brought the kind of positive energy and elevation to the teaching profession that it deserves,” said Gautsche. “I am more excited than ever to begin my teaching career!”

The new faculty, announced by Dr. Beryl H. Brubaker, EMU provost, and Dr. Marie S. Morris, vice president and undergraduate academic dean, are:

– David R. Brubaker, assistant professor of conflict studies in the Conflict Transformation Program (CTP). Brubaker earned a BS in business administration from Messiah College, Grantham, Pa., an MBA in global economic development from Eastern University, St. Davids, Pa., and is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Arizona specializing in religious and organizational conflict.

In 1997, he and four partners founded Cooperative by Design, an Arizona Peacebuilding Consortium which provides a range of consulting and peacebuilding services to not-for-profit organizations, educational institutions, governmental organizations and corporations. Before this, he was the associate director of Mennonite Conciliation Service for two years and assistant director of Mennonite Central Committee