As students return to Houghton University to begin another academic year, new faculty members are stepping into classrooms and offices across campus and in the Buffalo area.

Houghton’s new faculty members include:

• The Rev. Julian Cook ’09, who comes to Houghton as director of Houghton University Bethel, the college’s newest extension site. Cook holds a bachelor’s degree from Houghton and a Master of Divinity degree from the Boston University School of Theology.
• Christian Esh, a 1998 graduate, returning to Houghton as associate professor of history. Esh comes from Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho. In addition to his bachelor’s degree from Houghton, he holds master’s and doctoral degrees from University of Maryland, College Park.
• 2006 graduate Heidi Giannini, assistant professor of philosophy, who holds a bachelor’s degree from Houghton and master’s and doctoral degrees from Baylor University. She comes to Houghton from Hope College, where she also taught philosophy.
• Dr. John Giannini, joining the faculty as assistant professor of philosophy.
• Aaron Harrison ’01, returning as assistant professor of art. Harrison holds a bachelor’s degree from Houghton and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Marywood University. He also teaches at the Binghamton Community Clay Program in Binghamton, NY.
• Laura Hopkins ’04, who joins the Houghton faculty as assistant professor of education. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Houghton, a master’s degree from Regent University, and holds a doctorate from Michigan State University.
• Walter Hopkins ’04, assistant professor of modern languages, who holds a bachelor’s degree from the college and a Master of Arts from Middlebury College. He also co-hosts an independent, interactive radio show/podcast about language acquisition and classroom practice.
• Rebekah Kimble ’15, program coordinator of Houghton University Buffalo at Hope House, the college’s extension program reaching formerly incarcerated individuals. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Houghton and a Master of Arts from the University at Buffalo.
• Sara Massey, assistant professor of music education, who comes to Houghton after 15 years with Guilford County schools in the Greensboro, NC area. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Baylor University, and both master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
• Michael Ritter, who joins the faculty as assistant professor of international development. Ritter will begin teaching this spring.

• Jetro Silva, professor of music industry and director of technical arts, who previously taught at the Berklee College of Music. Silva holds a bachelor’s degree from Berklee, a graduate diploma from General Theological Seminary, and master’s and doctoral degrees from Andover Newton Theological School.