Career Snapshot

• President at Houghton College, June 2006 to present
• Provost at Westmont College, 2002 to December 2006
• Professor of History, 1984 to 2006 (Full professorship from 1995)

Administration and Teaching Experience

Houghton College

President, June 2006 to Present

Westmont College

Provost, 2002 to December 2006

Responsibilities included:

• The full educational program of the college, including Academic Departments and Personnel, Student Life (in cooperation with the Vice President for Student Life); the Campus Pastor’s Office, Athletics, Admissions, Conferences, Off-Campus Programs, Registrar, Advising, Assessment, and Institutional Research.
• The budgets for the Provost’s area and collaboration with the President’s staff in planning budget and campaign priorities for the college.
• Chaired task forces on Hiring for Mission, Athletics Priorities and Choice of Conference Affiliation, and the Re-accreditation Steering Committee. Chaired the second of our ten-year Long Range Planning Processes in Fall 2006. Each of these task forces included faculty, administrators, and members of the Board of Trustees.

Administrative Experience/Committee Work

• Interim Academic Dean, 2001-2002
• Vice-Provost for Curriculum and Faculty Development, Fall 1999 to Fall 2001
• Chair of the Faculty, 1993-1994
• Special Projects Assistant to Provost in areas of Faith/Learning and Campus Ethos, 1997-1999
• Department Chair for History, 1988-2001
• Academic Senate, 1988-2006 (Chair 1998-2006)
  Senate Executive Committee, Fall 1985, Fall 1987, 1990-1991, 1993-1994, 1996-2006
  Senate Review Committee, Fall 1988-1990
• Academic Planning Committee, 1986-1989 (Chair 1987-1989)
• Long Range Planning Task Force for the College, 1992-1995 (Chair 1994-1995)
• Faculty Council, Spring 1991, 1992-1995, Ex-officio as Provost
• Off Campus Programs Committee, 1990-1991, 1997-2001
• Personnel Committee, 1987-1988, Ex-officio as Vice Provost and Provost
• Provost Search Committee, Chair 1995-1996
• Committee for Rewriting the College Creedal Statement, 2000-2001

Professor of History, 1984-2006 (Full Professorship from 1995)

Courses taught:

• Civilization to 1500
• Civilization: 1500 to Present
• Introduction to History (Methodology)
• England to 1688
• England Since 1688
• Russia: 1700 to Present
• Senior History Seminar
• European Politics and Diplomacy Since 1789
• European Society and Culture Since 1789
• European Intellectual History Since 1789
• Philosophy of History (Team taught with philosopher)
• Interdisciplinary Studies – Topics in Feminism
• War & Violence in Human Experience

Overseas Teaching:

• Mayterm in Europe: European Civilization, Spring 1986, Spring 1988, Spring 1990, Spring 1992, Spring 1994, Spring 1996, Spring 1998, Spring 2000
• Fall Semester in Europe Program, Fall 1986
• Two Presidential Trips with Friends of the College (France 1999, Austria 2003)
• One Alumni Trip (Italy 2005)

University of Minnesota

Teaching Assistant, 1980-1983

• European History Since 1500
• Senior Research & Writing Project (History undergraduates), 1982-1983

Bethel College, St. Paul, MN

Instructor, Spring 1979, 1982-1983

• World Civilization Since 1500
• Anti-Semitism in Western Culture

Director of Residence Life, 1977-1979

Publications and Papers

Articles or Book Chapters

• “Between ‘Romance’ and ‘True History:’ Historical Narrative and Truth Telling in a Postmodern Age,” History and the Christian Historian, Ronald Wells, Eerdmans, 1998.
• “David Hume and a Christian Perspective on History: Insights from an Unlikely Ally,”Fides et Historia, Summer/Fall 2003, pp. 49-60.
• “Faith, Learning, and the Teaching of History,” Migliazzo: Teaching as an Act of Faith, Fordham University Press, 2002, pp. 277-293.
• Entries on George Watts and Thomas Huxley, The 1890s: An Encyclopedia of British Literature, Art and Culture, G.A. Cevasco (ed.), Garland Press, 1993.
• “Keeping the Faith: The Struggle for a Militant Atheist Press, 1839-62,” Victorian Periodicals Review, XXV, No. 4, Winter 1992, pp. 150-158.
• “Education Makes a Difference,” Kappan, May 1990, pp. 18-24.
• Assorted entries on Freethought, Victorian Britain: An Encyclopedia, Sally Mitchel (ed.), Garland Press, 1988.
• “Individualism in the Liberal Arts: Thoughts on Habits of the Heart,” Faculty Dialogue, Spring-Summer 1987, pp. 79-82.
• “Women in History and Hannah More,” Fides et Historia, Fall 1987, pp. 5-21.

Books

• Organized Freethought: The Religion of Unbelief in Victorian England. New York: Garland Publishing, 1987.

Papers

• “Hannah More: A Retrospective and Prospective Essay.” Conference on Faith and History, October, 2000.
• “Hannah More on Women and the ‘Reform of Manners.’” Pacific Coast Conference on British Studies, April, 2000.
• “The ‘Worldly Christianity’ of William Wilberforce and Hannah More” – Given at the Inaugural Wilberforce Symposium at Gordon College, November, 1999.
• “The Historian and Postmodernism,” – The Hayward Lectures, given at Acadia University, October 20-23, 1997
• “Between ‘Romance’ and ‘True History:’ Historical Narrative and Truth Telling in a Postmodern Age,” Conference on Faith and History, Calvin College, October, 1996. (Published in History and the Christian Historian, Wells, ed., Eerdmans, 1998)
• “What Is This ‘Mission Possible’?” – A talk on the Liberal Arts given at Freshman Orientation, Westmont College, 1996.
• “Words and Wisdom from David Hume” – Given as part of a Convocation Series on Postmodernism at Gordon College, November, 1995.
• “David Hume’s Pictures of History and His ‘Science of Man.’” Midwestern Conference on British Studies, October, 1992.
• “What does it mean to be a Christian Liberal Arts College?” Given as the main address at the Faculty Retreat of Westmont College, October 19, 1990.
• “Keeping the Faith; The Struggle for a Militant Atheist Press, 1839-1862,” Victorian Periodicals Society, September, 1988.
• “Working Class Atheism and the English Radical Tradition: A Study in Historical Explanation.” Given as the Phi Kappa Phi Lecture, Westmont College, January 19, 1986.
• “Images of the Christian Woman in Victorian England: Reflections from the Life and Work of Hannah More.” Given at the Conference on Faith and History Session of the American Historical Association. Chicago, December 29, 1984.
• Various responses to papers at American Society of Church History, Conference on British Studies, and Conference on Faith and History

Book Reviews and Book Essays

• Review Essay – “The Character and Purpose of History: A Review Essay,” Fides et Historia, Winter-Spring 1991, pp. 78-85
• Additional book reviews have been published by Christian Scholar’s Review, and Fides et Historia. One is forthcoming in the Journal of Modern History.

Professional Affiliations

• American Historical Association
• Conference on Faith and History, (President 2004-2006)
• Hume Society
• Conference on British Studies

Professional Activities

• Allegany County United Way Board
• Advisory Group for Books and Culture
• Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities Board
• Fuller Theological Seminary Trustee
• Middle States Evaluation Team Chair, 2010, 2011, 2012
• National Association of Evangelicals

Association/organization memberships

• Annapolis Group
• Christian College Consortium (CCC)
• Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU)
• Council of Independent Colleges
• Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (cIcu)
• Rochester Area Colleges
• Western New York Consortium

Related Professional Involvements

• Article Referee for Comparative Studies in Society and History, Christian Scholar’s Review, and Victorian Studies.
• Editorial Committee for Supplemental Text on Faith – Learning Issues in the Study of History. Sponsored by the Christian College Coalition.
• Participation in Accreditation Review Team for Western Association of Schools and Colleges, October, 2000; October, 2001; October 2005.
• Consultant for History Departments at Calvin College, 1996, and Wheaton College, 1999.
• Textbook reviewer for Bulliet, Crossley, et.al. The Earth and Its Peoples. Houghton Mifflin, 1997.
• Executive Board on Conference on Faith and History, 1987-1990, 2002-present.
• Consultant for Faculty Development at Oklahoma Baptist University, Spring 2002.
• Consultant for Center for Christian Studies at Gordon College, Spring 2002.
• Speaker at Baccalaureate Service, Westmont College, 1987, 1993, 2002.

Academic Honors/Funded Study and Research

• Phi Kappa Phi Membership
• Westmont College, Outstanding Teacher Award, 1987, 1993, 1999.
• Faculty Professional Development Grants, 1991, 1993, 1995.
• Macmillan Travel Grant, University of Minnesota, 1983.
• Graduate School Fellowship, University of Minnesota, 1979-1980.
• Connaught Scholarship, University of Toronto, 1976-1977.

Community Commitments

• Speaker at Rotary, Kiwanis, Cate School, Delta Kappa Gamma, Santa Barbara Associates, American Association of University Women
• Membership and teacher in Adult Education program at First Presbyterian Church, Santa Barbara.