A new album of original compositions from Dr. David Berry, associate professor of music and chair of the music department at 91����, brings the melodies of African American spirituals into the classical piano tradition.

The album, Spirit, Body and Soul: Concert Spirituals for Solo Piano, was released Sept. 4 through the Grammy Award-winning Navona Records label. It is available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. 

The nine-track album features Berry’s solo piano compositions based on beloved spirituals such as “Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho,” “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen,” “Go Down, Moses,” and “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” as well as a special improvisation on “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”

“These are songs I’ve known practically my whole life,” Berry said. “All of this music has deep meaning for me, and so it’s definitely been an engaging and emotional process writing these pieces, contemplating the lyrics of these spirituals, and interpreting them in sound.”

Berry began working on the project in November, shortly before his sabbatical last semester. He had already written several of the pieces for recitals and other performances at 91���� and seen how popular they were. When people began asking where they could find recordings of his reimagined spirituals, he saw an opportunity to turn them into his solo debut album. He recorded the tracks in January at GBH Fraser Performance Studio in Boston.

Berry’s style, praised as “touchingly introspective” by Gramophone, blends the power, sweep, and virtuosity of the classical piano tradition with elements of various Black music styles, according to the album’s description.

“These songs came organically from my soul and from all the music that lives in me,” Berry said. “You hear the influences of composers like Liszt and Rachmaninoff, but you also hear the sound of the blues, of gospel music, and jazz.”

The result, Berry said, is “a human journey of emotion.”

“Those feelings we carry with us of perseverance through adversity, sorrow, grief, joy, isolation, community, all of those things,” he said. “Every sort of feeling you can imagine is in these spirituals. And that’s what the title tries to encapsulate: Spirit, Body and Soul. Those are the ingredients for this project.”

Album release concert

An album release concert on Friday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m. at 91����’s Lehman Auditorium will feature Berry’s piano compositions alongside vocal performances from local singers he has worked with in the Harrisonburg area.

This concert is sponsored by , who will be providing a special Yamaha CSX 9-foot concert grand piano for the concert in collaboration with  of Frederick, Maryland.

“It’ll be a fun celebration of my work as an artist, but also of how this project was birthed through this community,” he said.

Berry plans to release the sheet music for his compositions at .

For more information about the album, visit .

Hear Dr. Berry talk about the inspiration behind “Spirit, Body and Soul.”

The recipient of 91����’s 2025 Outstanding Young Alum Award, the Rev. Brittany “Smash” Caine-Conley MDiv ’14, will teach trauma and resilience studies at Eastern Mennonite Seminary this fall.

She will also teach at 91����’s Center for Justice and Peacebuilding and work with the Seminary Extended grant in collaboration with Union Presbyterian Seminary and Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

An ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, Caine-Conley grew up in Harrisonburg and described returning to teach at 91���� as “a dream.”

“91���� attends to the fact that students are whole people, and it’s a gift for me to be part of an institution that understands that and strives toward educating the whole person,” she said. “…There seems to be a concerted effort to prepare students to engage with what is really a complex and challenging society in ways that are both nuanced and hopeful.”

The pastor, organizer, and leader in movement chaplaincy has extensive experience supporting communities through crisis, healing, and transformation. She was instrumental in founding and leading Congregate Charlottesville, which helped faith communities respond to collective trauma in the aftermath of white supremacist violence in 2017. In recognition of her work, she was honored by the National Council of Churches as a co-recipient of the President’s Award for Excellence in Faithful Leadership.

She said her experiences in a class on racial healing and whiteness, taught by Dr. David Evans, while she was a seminary student, were especially formative.

“That was where I began, for the first time in my life, to examine white supremacy culture and the limitations of certain types of allyship,” Caine-Conley said. “It was that foundation that allowed me to move into organizing toward a different orientation, one of embodying anti-racist solidarity.”

The Rev. Dr. Sarah Ann Bixler, dean of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, said Caine-Conley brings a dynamic combination of academic scholarship, pastoral leadership, trauma-informed community care, and social justice engagement.

“As an alumna of Eastern Mennonite Seminary, Rev. Caine-Conley remains deeply connected to our mission of peacebuilding and transformative education,” Bixler said.

Caine-Conley is currently completing her PhD in religious studies from the University of Denver and Iliff School of Theology, where her research explores the intersections of theology, identity, power, social transformation, and human experience. She served as adjunct faculty at Iliff, teaching courses on identity, power, vocation, and community engagement. Prior to doctoral studies, she gained valuable pastoral experience through church planting, worship ministry, and ministering with university students.

“We look forward to the pastoral wisdom, experience in faith community organizing, and compassionate leadership she will bring to our students and campus this fall,” Bixler said.

Learn more about Eastern Mennonite Seminary at emu.edu/seminary.

2026 retirees

The 2026 retirees honored at the ceremony were: Howard Zehr (30 years of service), professor of conflict studies; Doug Graber Neufeld (26 years), professor of biology; Deanna Durham (23 years), associate professor of social work and sociology; JD McCurdy (23 years), head softball coach; Kevin Seidel (17 years), professor of English; and Chad Gusler (16 years), associate professor of language and literature.

The following employees, who represent an additional 430 years of commitment to 91����, celebrated milestone years of service:

40 years

Renee Leap (left) and Audrey Shenk (right) reached 40 years of service. 

30 years

Howard Zehr (left) and Melody Cash (right) reached 30 years.

25 years

Mark Metzler Sawin (not pictured) reached 25 years.

20 years

Left to right: Beth Brunk, Laura Yoder, Jim Leaman, and Travis Trotter reached 20 years. 

15 years

Left to right: Kathy Evans, Wendy Carr, Braydon Hoover, Ron Shultz, and Melvin Felix Garcia (inset) reached 15 years. 

10 years

Left to right: Tim Seidel, Paul Yoder, Alena Yoder, Ericka Gingerich, and Trina Trotter Nussbaum reached 10 years. 

Five years

Left to right: Lexi Fotis-Brown, Stephanie Mason, Debra Pardini, Courtney Joyner, Justin McIlwee, and Ann Butwell reached five years. Not pictured: Carolyn Kirby, Krista Murray, Gaurav Pathania, Erin Weldon, Mary Ann Zehr, and Nina Zhang also reached five years.

The luncheon was a highlight of the Spring 2026 Faculty & Staff Conference, which provided a time to pause, reflect, and celebrate the close of the academic year together. View the full program of the conference .

As part of its ninth annual Academic and Creative Excellence (ACE) Festival, 91���� held its 17th annual Authors’ Reception and Award Presentation on Thursday. The ceremony, hosted by the Provost’s Office in Old Commons Grounds (University Commons 177), celebrated the university’s Excellence in Teaching Award winners.

The awards honor three outstanding educators who exemplify excellence in teaching across four dimensions: impact on students, effective teaching practices, subject knowledge, and continual growth. This year’s recipients are:

• Dr. Ryan Good (professor or associate professor category)
• Dr. Kathryn Howard-Ligas (assistant professor or instructor category)
• Kevin Carini (adjunct faculty category)

Dr. Ryan Good
Associate professor of urban studies and director of the 91���� Washington Semester

Professor Good’s teaching extends far beyond the classroom. He invites students into the lived realities of Washington D.C., helping them critically engage issues of race, space, and inequality. His deep knowledge of the region, combined with intentional course design, creates transformative learning experiences. Students describe “eureka moments” that reshape how they understand the world and their place in it. Ryan is reflective in his teaching, constantly refining his approach, and deeply committed to his students’ academic, professional, and personal growth. Simply put, he is the heart of the program.

“Not only does he work hard to prepare lessons that get students to think critically about what they are seeing in the city, he brings the city to them,” a colleague wrote. “They visit key organizations and events so that they can experience the real D.C. and gain deep insights about this city’s issues and how residents are overcoming them.”

“Ryan is enthusiastic about Washington and all the lessons it has to offer young minds,” another colleague wrote. “He loves this place. And he helps students to fall for it as well. A good number of our alums end up staying here afterwards or returning at a later point to live and work here.”

“Ryan would be the first to say that teaching and learning is a dance, and he is only a partner in their process, but I would say that he lays down the right tune and tempo and steps for them to succeed,” wrote another.

Dr. Kathryn Howard-Ligas
Assistant professor of psychology

Students consistently speak to Professor Howard-Ligas’s dynamic presence in the classroom. Her ability to balance interactive learning with deep disciplinary knowledge makes her courses both engaging and accessible. Drawing on her background in theater, she brings energy and clarity to complex psychological concepts. More importantly, she is intentional about connection, ensuring students feel supported, seen, and able to succeed.

“I appreciate the ways Kathryn connects with her students and ensures they have the support they need,” a colleague wrote. “Kathryn has been a great addition to the psychology department and has felt like a steady presence during all the transitions that the psychology department has endured.”

“Dr. Ligas is the most energetic teacher I have ever come across,” a student wrote. “Early morning classes are not for the weak but she speaks with such enthusiasm that it keeps you engaged throughout the class. And I genuinely love how she makes us do a ton of group activities, which to me, are a great way to learn. She also has great mastery over psychology concepts and clears all confusion and doubts with absolute clarity.”

Kevin Carini
Adjunct faculty in natural sciences

Students describe Professor Carini as deeply caring, engaging, and committed to their success. Even in challenging moments, he meets students with understanding and encouragement. His classroom is one of respect and energy, where learning physics becomes interactive, creative, and even joyful. Whether incorporating students into problem-solving or bringing humor into complex concepts, he creates an environment where students feel both challenged and supported.

“He takes time to listen and actually wants to see us succeed,” one student wrote. “In the classroom, he always incorporates the students into learning by writing his own problems with our names in them or making silly noises while crossing out variables to keep us interested and focused. He brings a positive and enthusiastic attitude to the classroom and 91����.”

In addition to the teaching awards, Dr. Tynisha Willingham, provost and vice president of academic affairs, recognized three faculty members who reached significant milestones at 91���� this year:

• Dr. Hongtao Li has been awarded tenure and promoted to associate professor
• Dr. Timothy Seidel has been promoted to full professor
• Dr. Kristopher Schmidt has been promoted to full professor

Student writing awards

The ceremony recognized recipients of 91����’s First-Year Writing Awards, given to first-year students for their “excellent research papers.” The recipients are:

• First place: Ash Dixon for “The Environmental and Economic Effects of Fast Fashion”
• Second place: Monica Ehrenfels for “Assessing the 15-Minute City: Walkability in Modern Urban Spaces”
• Third place (tie): Malia Yoder for “Protecting our Forests: The Fight Against Deforestation” and Joshua Henkel for “AI Among Students”

Student academic awards 

The winners of 91����’s student academic awards were also announced at the event. Dr. Michael Horst, dean of Behavioral, Health and Natural Sciences, and the Rev. Dr. Sarah Ann Bixler, dean of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, presented the awards.

Behavioral, Health and Natural Sciences

• The Judy H. Mullet Award for Psychology Internship Excellence: Hollyn Miller
• The Galen R. Lehman Award for Outstanding Achievement in Research in Psychology: Lauren Kauffman and Leah Frankenfield
• Outstanding Second-Year Biology Student: Malachi Peachey-Stoner
• Outstanding Senior Biology Student: Maria Longenecker
• Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research: Maria Longenecker
• Natural Sciences Award for Exceptional Service: Sophia Nguyen and Dulce Shenk Zeager
• Outstanding First-Year Chemistry Student: Lisa Zimmerman and Mara Zimmerman
• Outstanding Senior Chemistry Student: Ethan Neufeld 
• Outstanding Senior in Engineering: Levi Stutzman
• Outstanding Senior Environmental Science Student: Madelynn Hamm and Jenna Oostland
• Outstanding Senior in Computer Science: Rebekah Copeland
• Outstanding Senior in Mathematics: Katie Tanous

Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

Music

• Outstanding Student in Music: Naomi Kratzer and Eli Stoll
• Excellence in Musical Leadership: Jacob Nissley

Business and Leadership

• Outstanding Business Administration Senior: Sarah Prroj
• Outstanding Business Analytics Senior: Erik Wilkinson
• Outstanding Accounting Senior: Guadalupe Tenorio Ramirez
• Outstanding Achievement Award: Fadi Michael
• Outstanding Marketing Senior: Zazkia De la Vega
• Exceptional Research in Business and Leadership: Roumany Sefin
• Exceptional Service Award: Zazkia De la Vega
• Exceptional Leadership Award: Ben Knutsson

Center for Justice and Peacebuilding

• CatiAdele Slater for the dedicated organizing work as a graduate assistant, particularly the D.C. field trip
• Hannah Gilman for the innovative work advancing peacebuilding and conflict transformation tools in education through your practicum
• Toya Fernandez for the innovative work on restorative justice and racial healing, particularly bringing the Sankofa Circles to 91����
• Mercy Francis-Harris for your dedicated, thoughtful and quality work in all your classes
• Tyler Stanley for the dedicated work developed in all your classes, particularly PAX 509

Undergraduate Teacher Education

• Virginia Scholars Award in Undergraduate Teacher Education: Arelys Martinez Fabian

Authors’ Reception

The event showcased faculty and student scholarly works published since Jan. 1, 2025. Featured authors included:

Faculty

Ann Schaeffer, associate professor of nursing; James M. Yoder, professor of biology; Bryce Van Vleet, assistant professor of psychology; Mary Ann Zehr, assistant professor of rhetoric and composition; Wendell J. Shank, instructor of Spanish; Carol Grace Hurst, associate professor of social work; David F. Evans, professor of history and intercultural studies; Jacob Alan Cook, assistant professor of Christian ethics; Doug Graber Neufeld, professor of biology; Kathryn Mansfield, adjunct faculty for Center for Justice and Peacebuilding; Stephanie Day Powell, assistant professor of Hebrew bible; Timothy Seidel, associate professor of community and international development; Mark Metzler Sawin, professor of history; Debbi DiGennaro, instructor of social work; Heike Peckruhn, associate professor of religious studies; Jeff Copeland, professor of biology; Paula Ditzel Facci, assistant professor of peacebuilding; Dr. Cherelle Johnson, instructor of business and leadership; Benjamin Bergey, associate professor of music; Mary Sprunger, professor of history; Daniel Showalter, professor of mathematics; Benjamin J. Guerrero, assistant professor of music; and Steven David Johnson, professor of Visual and Communication Arts.

Students

Ash Dixon, first-year psychology major; Monica Ehrenfels, first-year music major; Joshua Henkel, first-year sociology major; and Malia Yoder, first-year natural sciences major; as well as the authors and artists of The Phoenix (2025), which was edited by Alexis Lewis and Zoey Mongold.

First-year student Monica Ehrenfels and junior Micah Wenger, both music and peacebuilding majors, provided music for the authors’ reception.

Photos by Aric Berg and Jon Styer/At Ease Design & Consulting

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 91����, 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 91����. 

“Endowed chairs are a critical component of 91����’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 91����, 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 91����, 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 91����, Evans has helped develop 91����’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 91����, 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 91���� 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 91����?

This is my 15th year at 91���� and I am more hopeful about 91����’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 91���� 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 91����?

The 91���� 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 91����. The 91���� 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 91���� 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 91����. 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 91����?

Two things I love about 91���� 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 91����’s Department of Natural Sciences, advising environmental science and biology majors and teaching evolution, ecology, and conservation biology. A 1994 alumnus of 91����, 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 91����. 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 91����?

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!

“She had a presence and an authority that made her quiet words deeply significant wherever she spoke them,” said Professor Emerita Dorothy Jean Weaver, who taught Miller at Eastern Mennonite Seminary (EMS) and worked alongside her on faculty for 19 years. “In her own way, she was a giant. She had a huge impact wherever she was, and certainly here at EMS.”

Miller served the seminary from 1991 to 2010 in roles including campus pastor and assistant professor of spiritual formation. She was committed to helping people discover their story within “God’s great story,” establishing EMS’ spiritual formation program, and founding training programs for spiritual directors within Mennonite Church USA and The United Methodist Church.

At EMS, she led the Summer Institute for Spiritual Formation and developed “Soul Space,” an online guide for scripture reading and prayer. Many of her lasting contributions, through the gifts she shared and the lives she touched, endure today.

In addition to her two decades on seminary faculty, she was an ordained minister in Mennonite Church USA’s Virginia Conference and was a leading author. Among her writings, Invitation to Presence: A Guide to Spiritual Disciplines (Upper Room Books, 1995) was translated into several languages. She maintained a private spiritual direction practice until entering hospice care last summer.

Formerly of Broadway, Virginia, Miller was living in West Chicago, Illinois, when she passed away on Oct. 8, 2025. She was 87. A memorial service celebrating her life, held on Dec. 6, can be viewed on YouTube . A full obituary is available at .

Her husband and partner in ministry of 65 years, the Rev. Edmond F. Miller, died in October 2024.

‘Her imprint remains’

Because of Miller’s “gentle and steady efforts” beginning when she joined the seminary faculty in 1991, said the Rev. Dr. Sarah Ann Bixler, dean of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, EMS centered spiritual formation in its curriculum “long before theological schools in general and Anabaptist schools in particular caught on to the importance of tending the inner life of ministerial leaders.”

“Today, hundreds of EMS graduates have been sustained in their ministerial vocations because of the ‘invitation to presence’ Rev. Miller modeled and extended to them,” wrote Bixler. “Her imprint remains on the EMS curriculum, and students today cite the contemplative attentiveness cultivated by EMS as a distinctive and transformative aspect of their theological education. They are more compassionate, discerning, and resilient because of Rev. Miller’s influence.”

Her influence also lives on in the touches and traditions that have become part of the fabric of the seminary.

As reported in a in the Daily News-Record, Miller was “the driving force behind getting the (prayer) labyrinth installed” on the 91���� Hill above the Seminary Building. Dedicated in 2007, the labyrinth offers a unique way to connect with God.

Visitors to the Seminary Building might be familiar with the rectangular wooden “free table” just outside the second floor kitchen. It displays food and other items that people can leave or take. “That was Wendy’s idea,” said Weaver. “That’s how tangible and simple her ideas could be. She had a deep heart for the collective community.”

Another contribution she made to the seminary was the awareness that its faculty retreats should be held away from campus, Weaver said. For several decades, those retreats were held at Camp Overlook, a nearby United Methodist camp and retreat center. “She was someone who looked around and dreamed of things that could be,” Weaver said.

‘She saw potential in (us)’

One of Miller’s first students in the spiritual formation program, the Rev. Dr. Kevin Clark MA ’96 (church leadership) was trained and trusted to lead the program when she retired in 2010. “She was my teacher, my professor, my mentor, my friend, my spiritual director, and my colleague, all wrapped up in one relationship,” said Clark, a former campus pastor and retired assistant professor of spiritual formation at EMS.

“Wendy had this wisdom and insight into others that was unique,” he said. “Part of it was just rooted in who she was, as someone who paid attention to how God’s spirit was at work within others, and offering and evoking that in her quiet, questioning way. I was always amazed at how she would be in a classroom, we’d be in conversation, and she would have these wonderful little pauses, then come back with a question that was profound for a student to begin to think about. It opened up the whole classroom to a deeper understanding and awareness of their own spirituality.”

Les Horning ’86, MDiv ’98, director of admissions for EMS from 2012-18, also had Miller as a professor. He described her as “one of the most formative presences” of his MDiv experience.

“She saw potential in folks and would find ways to let them know,” he said. “Suddenly, you realized, Oh, she’s seeing my heart. I think that was one of her gifts, helping people dig beneath the surface and find out who they were.”

Horning graduated from 91���� with bachelor’s degrees in biology and chemistry and worked as a research chemist for five years before feeling a call for ministry and enrolling at EMS. “For me to come to seminary was a huge change and Wendy was a key part of helping me see that it was a good and right thing,” said Horning, pastor at Stephens City Mennonite Church. “She was very good at pulling out folks’ unique contributions to the community and making people feel valued and accepted and wanted.”

Along with Clark and Horning, Weaver traveled on an overnight train to Chicago last month to attend the memorial service. She remembers Miller for her love of Winnie the Pooh, her delightful laugh, and whimsical sense of humor. 

“She was a blessed woman who shared blessing with everyone she came in contact with,” Weaver said. “I consider it a major gift of my life to have been a friend of hers.”

She grew up in England

The following is from an obituary printed in the :

Born in 1938 in Westham, England, Miller was a child in London during World War II and later lived in Eastbourne, East Sussex. She immigrated to the U.S. in 1959, settling in Chicago with her husband. They served as missionaries in Frankfurt, Germany, and pastored churches including Woodland (Basye) Mennonite, as well as across the Midwest and eastern U.S. Following retirement, they lived in Virginia, Texas, and North Carolina before returning to Illinois.

Rev. Miller earned a bachelor’s degree from Iowa Wesleyan University, a master’s degree in church leadership with a concentration in pastoral care and counseling from EMS, and a master of sacred theology in spiritual theology and spiritual direction from General Theological Seminary in New York City.

She leaves five children, Paul (David Selmer) of Maine, David (Julie) of Georgia, Mark (Wendy) of Kansas, Scott (Laura) of Illinois, and Heidi (Gary MacDonald) of Georgia; 14 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren, three brothers, and four sisters-in-law.

Watch Professor Pathania’s star turn in Origin

See the 2023 feature-length film that Variety called “a masterpiece.” Dr. Gaurav J. Pathania, assistant professor of sociology and peacebuilding at 91����, portrays Indian scholar and social reformer Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in this film (available to stream on Hulu) about historical caste systems. 

Read our story about how he landed the role, and watch the trailer below.

Warm up your winter with a cafeteria favorite

Just because you can’t make it to the caf doesn’t mean its tasty, comforting dishes can’t come to you! Try making your own tomato basil pie, a favorite among faculty, staff, and students alike, at home using this recipe lovingly provided by Darren Campbell, food service director for Pioneer College Caterers.

Need a little extra pick-me-up? Here’s a Common Grounds-inspired drink recipe from Tyler Goss, director for student engagement and leadership development.

Read Professor Evans’ new book

The latest book from Dr. David Evans, professor of history and intercultural studies and associate dean of Eastern Mennonite Seminary, Damned Whiteness offers an unflinching look at the efforts by religious white progressives in the fight for Black freedom. Grab a physical copy of the page-turner at Parentheses Books (76 W Gay St., Harrisonburg) or download one online as an .

Seeking something a little more fantastical? Check out the series from Liesl West ’18 and by Christine Benner Dixon ’04.

Share your favorite indoor snow day activities in the comments below!

That’s when the former Durham, North Carolina, resident stumbled onto the annual Beaver Queen Pageant, “a wildly campy, dam-important celebration of queer joy, eco-love, and over-the-top critter cosplay” held in the city for the past two decades. The raucous, homegrown drag competition, with its blend of high drama and low stakes, proved to be the perfect subject for the filmmaker, who joined 91����’s Visual and Communication Arts (VACA) Department this year as assistant professor of digital media.

Her latest film, the heartwarming and quirky Once Upon a Wetland (2025), won “Best Documentary Short” at BEYOND: The Cary Film Festival (North Carolina) in mid-September, where it competed against short films from around the world. The 15-minute documentary follows first-time contestants Madam Bitey White, a charismatic performer and trivia host, and 16-year-old Ginger Bite-Dis, the youngest competitor, as they prepare for and compete in the 2023 Beaver Queen Pageant. The film offers a playful and poignant look at how local traditions provide space for defiance, connection, and collective care during a time of looming anti-LGBTQ legislation and tightening drag restrictions.

“This is a film that highlights joy,” said Miller-Derstine. “It’s about the hope we find when we gather together.”

The pageant’s castorine contestants take on beaver personalities, introduce themselves in their handcrafted “wetlands-ready wear,” showcase unique talents, and participate in interviews in their finest evening wear. The website notes that Beav Aldrin, the 2015 Queen, performed an aerial routine on silks, while the 2012 Queen, Furrah Gnawsett-Major, played the Star Wars theme on clarinet while hula-hooping.

The documentary was shown during a weeklong theatrical run at New York City’s Firehouse Cinema in May as part of DCTV’s “Road to the Oscars” Academy-qualifying initiative, which makes it eligible for consideration and potential nomination in the Academy Awards’ “Best Documentary Short Film” category.

It will be screened at the in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the weekend of Nov. 7, and the in Wilmington, North Carolina, the weekend of Nov. 21. Although the film isn’t currently available to watch outside of film festivals, Miller-Derstine said she’s seeking an online distributor to stream the film.

Once Upon a Wetland was directed by Miller-Derstine, produced by her and Ian Robertson Kibbe, and edited by Ace McColl.

91���� the professor

Miller-Derstine grew up in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and moved to Lancaster at age nine. She graduated from Goshen College in 2016 with a BA in communication (film concentration) and English writing, and earned an MFA in documentary film from Wake Forest University in 2023.

She served as multimedia producer for Mennonite Central Committee from 2016 to 2021, and spent the past year as an adjunct professor in filmmaking at Davidson College. The Mennonite-raised filmmaker said she had “heard through the grapevine” that longtime VACA Professor Jerry Holsopple would retire at the end of the 2024-25 academic year and jumped at the opportunity when the job opened. Now in her second month on 91����’s faculty, she said she’s found a welcoming community to call home. 

“I love 91����,” she said. “I fully appreciate that we have a Center for Justice and Peacebuilding and that the university’s priorities are rooted in values of community, peace, and the greater social good.”

Miller-Derstine approaches all her work with a deep commitment to ethical storytelling and an awareness of the extractive history of the documentary field. She has won multiple awards for her films, including Best Director for her documentary short Welcome to the Dollhouse (2020) at both the Atlanta DocuFest and Hoosier Films Festival, and Best Documentary at the LongLeaf Film Festival for her feature documentary Bloom (2024).

The year is 1946. The U.S. is one year removed from World War II, Perry Como’s “Prisoner of Love” tops the Billboard charts, and the average price of gasoline is 21 cents per gallon. In Harrisonburg, Virginia, 91����—then known as Eastern Mennonite College—hosts its inaugural Faculty Conference (the perennial event would add the “staff” part of its name in 1979) from Aug. 26-29.

Reading aloud from the program of that first conference, Amy Springer Hartsell, executive advisor to the president, shared that the scheduled events included Bible study and devotions, talks on vital school subjects and roundtable discussions, and action on a motion to “send a hearty welcome to newly appointed members of faculty and staff.”

“There are some similarities, I think, that span these nearly 80 years,” she said in her welcome remarks at the Fall 2025 Faculty Staff Conference on Tuesday morning. “Our Faculty Staff Conference purpose statement talks about energizing ourselves for a new academic year through worship, welcoming new employees, reconnecting with colleagues from across the university, and engaging in thought-provoking input, conversation, fun, and fellowship.”

“This is a time to gather, engage, reset, and start anew,” she added, “not only for ourselves, but certainly, and perhaps most importantly, for our students.”

Keep scrolling for photos and snippets from this year’s fall conference!

Faculty and staff members reconnected over get-to-know-you bingo cards. Mary Davis (Admissions) and Trina Trotter Nussbaum (Center for Interfaith Engagement) won 91����-branded merch, while Jessica Hostetler (Enrollment) won a lunch with Interim President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus.

Striking a tone of hope and resilience, 91���� Interim President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus, who began serving in her role on July 1, delivered the presidential address to those gathered at Martin Chapel and online on Tuesday. “We know that 91���� is not ordinary,” she said. “We know this is a learning community that is noble in its accomplishments and exceptional in its ability to infuse compassion.”

“We can overcome the challenges before us because we believe that 91���� is worth the investment,” she continued. “I also know that we want to sustain and grow 91���� for the importance it has in 2025, in 2035, and in 2075. We want the gift of academic excellence, peace and justice, and active faith for our students and their grandchildren. There’s a legacy here that we see ourselves continuing and even as it evolves, even as it changes, even as it adapts, we see the vision of the future.”

Reflecting the 2025-2026 university theme of environmental sustainability, the theme of this year’s conference was “Sustain Together.” Gloria Rhodes, professor of peacebuilding and conflict studies at 91����’s Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, led a plenary session on social sustainability.

Later on, Jonathan McRay MA ’13 (conflict transformation), sustainability advisor, moderated a panel discussion on environmental sustainability with 91���� professors Doug Graber Neufeld (Natural Sciences), Steven Johnson (Visual & Communication Arts), and Jim Leaman (Business & Leadership).

Leaman encouraged everyone to find one new way each month to care for the Earth and all its creatures—and to document it. “It’s amazing how that transforms you over time,” he said. “For me, it has given me hope for what’s possible and given me comfort in knowing that I have a choice, that I have agency, and that I can make a difference.”

Gathering together in the Northlawn Dining Hall for lunch, faculty and staff members piled their plates high at a taco bar and celebrated new employees who have joined the university over the past year. Ryan Good, director of the 91���� Washington Semester, gave an overview of the recently rebranded D.C. program and highlighted its student outcomes.

On Wednesday afternoon, following a series of faculty and staff learning sessions held throughout the morning, employees hit the dance floor in the Old Common Grounds space for line dancing lessons led by Interim President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus. Participants learned the moves to the “Electric Slide,” “Cha Cha Slide” (pictured above), and “Wobble” dances.

“It’s really about moving together, making mistakes, learning from them, and trying again,” Dycus told those dancing. “There’s no judgment here.”

Members of the Fall 2025 Faculty Staff Conference planning team included the Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus, Dr. Tynisha Willingham, Jen Jones, Sara Wittig, and Amy Springer Hartsell.

Thanks to Everence for sponsoring the coffee break, Park View Federal Credit Union for sponsoring morning refreshments, Pioneer College Caterers for providing the lunches, facilities management for setting up room spaces, and everyone else who contributed to helping make the conference a success!

91���� honored this year’s retirees and employees who have reached milestone years of service at its annual recognition luncheon on Tuesday, May 13, in the Northlawn Dining Hall. Together, the combined years of service from the five retirees and 28 employees totals 451 years, remarked Amy Springer Hartsell, executive advisor to the president, in a welcome at the ceremony.

The retiring employees honored with tributes at Tuesday’s ceremony were: Bonnie Bowser, circulation & office manager for the Sadie Hartzler Library (34 years of service); Roger Mast, associate professor of physical education (34 years); Jerry Holsopple, professor of visual & communication arts (26 years); Phil Martin, construction management and facility planner (12 years); and Susan Schultz Huxman, president of 91���� (nine years). 

Louise Otto Hostetter ’79, member of the 91���� Board of Trustees, offered heartfelt words of appreciation to celebrate Huxman’s “remarkable tenure.” “Despite being an often-overused phrase, today truly marks the end of an era, one defined by extraordinary leadership, deep faith, and tireless commitment. Susan has served as president of 91���� for nine years and, in that time, she has led this institution through some of the most challenging headwinds of higher education,” Hostetter said, noting Huxman’s steady leadership through the COVID-19 pandemic and periods of intense financial strain across the industry.

“To Susan, the presidency was never just a job, it was a calling” she added. “She felt every success and every disappointment deeply. And in every decision, every challenge, and every opportunity, she sought to walk humbly, love mercy, and act justly.”

The following employees celebrated milestone years of service to 91����:

Jenni Piper reached 30 years.

Steve Cessna and Doug Graber Neufeld reached 25 years.

Katie Derstine, Steven Johnson, and Kirk Shisler reached 20 years.

Linda Martin Burkholder, Laura Daily, Cheree Hammond, Dolores Hertzler, and Suzy Hostetler reached 15 years.

Carrie Bert, Scott Eyre, Emily North, Adam Posey, Daniel Showalter, Anna Westfall, and Laurie Yoder reached 10 years.

Gail Arthur, Mary Davis, Kyle Dickinson, Stephanie Landis, Luke Litwiller (6 years), Kris Long, Macson McGuigan, Michael Shelley, Casey Steinbrecher, and Stephanie Whitson reached five years.

The luncheon was a highlight of the Spring 2025 Faculty & Staff Conference, which provided a time to pause, reflect, and celebrate the close of the academic year together. View the full program of the conference .

Thanks to Pioneer College Caterers for their services, to the expert planning team of Amy Springer Hartsell and Sara Wittig, and to the many tribute writers who took the time to honor their colleagues.

An 91���� music department faculty member will give an organ recital 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21, at Park View Mennonite Church, N. College Ave. in Harrisonburg.

John W. Fast, an assistant professor of music at 91����, will play works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Henry Purcell, Felix Mendelssohn, Alexandre Guilmant, Dan Locklair, Robert Hobby and James Woodman.

Fast, who joined the 91���� faculty in 1975, received his undergraduate bachelor’s degree from Bethel College, N. Newton, Kan., and a master’s in music degree from Indiana University. He is the organist at Park View Mennnonite Church and a frequent accompanist for the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival and the Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir.

The two-manual Dyer organ with 20 ranks of pipes was installed in the Park View church sanctuary in early 1996.

The recital is open to everyone at no admission charge.