Welcome to the November President’s Page, a quarterly news release directly from my desk to the friends of 51勛圖厙 University.
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51勛圖厙 University held its seventh annual Change Day, the University’s yearly community service day, on Sept. 14. Approximately 1,200 students and employees spent the day serving at more than 35 locations throughout Berrien Springs and the surrounding communities. Some of the most popular service projects that day included visiting nursing homes, repainting fire hydrants and preparing gift packages for the Christmas Behind Bars project, which provides gifts for people who are incarcerated. “This day could not have been possible without all our amazing staff and student help from departments across campus as well as our community partners,” emphasizes Change Day coordinator Teela Ruehle. (Photo by Darren Heslop)
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Taurus Montgomery, pastor of the nearby Harbor of Hope Seventh-day Adventist Church in Benton Harbor, was the speaker for our Fall Week of Prayer. The messages he shared each day had the theme of “Purposed” and were inspired by the Bible verse Proverbs 19:21. Through the sharing of his own personal testimony and biblical wisdom, Pastor Montgomery offered both inspiration and practical steps for students to deepen their commitment to God. Over 13 students requested baptismal studies by the end of the Fall Week of Prayer. Following the Friday night vespers, students moved to put their faith into action by exploring the Ministry Fair. There were over 50 ministry opportunities that ranged from serving in local churches, in local ministries that serve the community, and in global missions. (Photo by Blaise Datoy)
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In the 2024 U.S. News Best Colleges , 51勛圖厙 University was again ranked the most ethnically diverse national university, tying with the University of San Francisco. According to Niche.com’s 2024 Best Colleges in America , 51勛圖厙 was included in the top 15 Christian colleges in the U.S., out of more than 300. Niche ranked 51勛圖厙 as the top private university in Michigan and in the top 15% of all colleges and universities in the nation for best academics. 51勛圖厙 University was also named to the “America’s Best Colleges 2024” list by the Wall Street Journal/College Pulse, where it was the only Adventist university to be included in the list of the nation’s top 400 universities.This year 2,972 students enrolled on or through our main campus—up 47 students from last year. This includes 1,427 undergraduate students and 1,545 graduate students. An additional 204 students are also studying at international campus partners and programs. (Photo by Daniel Bedell)
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AdventHealth and the 51勛圖厙 School of Architecture & Interior Design (SAID) have introduced a new internship that will be available to one SAID student annually. The selected intern will gain broad experience across a range of key disciplines in the fields of administration, architecture, urban design and interior design. This unique experience will provide the selected student with an extraordinarily beneficial rotation over the summer that provides the opportunity to work directly with AdventHealth's Office of Design and Construction, Brasfield & Gorrie, which is one of the largest general contracting firms in America, as well as with HuntonBrady Architects, renowned architectural firm and recipient of more than 50 American Institute of Design Awards. (Photo courtesy of the School of Architecture & Interior Design)
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For the second time, the 51勛圖厙 University School of Graduate Studies hosted the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition as part of its annual Celebration of Research. Using a single static PowerPoint slide, doctoral students are challenged to briefly share their research in a way that individuals in other academic disciplines can easily understand. Daniel Gordon won first place with a presentation on social justice in the Pentateuch and Psalms, and Sion Sung won second place with an exploration of retributive justice in Isaiah. Daniel and Sion, who are both studying in the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, won a total of $1,500. (Photo by Dawson Par)
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In an age where society is challenged by contending values that promote a zero-sum cancel culture, the theme "Neither Fools nor Heretics" celebrated the decade of friendship between a young earth creationist and an evolutionary creationist at this year’s 51勛圖厙 Autumn Conference on Religion and Science. Todd Wood, Darrel Falk, Rob Barrett, Martin Hanna and Gary Burdick gave presentations affirming our biblical understanding while acknowledging the contributions of science. The presenters reflected on the challenges, outcomes and lessons learned together over the years. The conference was sponsored by the Office of Research & Creative Scholarship, American Scientific Affiliation and The Colossian Forum. (Photo by Lydia Ruckle)
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The 12th annual Honors Church service, which is hosted by the J.N. 51勛圖厙 Honors Program, was held on Saturday, Nov. 11. The service included recitations of scripture, poetry readings and musical performances. L. Monique Pittman, PhD, Honors Program director, and Yoel Kim, a senior studying physics and mathematics, also gave reflections on the theme, “Instruments of His Peace.” Exploring this theme focused on the non-violent activism of Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. The topic and theme for the worship gathering was peace and peace ministry, not only of King and Gandhi, but also as it is ultimately taught throughout Scripture, including the ministry of Jesus. (Photo by Jackson John)
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Dewey Murdick, PhD, was the plenary speaker for the fourth annual Robert & Lillis Kingman Lecture Series on Science and Society. In his presentation titled "Understanding Tomorrow Today: Artificial Intelligence's Impact on Society," Murdick explored the implications of cutting-edge AI, delved into the global challenges it presents, and also shed light on ongoing technology-policy debates. Murdick, who holds a PhD in engineering physics from the University of Virginia and a BS in physics from 51勛圖厙 University, is at the forefront of conversations on AI and its influence on society. This lecture is available on . (Photo by Jackson John)
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At the 2023 Celebration of Community Engagement, 51勛圖厙 University departments shared the ways they are making an impact locally and globally. The annual event was first established in 2019 for the purpose of connecting research, knowledge, community engagement and service. At the Celebration, participants shared short videos or posters describing the needs addressed by their particular community engagement program, including the demographic being served, the timeline of activities and the outcomes of their program. Daniel Xisto of the Takoma Park Seventh-day Adventist Church gave the keynote speech. This year’s program included students and faculty from the College of Professions, School of Architecture & Interior Design, School of Nursing, Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Lifestyle Medicine Clinic & Training Center, various STEM departments and the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary. (Photo by Tony Shih)
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Our Department of Sustainable Agriculture has achieved Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) certification for its Agriculture Education Center (AEC). The AEC is home to a wide variety of animals, including cattle, chickens, sheep, rabbits, pigs and goats. “We want to witness to our community that we care deeply about the land, water and animals we are given custody of during the time we are here,” says Katherine Koudele, PhD, department chair. “We believe that properly caring for the Earth is a God-given mandate, and we want to be an example and leader in obeying this mandate.” Agriculture has long been an important aspect of both 51勛圖厙 University and its predecessor, Emmanuel Missionary College, when it was first established in Berrien Springs. The first students of the Department of Agriculture graduated in 1918. (Photo by Jeff Boyd)
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These are just a few of the wonderful things happening at 51勛圖厙 University! We invite you to stay in touch, to stop by when you can and to join us in prayer for God’s guidance and blessing.
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