Meet The Prof, with Shane & Spence

In this unique roundtable format of Meet The Prof, we gather over a dozen Christian professors from campuses across the country to discuss a timely and personal question: how do we avoid getting our identity from our work instead of Christ? Inspired by a powerful clip from Sara Myers, the episode explores real struggles, vulnerable stories, and practical steps professors are taking to keep Jesus at the center.

Main Takeaways

• Prof...

Dr. Denis LaClare, Professor of Education at Porterville College in California, shares his inspiring journey of launching both faculty and student ministries. With experience in both campus ministry and higher education, Denis opens up about his outreach to international students, creative tabling strategies, and bold witness alongside fellow professors. He provides a practical, Spirit-led model for engaging students and colleagues...

Dr. Denis LaClare is a Professor of Education at Porterville College in California with a rare perspective: he serves both as a campus minister and as a full-time professor. In this episode, Denis shares his powerful testimony of how a sports-focused Canadian student came to Christ through brokenness, family, and a coach's profanity. He also opens up about the challenges of early evangelism, his transition from ministry to the...

In Part 2 of our interview, Dr. Sara Myers, Associate Chancellor of Research and Creative Activity and Professor of Biomechanics at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), shares how she has grown bolder in her faith as a professor. In response to a student’s question about faith and legal boundaries, she gives practical advice for Christian professors. Sara also tells the story of starting a thriving Christian faculty fellowshi...

In this episode of Meet the Prof, we sit down with Dr. Sara Myers, Professor of Biomechanics and Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Creative Activity at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Sara shares openly about a challenging season in her marriage during grad school, and how God used that time to deepen her faith, reshape her priorities, and teach her to surrender both her career and parenting to Him.

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In this second episode, Dr. Jonathan Boreyko, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech, shares how he integrates his Christian faith into his teaching, collaborates with ministries through the Bradley Study Center, and encourages bold yet peaceful Christian witness on campus. He discusses student doubts, research on fog harvesting and synthetic trees, and what it means to be a scientist and a Christian without...

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Jonathan Boreyko, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech. Jonathan shares his journey from a works-based "moralistic therapeutic deism" to a vibrant faith in Christ sparked by a Bible study in Romans. He discusses teaching thermodynamics with a theological twist, guiding students through conversations about truth, and using C.S. Lewis’s The Abolition of Man to fram...

In this inspiring second part of our interview, Dr. Qiong “Jane” Zhang, a professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of South Florida, shares her thoughts as a Christian professor about governmental policies affecting colleges and international students. She shares how she initiated a faculty prayer group on campus, offers prayer to students without rejection, and shares Christ naturally through daily conver...

Dr. Jane Qiong Zhang is a professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of South Florida. In this episode, she shares her powerful story of moving from China to the U.S. for graduate school and encountering the love of God in a small, remote town. She opens up about her early struggles with performance-based identity, the life-changing moment she embraced God’s unconditional love, and the creative ways she now ...

In this episode of Meet The Prof, Jon Walker, Professor of History at Forsyth Tech Community College, shares real-life stories of starting and leading a Christian student group on a community college campus. Jon talks about the power of offering prayer to students, building a sense of belonging, and creating space for Christ-centered conversations through Bible studies and outreach events like Spring Fling.  

He also gives...

In this episode, Shane and Spence talk with Jon Walker, a history professor at Forsyth Tech Community College. Jon shares about his spiritual journey, how he wrestled with the decision between full-time ministry and teaching, and what it means to integrate faith in the classroom. He opens up about trauma in his early professional career, how God used those moments to redirect him, and how he now views teaching as a true calling and...

Jeff Colbert, Political Science professor at UNC Greensboro, shares wisdom on how Christian professors can be a godly influence without dominating classroom debates. He talks about praying for students, encouraging respectful dialogue, and building Christian faculty community. He also offers heartfelt advice for parents, students, and faculty—and shares how God is prompting him to re-engage in leadership on campus.

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What happens when a college professor breaks into tears… at Disney World? Or gets spiritually called out by a student? We sit down with Jeff Colbert, Political Science professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Jeff shares his love for Disney World, how his own freshman year changed everything. He tells how as a professor, his life was transformed by an anonymous note from a student. And he gives practical example...

In this episode of Meet The Prof, Shane Hartley continues with part 2 of his interview with Dr. Jonathan Pettigrew, a professor in the School of Human Communication at Arizona State University. They go deep discussing how Dr. Pettigrew integrates his Christian faith into his academic career, mentors students in their spiritual journeys, and addresses worldview presuppositions within the academic environment.

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Jonathan Pettigrew is a professor in the School of Human Communication at Arizona State University. In part 1 of our interview, he shares how his journey from campus minister to professor shaped his understanding of student discipleship, faith-learning integration, and ministry through academia. He offers deep reflections on spiritual formation, parenting, and how Christian professors can pursue scholarship as an act of worship.

Rea...

Dr. Ashlee Balena is a senior lecturer of Spanish at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. In this episode, she shares powerful stories of following God's promptings in everyday life, from small acts of kindness to moments of deep spiritual impact. She also discusses her approach to classroom engagement, including her strong stance on technology use, and reflects on the blessings that come from stepping out in faith.

Re...

Dr. Ashlee Balena, Senior Lecturer of Spanish at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, shares how she integrates her Christian faith into her role as a professor. We discuss her journey back to Christ, practical ways she signals to students that she is a safe space for Christ-centered conversations, and bold steps of obedience that have led to incredible opportunities for sharing Christ on campus.

​You can view Dr. ...

In this episode of Meet The Prof, Shane Hartley continues his conversation with Dr. Janet Reed, Professor of Nursing at Kent State University. Janet shares how she navigates teaching topics that could conflict with her faith, her research on generative AI and virtual reality in healthcare, and how faith underpins her academic work. She also provides practical advice for professors managing heavy workloads, mentoring students, and m...

In this episode of Meet The Prof, Shane interviews Dr. Janet Reed, an Assistant Professor of Nursing at Kent State University. Janet shares how she integrates her faith into her work as a nursing professor, from helping create a Christian faculty and staff group on campus to naturally engaging students in spiritual conversations. She also discusses how being attentive to opportunities can open doors to faith discussions, how she ov...