Messiah College News Archive

The Center for Christian Thought at Biola University has awarded Robin Collins, professor of philosophy, a $48,000 senior fellowship to elaborate further on his potentially revolutionary view of the human soul.

In mid-March, Bradley Genevro, director of bands and associate professor of music, was elected into the American Bandmasters Association (ABA), a prestigious organization of about 300 band directors whose members have included John Philip Sousa, Edwin Franko Goldman and Charles Benter.

ABA entrance standards are quite rigid: applicants must first be nominated; they must submit their professional vita, repertoire list, programs from the past three years and recording; them a membership committee critiques their submissions and decides whether to support membership; the nomination is then brought to the general membership for review and acceptance.

As a member of ABA, Genevro will now be able to attend the association’s convention and conduct a concert with one of the performing ensembles.

Richard Schaeffer, associate professor of chemistry, was recently awarded a National Science Foundation Partnerships for Innovation Project Seed Grant for his project, “The Use of Phosphate (Apatites) as Heavy Alkaline Earth Metal Remediation Agents,” an investigation using materials based on readily available minerals to render some heavy-metal pollutants less dangerous in the environment.  Specifically, Schaeffer and four students will attempt to transform the contaminating metals into forms that are less soluble in natural waters and less bioavailable.

Robin Collins, professor of philosophy at Messiah College, received a $48,000 Senior Fellowship from the Center for Christian thought at Biola University for the spring semester of 2013.

Collins’ proposal is to further elaborate a potentially revolutionary view of the human soul which he published recently in a highly acclaimed article. His fellowship is part of the Center’s 2012-2013 research initiative on neuroscience and the soul.

David Foster, Messiah College professor of biology and environmental science, is managing a $35,800 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to plant a riparian buffer along 500 feet of a stream, located at the base of Cemetery Hill, which feeds the Yellow Breeches. The buffer will resemble a meadow; sycamore and other native trees will provide needed shade to keep the water cool for wildlife and to slow down erosion.

In addition, the grant will allow the College to install a rain garden in the area adjacent to the riparian buffer. This will catch runoff coming across the field from Grantham Road when that particular area floods. This half-acre rain garden will contain native plants that attract butterflies; it is expected to be completed by the end of summer.

Susie Stanley, retired professor of historical theology at Messiah College, received the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Wesleyan Theological Society on March 2 at Travecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tenn. at the society’s annual meeting.

Upon receiving her citation, Stanley was recognized for her teaching and pastoral careers, her contributions to various academic societies and the numerous articles, books and chapters that she authored.

Stanley earned her Ph.D. and master’s degrees from Iliff School of Theology/University of Denver. Her bachelor’s degree is from Towson State University. Stanley served as executive director of Weslyan/Holiness Women Clergy International for 15 years and as president of the Wesleyan Theological Society (1992). She taught at Messiah College from 1995-2011. Her research and writing explore church history, women’s studies, practical ministry and Christian behavior, particularly from the nineteenth century to the present.

Today, in honor of George Washington’s birthday, Washington College announced the three finalists for its prestigious George Washington Book Prize. John Fea, associate professor of American history and chair of the history department at Messiah College, was selected for his book, “Was America Founded as a Christian Nation.”

The award—which is co-sponsored by Washington College, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, and George Washington’s Mount Vernon—recognizes the past year’s best books on the nation’s founding era, especially those that have the potential to advance broad public understanding of American history.

The jury of book reviewers praised Fea’s book for its “balance and nuance” and “real, even pressing, contemporary importance.”

The winner will be announced June 4.

Brad Markley, director of facility services, outlines for the Jan. 2012 issue of University Business the creative ways Messiah College is tackling expenses by reducing energy usage. He cites the construction of the solar thermal panels on North Complex and the implementation of energy efficient lighting in the dining hall and gymnasium as primary examples of how Messiah has helped offset rising utility expenses. 

Read “The Other Side of the Budget Equation.”

Emerson Powery, professor of Biblical studies, has been granted visiting scholar status at Princeton Theological Seminary for the fall of 2012.

Powery will be doing research for two book projects he is currently working on, as well as connecting with other distinguished professors in the field of Biblical studies. Most of his research, writing, and editing has been related to the New Testament, including “Jesus Reads Scripture” and “True to Our Native Land: An African American NT Commentary” (Fortress/Augsburg, 2007).

In early November, a team of three Messiah College students–Michael Adams `13, Anthony Spargo `13, and Zachary Felix `15–came in third out of 159 college/university teams participating in the Middle Atlantic United States Regional Programming Contest of the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM). The contest pits teams of three students against a dozen complex computer programming problems with a grueling five-hour deadline.

Because of their strong performance, Messiah’s team is one of 100 invited to the international World Competition in Warsaw, Poland next May.

The students were advised by computer science professor Scott Weaver, ITS programmer Jason Long, and alum Jonathan Corbin `03.