Fresno Pacific University Speakers Bureau

The Fresno Pacific University Speakers Bureau is a group of faculty, staff and administrators who:

  • Represent FPU well
  • Integrate faith and learning
  • Are experts in their respective fields
  • Consider it a privilege to represent FPU to a service group/church/nonprofit organization/news media/business organization

Each member of the bureau has been nominated by a university leader and has agreed to participate. For any questions or to coordinate contact with members of the Speakers Bureau, please contact Wayne Steffen, associate director of publications and media relations, at 559-453-3677 or Wayne.steffen@fresno.edu.

Schools of the university

The School of Business

  • Suzana Dobric Veiss, Ph.D., instructor and director of the degree completion business program, on leadership
  • Ranjan George, Ph.D., associate professor and director of the business program, on leadership, management, evangelization, Bible study, his life (faith) story
  • Catherine Peck CPA, assistant professor of business, on accounting and non-profit/church accounting
  • Benjamin Smith, M.A., instructor of business, on applied microeconomics, poverty, behavioral economics and development economics

The School of Education

  • Douglas S. Bartsch, M.A., associate dean, on the power of conversation in an electronically connected world, positive discipline for parents, positive discipline for teachers and schools, coaching employees and colleagues to successful performance, teambuilding and developing shared vision, cooperative learning for student engagement
  • Linda Hoff, Ph.D., head of the Teacher Education Division, on preparing teachers for the Central Valley

The School of Humanities, Religion & Social Sciences

  • Darren Duerksen, Ph.D., associate professor and director of the intercultural and religious studies program, on interfaith dialogue, global Christianity and Islam, world religions and missions
  • Larry Dunn, Ph.D., professor of peacemaking and conflict studies, on peace studies, conflict, mediation, dispute resolution, cross-cultural conflict and resolution
  • Ron Herms, Ph.D., dean, on preaching; biblical studies; pastoral leadership and theology; apocalyptic literature, film and thought; the Book of Revelation; Jesus and the kingdom of God; Paul’s theology; perspectives on Paul
  • Melanie Howard, Ph.D., assistant professor and director of the biblical & theological studies program, on preaching; diversity, gender and inclusion; biblical studies; New Testament Gospels; women and the Bible
  • Quentin P. Kinnison, Ph.D., associate professor and director of the Christian ministry and leadership program, on preaching, pastoral leadership, theology of disability and able-ness, church consulting, theology, urban ministry, leading change
  • Eleanor Nickel, Ph.D., professor and director of the English program, on C.S. Lewis and Christian popular culture
  • Jay Pope, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology, on reconciliation/forgiveness, psychological and spiritual health of pastors and leaders
  • Brian Schultz, Ph.D., associate professor of biblical and theological studies, on preaching, biblical studies, ancient and modern Israel, learning Biblical Hebrew and the Dead Sea Scrolls

The School of Natural Sciences

  • Ken Cheung, Ph.D., associate professor and director of the chemistry program, on using waste products to create energy sources
  •  Donald Diboll, Ph.D., associate professor of kinesiology, on what is kinesiology, exercise as medicine, kinesiology programs at FPU, exercise and fitness related to health including the Exercise is Medicine health care initiative, training for sport performance, qualities of good movement (a.k.a. functional movement) including range of motion, strength and neuromuscular coordination. 
  • Michael Kunz, Ph.D., professor and director of the environmental science and environmental studies programs, on the Sierra Nevada, John Muir, Christian stewardship of the environment and shalom
  • Barbara Maselli, Ph.D., assistant professor and director of the health care administration program, on careers in health care besides being a doctor or nurse, health and health care delivery in the Central Valley, sexual harassment of registered nurses (being bullied in the workplace) and domestic violence
  • Ron Pratt, Ph.D., associate professor and director of the applied mathematics program, on God and the cosmos, on Galileo and the church
  • Andrew Sensenig, Ph.D., assistant director and director of the biology program, on spiderwebs, invertebrates, creepy crawly things, stewardship of God's creation and shalom, evolutionary biology and religious perspectives on origins
  • Shawn Wirts, Ph.D., assistant professor and director of the mathematics program, on why God loves mathematics and making mathematics fun

Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary

  • Mark Baker, Ph.D., professor and director of the theology and intercultural studies program, on theology
  • Brian Ross, D.Min., assistant professor and director of the Christian ministry, master of divinity and ministry leadership and culture programs, on topics related to the church and culture
  • Lynn Jost, Ph.D., professor and director of the Old Testament program, director of the Center for Anabaptist Studies, on peace and nonviolence, 1-2 Kings, the biblical basis for justice, how Christians can read the Old Testament, how the Hebrew Bible shaped the mission of Jesus

Divisions of the university

Advancement

  • Don Griffith, vice president of advancement and executive director of the FPU Foundation, on FPU mission and vision, Christian higher education in today’s world, university governance issues, personal legacy planning strategies/developing a personal legacy plan, estate planning, personal financial planning, charitable giving and your estate plan

Athletics

  • Athletics and related subjects such as faith and learning
    • C.J. Haydock, M.A., head men’s basketball coach, on personal strengths, servant leadership, building culture, on teamwork and transforming broken institutions
  • Experts on their respective sports
  • Tim Beauregard, M.A., head women’s basketball coach, on motivation, leadership components and basketball

Office of Spiritual Formation & Diversity

  • Brian Davis, M.A., associate pastor of spiritual formation, on spiritual formation, Christian spirituality

Regional campuses

  • April Holloway, operations manager, Merced Campus, on growth and other issues in Merced

Campus Life

  • Dale Scully, M.A., vice president of campus life, on Title IX and gender-based misconduct, retention, career services, student leadership development
  • Jesse Torres, Ed.D., director of commuter and parent services, on success for residential, commuter, low-income, first-generation, historically underrepresented students; parents; high school students considering college; college costs; how Christian higher education changes lives