Dr. Justin Mitchell is currently serving as the Head of School for First Baptist School. Beginning last fall, Dr. Mitchell was appointed to serve as Academic Dean of First Baptist School and began assisting the school prepare for re-accreditation, responding to the challenges of distance learning, and other continuous improvement initiatives. Dr. Mitchell has an outstanding track record in helping schools achieve academic success. Dr.Justin Mitchell previously served as a professor and Director of Undergraduate Programs, within the College of Education at Charleston Southern University. He and his family are members of Citadel Square Baptist Church in Charleston. He has spent over a decade in public education serving in both elementary and middle schools. Dr. Mitchell holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Elementary Education, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership. Dr. Mitchell is a Nationally Board Certified Teacher as a Middle Childhood Generalist. In addition to degrees and National Board Certification, Dr. Mitchell is also a licensed Curriculum and Instructional Specialist (K-12) and School Superintendent.

R. Marshall Blalock has served as Pastor of First Baptist Church since July of 1997. A native of Charleston, Marshall grew up attending First Baptist School from second grade through high school graduation, becoming a member of the church as a teenager. A graduate of Furman University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Marshall was ordained at First Baptist in August of 1981. He previously served as pastor of St. Helena Baptist Church in Beaufort, SC, and Sullivan’s Island Baptist Church in the Charleston area. Marshall is married to Cathy and they have three adult children, all married, and the children grew up as part of the First Baptist Church family. Cathy is a partner in ministry, serving in the Women’s Ministry, teaching a Bible study for young adult women. Marshall’s tenure as pastor has been marked by an abiding commitment to the original mission of the church, missions and education. First Baptist Church annually gives generously to international missions, ranking in the top one percent of all Southern Baptist churches. First Baptist takes teams at least twice a year to partner with First Baptist’s many missionary families serving in various parts of the world. First Baptist is involved in local mission projects, two church plants in the city, and has opportunities to reach families through the ministry of First Baptist School of Charleston.

Dr. Andrew Blauch received a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Messiah College, a M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University. He worked in industry for several years as a design engineer at Aerotech, Inc. in Pittsburgh. During that time, he developed software and hardware for multi-axis motion control systems. His first faculty position was in the Electrical Engineering department at Grand Valley State University, Michigan. He is currently the Director of Engineering and Applied Mathematics at Charleston Southern University. He is involved in several professional societies including ASEE (American Society for Engineering Education), IEEE (Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers), and CES (Christian Engineering Society). Since arriving at CSU, he has had the opportunity to give talks on science and faith integration. His areas of interest include K-12 STEM outreach, robotics, and spending time with his family. Andrew and his wife, Deborah, have been married for over 30 years. They have six children and two grandsons.

Dr. Jonathan Denton has been serving in student ministry for over 20 years and is an Assistant Professor of Christian Studies/Student Ministry at CSU. His desire is to train up the next generation of student ministry leaders who will be disciple-makers and leaders of healthy ministries that see students and their families brought into relationship with God, built up in their faith, and sent out to make Him known. Dr. Denton was able to see this as a reality by serving over 10 years in a South Mississippi church before his current position at CSU. He is married to Amanda, and they have two children, Josiah and Baxter, who attend Palmetto Christian Academy.

Andrew Blalock is beginning his fifteenth year as a Christian Philosophy and Religion Teacher at First Baptist School. He has a Master of Arts in Christian Apologetics from Biola University where he is currently a Doctor of Ministry candidate with an emphasis in Engaging Mind and Culture. Andrew is married to Kelly Blalock and is currently a Pastoral Resident at The Bridge Church in Goose Creek.

His session is entitled Helping Students Cultivate a Life-Long Faith in an Age of Deconstruction and Deconversion. Generation Z has been described as the first post-Christian generation in America. Add to that a troubling trend of students leaving church when they graduate from high school and a rise of the Nones--those with no religious affiliation--and Christian schools find themselves in a unique position to impact the lives of Generation Z and the future of the church in America. This session will identify common threads in deconversion stories and offer a way forward for Christian schools in helping students cultivate life-long faith.

Dr. Kari Lee Siko Walters is a Professor of English Education at Charleston Southern University. She received her Bachelor of Science in English Education from Clarion University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Education in English Education from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Siko Walters teaches in both the College of Education and the English Department at CSU. She also serves as the Accreditation Coordinator for the College of Education. Prior to teaching at CSU, Siko Walters was the Instructional Leader of Assistive Technology at the Watson College of Education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Siko Walters has taught at the middle school, high school, community college, and university levels. Her research interests include teacher education, technology in education, and pedagogy in the English classroom. She and her husband, Bart, have two daughters - Adelyn and Alyson.

Jon Davis serves as the Associate Vice President of Spiritual Life which includes overseeing Chapel, Campus Worship, all discipleship programs on and off campus, parachurch partnerships, Student Leadership Partnership, Biblical Worldview Institute (WCCL), Staff Faith Integration (WCCL), Athletic Team Chaplains, Mission partnerships local and global, State Convention Baptist Collegiate Ministries partnerships and local church partners. Academic background includes Doctoral work at Liberty and Regent University (Va.); Master of Divinity with biblical languages and a Master of Theology from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (N.C.); Bachelor of Arts from Catawba College (N.C.). He has taught 17 different classes at CSU and has been an adjunct professor in the College of Christian Studies since 2003. He is married to Lynette Davis from Medford, N.J. (July 8, 1989). The Lord has blessed him with four children (Lauren, JD, Josh and Jachin) and an amazing son-in-law Zach Sibrava (CSU 2016 graduate). His favorite food is bread (yes, it is true). And his favorite hobbies are buffets, lifting weights and playing in the yard with his children.

Peter Beck serves as professor of Christian Studies, the Ott Chair of Christian Theology, and director of the Honors Program at Charleston Southern University. In addition to his book The Voice of Faith: Jonathan Edwards’ Theology of Prayer, he has published numerous articles on Jonathan Edwards, the Puritans, and Baptist studies. He writes and speaks frequently on the integration of faith and learning. Additionally, Peter has more than sixteen years of pastoral experience and currently serves as Lead Pastor of Doorway Baptist Church in North Charleston, SC.

Prior to his current career in higher education, Peter worked in advertising for sixteen years. His work included clients such as Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, Rawlings Sporting Goods, and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Before attending art school, he served as a combat medic in the U.S. Army Rangers.

He and his wife, Melanie, have been married 35 years and have two children, a son who recently graduated from Charleston Southern and a daughter who will attend there in 2020. Two German Shepherd Dogs make up the rest of their family.

Dr. Ben Phillips came to Charleston Southern University to serve as the Dean of the College of Christian Studies in July 2019.  Ben had previously served as the Director of the Darrington Extension, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s undergraduate program in the Texas prison system. He was also an Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at Southwestern’s Houston Campus. Ben has served in a variety of ministry capacities including senior pastor, interim pastor, and as an instructor on missions trips to nine countries on five continents, training local pastors in Bible and theology. He is the author of multiple journal articles, chapters in edited works, academic conference papers, and a popular introduction to the Bible, Idiot’s Guides: The Bible (Alpha Books, 2014). Ben is a native of Maryland and a graduate of the University of Maryland (B.A. in Ancient History) and SWBTS (MDiv with Biblical Languages and Ph.D in Systematic Theology). He is married to Joelyn, who is thrilled to be back in Charleston where she grew up, and he is the father of Robby (18) and Caroline (16).

Dr. Jacquelynn Pleis is an Assistant Professor of Education. She is National Board Certified as a Middle Childhood Generalist with state licensure in PK-6 teaching. She has served grades K-6 in public schools and college classrooms for over 20 years. Her teaching and scholarly research interests include curriculum design, creativity, and student engagement.

Glorimar Blanco is the Chair of the Languages Department at Charleston Southern University. She has been a member of CSU faculty since 2010. Professor Blanco holds a Master in Education in Spanish from the College of Charleston, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Charleston Southern University. She is currently completing a Doctorate in Education Management. In addition, she holds the position of Adjunct Professor and Assistant Director of Hispanic Internships at The Citadel. Under her leadership, the internship program has been awarded for several years, among the best at this institution and in the Lowcountry. In May, 2018 she received the Excellence in Teaching Award at CSU.

Professor Blanco teaches a variety of Spanish courses at various levels of the language. She also developed specialty classes such as Latin American Politics and Culture, Hispanics in the U.S. through Art, Music, Film, and Short Stories, and recently developed the Spanish, French, and Arabic Online Programs at CSU. In addition, in 2015, she worked as part of a team that was awarded the grant Latino Americans: 500 Years of History by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Professor Blanco was the Chair of the Diversity Committee in 2017-2018, where she previously served as a secretary for three years, a member of the Academic Council, and has been a member of the Academic Appeals at CSU. She is currently a member of the Senate Committee at the same university. Since 2013, Prof. Blanco takes students for a Study Abroad in Spain and Peru. During March and June of 2018, she took students on a mission’s trip to Puerto Rico, to work as a disaster relief team, and volunteered as the Office Administrator for the Send Relief Organization. She has been invited to speak at conferences on a variety of topics, Dictatorships in Latin America, the Legacy of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, among other topics. In 2019, she was the guest speaker for the Hispanic Heritage Month at Trident Tech in Charleston. She is the wife of a Pastor, and a mother of five children, and a grandmother of two. Her and her husband have founded Churches in Spain and Puerto Rico. She is currently a member of the Board of Compass Collegiate Academy, and a member of the Board of the Tri-County Cradle to Career Collaborative. She enjoys reading, singing, laughing, and more than anything, she loves her students.

Dr. Dustin Ousley is assistant professor of music/director of choral activities and coordinator of choral music education at CSU. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts in music from Furman University, Ousley received the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in choral conducting from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and the University of South Carolina respectively. He served as the conductor of the USC Women’s Chorus from 2013-2015. Prior to his service at Charleston Southern, Ousley spent seven years teaching choral music in the public schools of North Carolina and three years as adjunct professor of music/director of choral activities at Coker College in Hartsville. As a church musician, Ousley has served as music director for several congregations in the Carolinas, most recently, Shandon Presbyterian Church in Columbia. He currently serves as music director at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church. From 2006-2010, he served as the director of the Catawba Valley Community Chorus in Conover, N.C. He is currently serving in his fourth season as the Artistic Director of the Sandlapper Singers, a semiprofessional choir based in Columbia.Ousley is in frequent demand throughout both North and South Carolina as a choral clinician. He has conducted workshops on both the middle and high school levels in several counties of South Carolina including Richland, Darlington, Chesterfield, Lancaster, Lexington, Horry, Charleston, Florence, and Beaufort as well as counties in North Carolina including Iredell-Statesville, Lincolnton, Alexander, and Caldwell. He has also conducted Middle School TTB and SSA All-State Chorus on two separate occasions. As a conductor, Ousley has prepared and/or conducted several major choral works including Requiem settings by Hector Berlioz, Johannes Brahms, Gabriel Faure and John Rutter, Messiah (Handel), Sir Patrick Spens (Herbert Howells), The Seven Last Words of Christ (Theodore Dubois), Gloria (Vivaldi), Mass in G Major (Franz Schubert), John Rutter’s Mass of the Children & Magnificat, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Ousley conducts the Concert Singers, a select group of auditioned students who performed twice this past season with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra—Benjamin Britten’s Saint Nicholas in the fall and Mozart’s Requiem in the spring. They will combine this fall to present Faure’s Requiem and selections by English composer, Hubert Parry. This choir also embarks on a European tour every two years and has performed in various countries including Germany, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Austria, Italy, Spain, England, Scotland, and the Czech Republic. The group plans to tour Ireland this summer. Ousley also conducts the Singing Buccaneers, an all-male ensemble open to all students on campus. His class responsibilities include courses in Musicianship (theory/sight singing/aural skills), Elementary Music Methods, and Applied Voice. He has previously taught Conducting, Secondary Music Methods, and Music Appreciation at other institutions.In addition to his teaching/conducting experience, Ousley has performed in over 50 operas/musicals over the years, most recently the title role in Opera at USC’s production of Candide in 2013. Other favorite roles include Little Bat in Carlisle Floyd’s opera, Susannah, Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Leo Bloom in The Producers, and the Baker in Into the Woods. His work as a professional soloist includes Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Hodie and Fantasia on Christmas Carols, Mozart’s Regina Coeli, J.S. Bach’s Magnificat, Brahms’ Liebeslieder Waltzes and John Corigliano’s Three Irish Folksong Settings

Dr. Robin Kesterson Franklin is a tenured professor in the College of Education at CSU and currently teaches undergraduate and graduate courses. She earned a Bachelor of Science in elementary education (K-8) from Carson-Newman University, a Master of Education in administration and supervision from University of Richmond, a Gifted Education Endorsement from University of Virginia, and a Doctor in educational leadership from Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. Franklin brings more than 15 years of professional experience in public schools to the college classroom holding licensure in PK-8 teaching, gifted education, and K-12 administration.

In addition to traveling nationally and speaking at multiple conferences, she is active in grant work with the Department of Education and the State of South Carolina which benefits low achieving schools in high need areas in Charleston and surrounding districts. She is an honoree of Phi Kappa Phi national honor society, Alpha Delta Kappa international honorary organization for women educators, a member of NAEYC (National Association for the Education of the Young Child), and a member of NAGC (National Association for Gifted Children). Her teaching and scholarly research interests include gifted education, creativity, classroom management, educational technology, and faith integration.

Dr. Jennifer Zakrzewski holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education from Westfield State University and a Master’s of Arts Degree in Elementary Education from Cambridge College. She earned her doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction of Mathematics with an emphasis in technology from the University of South Florida.

Dr. Zakrzewski taught in the setting of elementary and middle grades for thirteen years before joining Charleston Southern University in 2018. She also brings experience as an elementary school math coach, guidance counselor, and assistant principal. Currently, Dr. Zakrzewski is pursuing research in student engagement, teacher retention, and team teaching. She has presented at a variety of conferences in addition to publishing several papers.

Julie Henderson is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at CSU. She earned her Master of Science in Computer Science from Clemson University. She also holds a Master of Arts in Human Services: Marriage and Family Counseling from Liberty University and 30+ hours toward a Master of Teaching in Special Education. She spent 18 years as a networking software developer at IBM, where she earned a patent for her work. She has spent the last 15 years in education, serving first as a middle and high school math and computer science teacher at a Christian school in the Upstate of South Carolina. She has been teaching Computer Science in the university setting since 2014. She enjoys teaching all levels from beginner programming to systems analysis and design as well as serving as the faculty advisor for the CSU cyber security competition team.

Dr Jamie Probin is a professor of mathematics at CSU. He obtained his BSc in Mathematical Physics and his PhD in Applied Mathematics at the University of Liverpool in England. He moved to the United States to begin teaching at Charleston Southern in 2001, and still doesn’t like how hot it gets in summer.

Originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, Dr. Carissa Turner Smith is a Professor of English and Director of the Writing Center at CSU. Her training and primary teaching is in American literature, but she loves researching and writing about a variety of topics, including Christianity and literature, African American literature, women and literature, children’s and YA literature, J.R.R. Tolkien, Herman Melville, Charles Chesnutt, cyborgs, time travel, and comics. She serves as Vice President of the Conference on Christianity and Literature and Arts and Humanities Associate Editor for Christian Scholar’s Review. She and her family (minus the cat) attend the Cathedral of St. Luke and St. Paul. In her spare time, she enjoys Irish step dance and contra dance.

Dr. Karen Fonkert is a Professor of Math Education at CSU. In addition to teaching middle and high school math for 11 years, she was a math department chair at two different high schools, and a math coach. She has facilitated professional development to teachers all over the country. She has been teaching pre-service teachers at universities how to teach K-12 math for 14 years. Her mission in life is to improve math education locally and beyond.

Dr. Denise Dawson is a Professor of Mathematics and Chair of the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Charleston Southern University. Dr. Dawson earned Bachelor’s degrees in Mathematics and Physics from University of Redlands in southern California, and a Master’s degree and Ph.D. in Mathematics from Cornell University. She has been teaching at CSU since finishing her graduate studies in 2011 and serves as a member of the Faith and Learning Institute. Dr. Dawson’s research interests include Abstract Algebra, Geometric Group Theory, and more recently, the effectiveness of hands-on technology used in College Algebra. She and her husband, Matt (who also teaches at CSU), have been married since 2009 and have two children.

John Edward Kuykendall is a Professor of History at Charleston Southern University. He is currently serving as the Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. While an undergraduate at Erskine College, he felt God’s call to pursue a teaching career at the college level. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of South Carolina and joined the CSU faculty in 2003.

Although his research interests focus on the changing relationships between war and popular culture in twentieth-century Europe, Dr. Kuykendall enjoys the opportunity to study and teach a wide range of material. Reflecting on his vocation, he notes, “Historians study the growth and interaction of diverse worldviews. It is natural for me to see a direct connection between my discipline and my faith since the story of Western civilization is in large part the story of the development of the Christian worldview. The study of the past is presented to my students as the story of God’s sovereignty over human life. History is no accident—it is the working out of God’s will for His own glory with an ultimate outcome in which all Christians will rejoice.”

Members at Scots Kirk Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Summerville, John and his wife Mary value the prayers of their church family as they meet the challenge of bringing up their two remarkable sons in the “nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

Dr. Wofford has served at Charleston Southern as an Assistant Professor in the Chemistry Department since August of 2018. Dr. Wofford also engages in research to understand the kinetics and regulation of metal trafficking in S. cerevisiae, with applications to human health and disease, and has published multiple high impact papers in this research. Dr. Wofford is married to Dr. Elizabeth Wofford, who serves in the Master’s of Clinical Counseling program at Charleston Southern University, and they have one daughter, with their second child due in October 2021.

Dr. Wofford has been active in the Christian apologetics community by reading and writing for his own blog, Apprentice Owl Apologetics, since 2013. His interests are in the interaction of science and faith, and he tries to bring these topics into the classroom by showing interactions between topics in chemistry with several apologetics topics, including the myth of religion and science being in conflict, the Kalam Cosmological Argument, Pascal’s Wager, and Intelligent Design.

Dr. Jennifer Luiken is a member of the voice faculty of the Horton School of Music and Performing Arts at CSU where she teaches studio voice and other vocal performance related classes and is director of Lyric Theatre. With a voice described as voluptuous and beautifully clean and radiant, mezzo-soprano Luiken has performed in many genres and styles. She has sung throughout the United States and internationally in England, Scotland, Germany, Bulgaria, Austria, Catalunya and Italy, and was the mezzo-soprano soloist for the European Premiere of Bradley Ellingboe’s Requiem in Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. She is a frequent recitalist and performer of both art song and chamber works for voice and instruments and has been selected numerous times for the Spotlight Concert Series on the Piccolo Spoleto Festival as well as the “Sunset Serenade,” the opening concert of the festival. Having made multiple appearances with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra and other regional orchestras, her orchestral and concert repertoire includes Verdi’s Requiem; Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection;” Alexander Nevsky; Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9; Dvořak’s Requiem and Stabat Mater; Mozart’s Requiem; Bernstein’s Jeremiah and Kaddish Symphonies; Handel’s Messiah; Mendelssohn’s Elijah; Bach’s St. John Passion and Aaron Copland’s In the Beginning. Known also for her convincing acting skills in both comedic and dramatic roles, her operatic credits include the Old Lady in Candide, Madame Flora in The Medium, Katisha in Mikado, the title role in The Rape of Lucretia, the Witch in Hansel and Gretel, the Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Prince Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus, Principessa in Suor Angelica, Zita in Gianni Schicchi, Maddalena in Rigoletto, the Sorceress in Dido and Aeneas, and Third Lady in The Magic Flute. She has been a state winner and regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera auditions and second runner-up in the Mid-Atlantic region of NATSAA. A native of Iowa, Luiken received her Bachelor and Master’s degrees from the University of Northern Iowa, and her Doctor of Musical Arts in vocal performance from the University of South Carolina. She has directed or co-directed over 30 musical, opera and revue productions during her tenure at Charleston Southern University, including two original productions in a collaboration with Theatre. She is an active member of NATS and has presented in masterclass and clinic settings around the state. Her students achieve success as winners in national competitions, perform regularly in recital and stage productions around the region and have pursued vital professional careers in performance and music education. In addition to her duties at Charleston Southern, she serves on the Worship Arts Staff at East Cooper Baptist Church in Mount Pleasant, S.C., and is active as a private teacher and vocal technician in the state.