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April 16, 2026
Alums Community Relationships ministry pastoral care

Dr. Ginger Morgan Announced as New Associate Professor and Program Director for Interreligious Chaplaincy

Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States, April 16, 2026 — United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities is thrilled to announce that Dr. Ginger Morgan will join its faculty as the new Associate Professor for Pastoral and Spiritual Care and Program Director for Interreligious Chaplaincy. Dr. Morgan will come to United from Madison, WI, where she is concluding her role at the Presbyterian Student Center Foundation as director of Candid and Community Initiatives. She is a highly qualified program director and chaplain with experience in healthcare, campus ministry, and higher education. With a PhD in Religion and Psychological Studies from Iliff School of Theology at the University of Denver, as well as a Master of Theological Studies (MTS) from Vanderbilt Divinity School, Dr. Morgan draws from her theological and multidisciplinary education in her work. Interreligious studies is one of United’s four pillars, and the Interreligious Chaplaincy (IRC) program—unique among peer institutions—constitutes the largest and fastest-growing of the seminary’s programs over the past five years. In alignment with United’s ethos, Dr. Morgan is a gifted scholar of religious pluralism, highly educated in progressive theological education, and foregrounds justice in chaplaincy and pastoral care. These values are evident in a chapter titled “Many Doors: Expanding Thresholds for Grace,” written by Dr. Morgan for the upcoming book Dispatches from Campus (Augsburg Fortress Press). Dr. Morgan’s career also reflects her personal experiences and identity. Writing to the search committee, she shared, “My formation includes reconciling my lesbian identity with my faith and living as a religious minority in India during high school, both of which shaped my intercultural perspective and vocational commitments.” She continued, “Throughout my career, I have sought to create inclusive spaces of belonging, whether supporting LGBTQIA+ students, young adults in recovery from addiction, or building programs attentive to justice and equity." Rev. Dr. Molly T. Marshall, President, reflects, “United welcomes Dr. Ginger Morgan with confidence and great enthusiasm. Her varied leadership roles, especially in chaplaincy, equip her uniquely to lead our robust IRC program and to teach pastoral and spiritual care.” In his announcement to the student body, Dr. Kyle Roberts—Dean and Vice President for Academic Affairs—noted that Dr. Morgan’s “career in chaplaincy spans hospital, hospice, and higher education contexts, and extensive program leadership experience.” He added, “I want to thank Dr. Demian Wheeler for leading this search process, especially during its formative stages during my sabbatical.” After participating in a months-long faculty search and on-site candidate lecture, being recommended by a unanimous faculty vote, and gaining approval from the Board of Trustees’ Academic Committee, Dr. Morgan will officially begin on July 1. Students, faculty, and staff are eager to welcome her to United for this exciting new chapter. For more information about United’s Interreligious Chaplaincy program, click here. About United Founded by the United Church of Christ (UCC) as a welcoming, ecumenical school that embraces all denominations and faith traditions, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities has been on the creative edge of progressive theological thought and leadership since it was established in 1962. Today, United continues to educate leaders who, through the eyes of faith, engage in the dismantling of systems of oppression, exploring multi-faith spirituality, and pushing the boundaries of knowledge. Contact Nathanial Green (he/him) Director of Marketing and Communications press@unitedseminary.edu • (651) 255-6138 Admissions and Enrollment admissions@unitedseminary.edu

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October 15, 2025
Alums Community Relationships ministry pastoral care

Rev. Dr. Stephen C. Hsieh (’70) Honored as United’s 2025 Distinguished Alum

United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities is proud to announce that Rev. Dr. Stephen C. Hsieh (’70) is the seminary’s 2025 Distinguished Alum. A gifted and experienced multilingual pastor, staunch justice advocate, and dedicated intergenerational mentor and consensus builder, Hsieh is now a retired pastor and teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church (USA and in Taiwan). When Hsieh started at United in 1968, he had just emigrated from Taiwan. Nominator Valerie Chu recounts how Hsieh worked in the cafeteria at United to defray the cost of seminary and learned to make traditional Midwestern fare, like tuna noodle casserole. After his fiancée joined Hsieh in Minnesota, Rev. Dr. Ruben H. Huenemann (President Emeritus 1960–1990) married the couple in United’s chapel in 1969.  Upon graduation, Hsieh served a church in Iowa where, Chu asserts, “his very presence as a short, bespectacled Asian man among the hardy Midwestern farmers represented an early public witness about the gospel’s power to bridge differences and nurture diverse communities of faith.” From Iowa, he moved to California, where he founded a Taiwanese-language congregation in San Jose.  Fluent in Chinese Mandarin, English, and Taiwanese, Hsieh was more than a minister to Taiwanese immigrants in California. As Chu explains, he was also “a friend and guide to help these new Americans navigate landlord disputes, court hearings, immigration forms, and employment applications.” Over time, Hsieh became a member, and eventually Chairperson, of the National Taiwanese Presbyterian Council of the Presbyterian Church (USA), a position through which he served as a liaison between Taiwanese Presbyterians and PCUSA. Rev. Dr. Chelsea Chui, who met Hsieh through the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan General Assembly (PCT), notes that “Hsieh helped introduce and strengthen relationships between the PCUSA and the PCT, particularly in Christian education ministries.” In the 1990s, Hsieh, representing the San Jose Presbytery and Pacific Synod, became a member of PCUSA’s Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy. Once he became chair, Chu reports, Hsieh led with “grace, gentleness, and humility,” even when discussions became heated. In one significant case, Chu notes, “Hsieh represented the Presbyterian Church (USA) to apologize to, and ask forgiveness from, Native American Tribes for the church’s inaction during the 1973 Wounded Knee Occupation.” While on the committee, Hsieh—as a respected leader within the PCUSA with important experience and language skills—also had an opportunity to lead a team of clergy and laity to Nanjing, China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan in 1997. According to Chu, the team met with “the [chair] of the official government supervisory organization over Protestantism in the People’s Republic of China, to urge China to assure freedom of worship for all believers.” As Chu concludes, “The Rev. Dr. Stephen C. Hsieh has spent decades fulfilling [United’s] call for its students to change the world as innovative and compassionate leaders. He has embodied Christ’s heart for peace and justice to unite people across cultures, generations, and political divides.” Join us in celebrating and congratulating Rev. Dr. Stephen Hsieh!

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October 15, 2025
Alums Ecology Ethics leadership UUA

Rev. Stacy Craig (’20) Honored as United’s 2025 Spirit of United Alum

United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities is delighted to announce that Rev. Stacy Craig (’20) has been selected as the 2025 recipient of our Spirit of United Award. Established in 2023, the Spirit of United award celebrates recent alums who have done “exceptional work that reflects the mission of United in the church, in faith communities, or in society.” Craig—an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister—has also lived into the vocation of an eco-chaplain, dedicating herself to remaining present within the interconnected web of life, as myriad lifeforms struggle to adapt to the changing climate. As nominator Rev. Dr. Kimi Floyd Reish (’19, ’24) explains,  In her congregational work in Wisconsin and California, [Craig] has guided communities to see climate change not only as a scientific or political crisis but as a moral and spiritual one. She preaches and teaches about repair, resistance, and resilience, inviting people into practices that restore relationships with one another and with the living world. Her ministry brings forward a theology that insists faith must be present in the public square and that spiritual care must include the ecosystems in which we live. Northland College (Ashland, Wisconsin)—where Craig graduated cum laude in 2004 with a BA in Religion and Philosophy/Outdoor Education—was where her focus on eco-theology took root. Following graduation, she became an environmental education program coordinator at the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute, an outreach arm of Northland College. For another 10 years, Craig worked at Northland College, helping students discern career choices, supporting events, and teaching courses in the Religious Studies Department as an adjunct instructor. When Northland faced impending closure in the early 2020s,  Floyd Reish notes, Craig “was a public voice of grief and resilience, reminding her community of the importance of institutions that have long carried the work of environmental education and justice on the shores of Lake Superior.” Through these actions, Floyd Reish adds, she “showed what it means to live out United’s mission of preparing leaders who change the world as faithful and ethical servants.” Rev. Greg Meland, United’s director of Spiritual and Vocational Formation from 2014 to 2019 and internship instructor of record, knew Craig from her time at Northland College and at United. When she was considering seminary, admissions asked Meland to talk to Craig. As he recalls, “She lived close to our lake place, and we had a long conversation sitting on our deck. When she left, I thought, ‘This is exactly the kind of person who should be in seminary preparing to pastor and lead.’” Clearly, he was right. As Floyd Reish concludes, “In less than five years since her graduation, [Craig’s] work has strengthened local congregations, deepened public conversations about environmental ethics, and provided a living example of what it means to be a United alum who leads with integrity and vision.” Join us in celebrating and congratulating Rev. Stacy Craig!

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September 18, 2025
Academics antiracism Black Liberation Theology Book

United Will Host Book Launch for Rev. Dr. Gary F. Green, II’s Playing the Game: Embodied Brilliance beyond the Moral Limits of Race in Sport

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA, UNITED STATES, September 18, 2025.  United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities is thrilled to be hosting a book launch to celebrate Rev. Dr. Gary F. Green, II’s upcoming publication, Playing the Game: Embodied Brilliance beyond the Moral Limits of Race in Sport, on Wednesday, November 19, starting at 7:00 PM CT. Fortress Press, which has scheduled publication for November 4, states that “Playing the Game investigates the intersection of race and ethics in cultural misinterpretations of Black athleticism in the United States.” Green is United’s associate professor of Pastoral Theology and Social Transformation and director of Racial Intelligence Systems. The book applies womanist theological ethics and theologies of embodied spirituality to three exemplars—Marshawn Lynch, Steph Curry, and Deion Sanders. These men epitomize the play of racial politics surrounding Black male athlete depictions as “beast.” All three are celebrated public figures who illustrate, and then frustrate, cultural attempts to flatten the Black athlete’s embodied brilliance based on moral rationalities that reflect a racist history. As an athlete, the son of a former NFL cornerback, and a theological scholar, Green has long been troubled by the way in which Black athletes are routinely commodified and dehumanized, especially when compared with their white counterparts. Appellations for Black athletes (including “beast”) typically focus on physical capability versus descriptors of white athletes as cognitively superior and sound in terms of character. Green argues in his book for the recognition of the divine embodiment of Black athletes and the inextricable link between mind and body. “In this soon-to-be celebrated book,” observes President Molly T. Marshall, “Dr. Gary Green emerges as both cultural critic and theological anthropologist. His keen observations about race, spirituality, and the commodification of Black players in professional sports shed light on the current zeitgeist. I believe the author opens up an uncharted critical pathway of interpretation as he writes of ‘embodied brilliance.’”  Dr. Demian Wheeler, Acting Dean, adds, “Dr. Gary Green is an emerging constructive theologian whose cutting-edge research arcs across multiple academic disciplines, from pastoral theology and cultural theory, to social ethics and African American studies, to neuroscience and religion and sport. His first book, Playing the Game, promises to break new ground, illumining the divinity of Black athletes and the racial politics that work to stifle it. We are thrilled to celebrate his scholarly debut on November 19!” At the November 19 event, Green will welcome three panelists to elucidate more themes in Playing the Game: Dr. Lakisha R. Lockhart-Rusch is a womanist play facilitator and innovative educator who teaches Christian education courses at Union Presbyterian Seminary. Her most recent book is titled Doing Theological Double Dutch: A Womanist Pedagogy of Play. CJ Ham, #30, is a fullback for the Minnesota Vikings, where he has been a starter since 2017. Off the field, he takes pride in giving back. In 2024, the Vikings selected CJ as their Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee. Tamice Spencer-Helms is both a United student and staff member. While pursuing their DMin in Social Transformation, Tamice is also serving as one of United’s amazing admissions counselors. Tamice will offer the student response. United is delighted to extend this invitation to celebrate Rev. Dr. Green’s outstanding accomplishment with his new book on November 19, 2025. View details, including onsite and online registration, here. About United Founded by the United Church of Christ (UCC) as a welcoming, ecumenical school that embraces all denominations and faith traditions, United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities has been on the creative edge of progressive theological thought and leadership since it was established in 1962. Today, United continues to train leaders who, through the eyes of faith, engage in the dismantling systems of oppression, exploring multi-faith spirituality, and pushing the boundaries of knowledge. Media Contact Nathanial Green (he/him), Director of Marketing and Communications United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities press@unitedseminary.edu • 651-255-6138

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July 7, 2025
Ethics Faculty Faith lgbtq Liberation Theology

50 Years Later—The Impact of Jim Nelson’s “Homosexuality: An Issue for the Church”

Faith communities have long struggled to reach consensus on the inclusion and affirmation of LGBTQ+ people. Debates in congregations and conferences have led to harmful statements and schisms and highlighted sharp disagreements over theology, ethics, and justice. Of course, these are never merely debates, never just “disagreements;” these are questions of fundamental rights, theology, one’s sense of self, and what it means to love.   Whereas some denominations reject the very existence of LGBTQ+ identities out of hand, others have sought the counsel of their LGBTQ+ members and committed to structural equality and solidarity. Fifty years ago, this shift was happening at United, owing to the advocacy of students, faculty, and a prescient professor’s willingness to articulate a clear theological case for affirmation. In United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities: An Ecumenical Venture, Dr. Arthur L. Merrill† (Professor Emeritus of Old Testament, 1958–1995) recounted the impact of Dr. James B. Nelson’s† (Professor Emeritus of Christian Ethics, 1963–1995) paper titled “Homosexuality: An Issue for the Church,” published in the Winter 1975 issue of Theological Markings, United’s journal. In it, Nelson identified what he viewed as the four primary theological positions against other sexual orientations, and he graciously engaged each of them while arguing his clear conviction as a Christian ethicist:  unequivocal affirmation. Nelson wrote, “An ethics of the Gospel ought never forget that moral responsibility is intrinsically related to self-acceptance, and that self-acceptance is intrinsically related to acceptance by significant others and, ultimately, by God.”  In a section titled “A Personal Note,” Jim posits that acceptance of gay, lesbian, and bisexual people might be a source of “augmented liberation” for all, “bringing new possibilities of tenderness, lessened competitiveness, and greater  emotional intimacy.” Just two years later, United’s Faculty Senate adopted a statement affirming “equal educational opportunity for all our students regardless of race, sex, or affectional preference” (sexual orientation). It avowed that “we do not believe that such an orientation in and of itself disqualifies a person from preparing for ministry at this seminary.” Nelson’s progressive theological vision and visionary scholarship continue to impact United, its students, and the communities they lead. For his prophetic witness for the common good, we give thanks. ________________________ † Deceased

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July 1, 2025
antiracism Beliefs Community Relationships justice Legacy

Helping Others: The Impact of Frank Sims

“We were put on earth to help one another.” From a young age, Frank Sims’ mother instilled this message in her children, urging them to love their neighbors by getting involved and giving back. A business person, educator, and philanthropist, he is guided by the question, “What can you do to help uplift others?” Frank’s connection to and involvement with United originated in an unlikely place: corporate America. He moved to the Twin Cities region in the 1970s for a position with Cargill, Inc., an international agricultural company based in Minnetonka, MN, where he became corporate vice president. It was while at Cargill in the 1990s that he met Dr. Kita McVay (’96, ’09), a member of United’s Board of Trustees, who invited him to join the board. He eagerly accepted the invitation after meeting with President Ben Griffin, establishing an expansive relationship with the seminary that has thrived for over 30 years.  Success at Cargill allowed Frank to orient his life toward education, a passion that complemented his core values and personal experiences. In addition to his involvement with United, Frank, who now lives in Atlanta, has served as Board Chair and Interim President of Fisk University, a Historically Black College and University based in Nashville. “I don’t think there’s anything more important than education,” Frank avows. “When we deprive students of that opportunity, I think it’s a disservice. Any time my wife and I can, we do something to help in that way.” In the realm of theological education, Frank believes United stands out. “There is what I would call an underpinning understanding of the value of diversity that’s not only instilled in the students at United, but constantly supported throughout their education. They leave United with a better understanding, but also a willingness to be a voice for those values.” These convictions, coupled with a lifelong admiration for seminary instructors, laid the groundwork for Frank’s commitment to student support at United. “It is so difficult to finance an education, and this is especially true for first-generation scholars,” Frank says. Seeking to address those imminent needs, Frank and his wife, Robyn, endowed a scholarship in 2013 that has provided support to students for over a decade. More recently, their giving evolved in 2024 to become the Sims Scholars Initiative. Designed to educate and equip leaders to constructively engage issues confronting Black spiritual communities, the Initiative provides intra-program mentorship and a tailored, tuition-free Master of Arts in Leadership degree to a select cohort of students. Received with enthusiasm by students and faculty alike, the inaugural cohort began in the fall of 2024. The second is slated to start this fall, and it will be the first to engage students outside the Twin Cities. Frank and Robyn’s impact is deeply felt. In an essay written for members of United’s Lydia Society, Sims Scholar Elwyn Young poignantly reflects, “Since I entered United,…I have had five professors, and each of them has made themselves available with knowledge, patience, and understanding, giving a feeling that they desire us all to succeed. Without this Sims Scholar Initiative, I would not have had the opportunity to experience such richness.” At last month’s Commencement ceremony, Frank was honored for his community leadership, service, and stalwart support for theological education with a Doctor of Humane Letters (honoris causa). As President Molly T. Marshall remarked, “Over the years, Frank Sims has demonstrated his care for theological education and the church through providing generous scholarship assistance to United.... He has contributed greatly to higher education and, particularly, to this good school.” United gives thanks for this visionary advocate whose impact on theological education spans generations.  

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June 23, 2025
Alums Community Relationships VOICES

Mary Ann Murray (’76) Treasures the Relationships She Established at United

In 1969, when Mary Ann Murray (’76) enrolled at United, America was embroiled in the Vietnam War, and the seminary, which opposed the war, had spent its first seven years led by and attended by men. It was also a residential school, where faculty and students lived on campus and forged a collegial bond. Along with Rev. Marilyn Creel (’72), Mary Ann was one of the first two women to enroll in the Master of Divinity (MDiv) program. Unlike their colleagues, neither lived on campus. Mary Ann was married, with young children, and Marilyn was not allowed to live on campus as a single woman. Considering Seminary Though Mary Ann was raised in the American Baptist denomination, she first learned of United at a community church where the pastor also served as an adjunct faculty member at the seminary. At the time, Mary Ann was teaching at the church and felt a strong call to study theology. In March of 1969, she met with Dean Louis Gunnemann† “to discuss my options for studying theology.” United offered a certificate in Christian education and the MDiv, so Mary Ann resolved to begin the degree in the fall. “I couldn’t wait to begin my seminary career,” she remembers telling her pastor, and she wanted to read every book in the library. He loaned Mary Ann his copy of Paul Tillich’s The Courage to Be, and said, “Theological education isn’t about reading books; it is about relationships.” United Highlights This spring marks the 50th anniversary of her graduation from United, and Mary Ann still remembers key elements of her experience. For example, she notes that faculty members did not have posted office hours. “A blessing I took for granted,” she reflects, “was the availability of faculty; I remember many robust conversations with professors over coffee in the refectory.” She also vividly remembers the first session in her Christian Ethics course. “We were asked to describe how we made an ethical decision. By the end of the term, we each had expanded that initial statement and honed our own ethics method.” In September of 1971, Mary Ann, Tracy Godfrey, and two students from Luther Northwestern Seminary entered the first unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at what was then Hennepin County General Hospital (now HCMC). At the hospital, Mary Ann was the first woman in the chaplain’s CPE units. Dean Gunnemann’s words at Spring Convocation 1972 created one of her most moving memories. “The relationships in our lives that are truly redeeming,” Dean Gunnemann advised, “are grounded in gratitude.” Enduring Relationships “My commitment and loyalty to United are grounded in gratitude for the relationships from my time at United, which have bridged the years and enriched my life.” Mary Ann is pleased to support United’s mission to provide transformative theological education to equip students to make a difference in the world through their unique ministries. She makes this possible as a generous donor who is a member of the Barnabas, Bossard-Ward, and Joshua Societies. “Theological education,” Mary Ann observes, “is a lens through which we see the world and how to respond to it.” For her devotion to relationships at United and for sharing her story, we are deeply grateful to observe this 50th anniversary of Mary Ann’s graduation _______________ † Deceased

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June 9, 2025
Activism Community Relationships Distance Education VOICES

At United, Kateri Boucher Is Inspired to Chase Her Childhood Dreams

Kateri Boucher, who is pursuing an MDiv in Church Leadership, felt a call to ministry very early. “I was three when I told my mom I wanted to be a priest,” she recalls. She adds, “I would preach homilies and make [my mom] write them down.” Raised in Upstate New York, Kateri’s family attended a progressive Catholic church untethered from Roman Catholic strictures. Watching a woman priest serve communion sparked her pronouncement. Years later, after attending a liberal arts college, Kateri jumped at a chance to work on an “urban agriculture” project in Detroit. The community she found through the Catholic Worker and an Episcopal church rekindled her sense of calling, so she moved there. Now, at United, Kateri is making her dreams a reality. Searching for a Seminary About four years ago, Kateri began searching for a seminary. She researched a few schools, but realized she didn’t want to leave Detroit. She had just been hired at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and hoped to continue that work. Sarah Holst (’20) recommended United. The more she learned about United, the more it seemed like the best choice. “I wouldn’t have to sacrifice what I [wanted] to do an online program,” she remembers thinking, “and it would allow me to stay rooted in Detroit and…work at St. Peter’s.”  Transformational Teachers During her first semester at United, Kateri took two classes with Rev. Dr. Andrew Packman, assistant professor of Theological Ethics and Formation. Class assignments and interactions, Kateri notes, really opened her mind to ways in which theology has evolved. “It is such a gift,” she declares, “to get to study with someone for whom teaching is so clearly a vocational call. I’ve rarely interacted with someone who has such a sharp mind and such a generous spirit.” Dr. Jennifer Maidrand—visiting assistant professor of Bible, Culture, and Interpretation, supported by the Louisville Institute—taught courses that Kateri took recently. A guest poet in the Hebrew Bible class was a “really cool” highlight. And, in the Bible and Palestine-Israel class, Kateri asserts that Dr. Maidraid “led us so gracefully through really challenging conversations throughout the semester [and] basically every…assignment for this class is something applicable to the real world.” Rev. Dr. DeWayne Davis, Kateri’s preaching professor, created another memorable experience. “His passion [for preaching],” she quips, “was palpable from miles away over a Zoom screen! He really brought it to life and held us in a beautiful way.” Through the class, Kateri notes that she learned strategies for telling “compelling stories.” She can use that at St. Peter’s, when she preaches each month. Distance Learning Because she wanted to balance her part-time work at St. Peter’s, service projects, and seminary, Kateri sincerely appreciates United’s distance learning program. “I remember telling people in my first semester that it’s clear that this school didn’t just start doing online classes during COVID;” they’ve had years “honing the art of hybrid classes.” She’s also made a lot of seminary friends. It’s so easy, Kateri shares, to message someone and say, “Hey, do you want to connect out of class?” The chat feature in Zoom also makes the in-class learning process more interactive. Formulating a Future Kateri describes another support from United, the Dayton Scholarship, as a “total blessing and game changer.” The funding, she reveals, “has enabled me to keep working … at St. Peter’s and participate in the church’s service outreach programs.” She’s hoping to add a second MA, made possible by the scholarship. As she looks ahead, Kateri knows changes will come. She’s started ordination and will leave St. Peter’s for a new call. In the United community, she sees “a real beauty, that we are scattered like seeds around the country and the world,” asking key questions. Still, she admits, “it was nourishing to come to United for Symposium Week; it “helped me to feel more rooted in the community.” In sum, Kateri exclaims, “I just love United so much! I’m so grateful it exists.”

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May 5, 2025
Academics Faculty gratitude VOICES

Rossmann Faculty Development Award Launches in 2025

We are thrilled to share that Jack and Marty Rossmann have endowed a fund to support faculty development at United. Jack, a current United board member, is a Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Macalester College, and Marty is a Professor Emerita of Family Education at the University of Minnesota. The Rossmanns, who prize education by word and deed, have already established faculty development and excellence awards at Macalester and the University of Minnesota. Now they have generously extended faculty support to United. As they explained recently, “Faculty excellence is crucial to the continued success of United Seminary. We hope that the Rossmann Faculty Development Award will play a role in helping to maintain that excellence.” Starting this year, United faculty members can apply for support twice each year. Applications are due either February 1 or October 1. If granted, awards will support activities such as attending professional meetings, offsetting publication-related expenses (including stipends for students who assist with publication tasks), and hiring consultants to assist with writing or teaching activities. “Jack and Marty Rossmann established this award,” noted President Molly T. Marshall, “because of their own academic careers and their love of supporting faculty development.” For their continuing service and generosity, Jack and Marty Rossmann have our deepest gratitude. We honor their lifelong commitment to education and working toward the betterment of society.

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April 29, 2025
Alums Ecology Ethics

The Living Legacy of Dr. Judith Scoville

“We’ve got to get you a Presidential scholarship,” Dr. Mary Farrell Bednarowski urged the prospective student in an interview. “Does this mean I’ve been admitted?” the interviewee asked. This is how Dr. Judith Scoville (’90) received a gift that would shape her life and, through her reciprocated generosity, reverberate decades later in the lives of new generations of United students. It was, in her words, “the biggest academic honor I’d ever received.”  Judith came to United after several years in an Education for Ministry program facilitated by an Episcopal seminary. The Education for Ministry program was predicated on asking, “What are we called to do? What is our ministry?” At the time, Judith was working for “not a very ethical company,” she quipped, but this experience sparked her interest in and passion for ethics. “I was in St. Luke’s Episcopal Church,” Judith recalls, “and for four years... it was a small group of us [that] met every week,” studying Scripture, theology, and church history. Nearing the end of the program, the associate minister remarked, “maybe I should go to United.” For Judith, “Coming to United was part of pursuing that question of ‘what is my ministry?’” After graduating from United in 1990, Judith began pursuing her PhD in ethics at the Graduate Theological Union. While there, she taught Christian ethics at United as an adjunct professor. A student, friend, and mentee of Dr. James B. Nelson, Professor Emeritus of Christian Ethics (1963–1995), Judith discovered her ministry as an educator. “My students were so special,” she remarks. “I found at United that… if you ran a class so that you were providing students with an opportunity, …they will become a part of shaping the class and making it what it is.” She avers, “You don’t just pour information [into] United students.” Judith later became an associate professor and the Hulings Distinguished Chair in the Humanities for Northland College. She gave United’s first-ever Picard Lecture on Environmental Theology and Ethics, and her participation in the life of the seminary spans decades. From alum to professor to donor, her contributions to the United community are hard to overstate. Now in her mid-80s, Judith—as quick-witted and incisive as ever—is crafting a living legacy. Since the death of her husband, Dr. James (Jim) Scoville, Judith has committed to using her resources for good. Ever conscious of ethics, it became, in her mind, “a moral obligation” to give back. And so, Judith brought her scholarship experience full circle by recently making a significant gift to United’s endowed scholarship fund, securing access to the transformative power of theological education for future students. She is quick to note, “To me, it does not feel like generosity.… It’s what I want to do.” She feels “an ethical obligation” to use her money to build a better society, “richer in all the things that count.” “I don’t want the ability to go to United to be limited by the ability to pay,” she asserts. “I want everybody who… wants to be part of this community to be able to do that no matter what their finances are.” She knows it will “enrich United to have as broad a variety of students as possible,” and that if “we’re all white middle-class people, then it’s a very impoverished community.” Judith and Jim are also celebrated members of the Barnabas Society, which honors individuals who include United in their estate plans or make other qualifying gift arrangements. Asked why others should consider making a gift, she thoughtfully reflects, “It’s a very satisfying thing to give to United. It makes me feel like I’m doing something positive and constructive.” She continues, “I’m proud of the results that I see at United.… It makes me happy.” We give abundant thanks for the vibrant, living legacy of Judith Scoville.

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