Meet The Prof

Have you ever shared some of your spiritual story, given someone a Christian book, or invited a friend to church, and wondered whether it made any difference?

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Len Lecci, a psychology professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, and Michelle Messer, a UNCW graduate student whose journey to faith included a graduation gift from Dr. Lecci. 

One of the most encouraging parts of our conversation was hearing Len explain that Michelle was the first student to give him feedback about the book. He had wondered whether those gifts were making any difference.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your efforts to share Christ’s love matter, I think this conversation will encourage you.

Book mentioned: Finding Darwin's God: A Scientist's Search for Common Ground Between God and Evolution, by Kenneth R. Miller

Key takeaways

1. You may never hear how God uses your faithfulness.
2. A trusted relationship can make someone willing to reconsider Jesus.
3. Ask what is keeping someone from exploring Christianity.
4. Give people room to respond freely.
5. New believers need encouragement and community.
6. Faith in God’s goodness provides strength amid uncertainty.

Resources from Faculty Commons, a Cru ministry:

• Find 500+ Christian professors at https://meettheprof.com/
• Faculty Commons – https://www.facultycommons.org/
• A Grander Story – https://a.co/d/8VoYXSV

Watch MTP on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@MeetTheProfOfficial/videos

You can support Meet The Prof through Shane Hartley's work with Faculty Commons, a Cru ministry, at this link: ⁠⁠⁠https://give.cru.org/0424344⁠⁠⁠

My friend and original Meet The Prof cohost, Spence Hackney, joins me again to share what God’s been doing in his life. After selling the business he led for about 25 years, Spence found himself asking some honest questions about his identity and whether God still had work for him to do. We talk about waiting on the Lord and following the Holy Spirit.

Spence also shares about the AWE Conference in Wilmington on October 10, where listeners can hear from Christian leaders serving in places where following Jesus is costly. Spence explains supporting his wife Tara’s writing ministry and we finish with some encouragement for Christian professors and students.

Learn more about the AWE Conference: https://awecon.org/

Tara Hackney’s website: https://jesusloves.org/ — her writing, books, and ministry resources. 

Resources from Faculty Commons, a Cru ministry:

• Find 500+ Christian professors at https://meettheprof.com/
• Faculty Commons – https://www.facultycommons.org/
• A Grander Story – https://a.co/d/8VoYXSV

Watch MTP on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@MeetTheProfOfficial/videos

You can support Meet The Prof through Shane Hartley's work with Faculty Commons, a Cru ministry, at this link: ⁠⁠⁠https://give.cru.org/0424344⁠⁠⁠

From New Atheism to a New Openness to God

For years, Professor Doug Allen and other Christian faculty members at Simon Fraser University struggled to generate meaningful spiritual interest on their campus. At the height of new atheism, they bought potato chips and invited students to ask questions about the Bible. They discovered that the students were more interested in challenging whether God existed at all.

But over time, Doug began noticing a change. The aggressive skepticism that had once characterized many students was giving way to a new spiritual openness. Students were no longer necessarily rejecting the possibility of God; many were searching for something deeper and trying to understand what they were missing.

Jason Huang is a living example of that changing spiritual environment. When Jason arrived in Canada, he knew almost nothing about Christianity. A vivid dream prompted him to begin searching, and a Billy Graham message helped him recognize the emptiness of pursuing the things in the world without Christ. After discovering the faculty-and-student organization called God and Reason, Jason found Christian professors who welcomed his questions, connected him with a church, and helped him grow in his new faith. He was baptized and eventually became one of the group’s primary student leaders.

In this episode, Doug and Jason share how Christian professors and students can recognize spiritual hunger, create welcoming places for honest questions, and work together to help a new generation encounter Jesus. Their story is a hopeful reminder that God is already at work changing the spiritual climate of university campuses, and He invites both professors and students to join Him.

To learn more about their ministry, check out their official Website: https://www.godandreason.com/  and their Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/godandreason

Resources from Faculty Commons, a Cru ministry:

• Find 500+ Christian professors at https://meettheprof.com/
• Faculty Commons – https://www.facultycommons.org/
• A Grander Story – https://a.co/d/8VoYXSV

Watch MTP on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@MeetTheProfOfficial/videos

You can support Meet The Prof through Shane Hartley's work with Faculty Commons, a Cru ministry, at this link: ⁠⁠⁠https://give.cru.org/0424344⁠⁠⁠

I was inspired by my interview with Lane Weaver, a faculty member in Utah State University’s music department and director of its marching band. He discusses how professors can build spiritually meaningful relationships with students, how Cru and apologetics strengthened his faith during college, how he recently discipled a new Iranian believer, and how he opens his office for prayer with students! He encourages professors to be intentionally available, create safe places for honest questions, and remember that they are teaching people—not merely subjects.

Read more about Lane Weaver online:
https://meettheprof.com/view/professors/entry/lane-weaver/

Book reference: The Story of Reality: How the World Began, How it Ends, and Everything Important that Happens in Between
by Gregory Koukl

Resources from Faculty Commons, a Cru ministry:

• Find 500+ Christian professors at https://meettheprof.com/
• Faculty Commons – https://www.facultycommons.org/
• A Grander Story – https://a.co/d/8VoYXSV

Watch MTP on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@MeetTheProfOfficial/videos

You can support Meet The Prof through Shane Hartley's work with Faculty Commons, a Cru ministry, at this link: ⁠⁠⁠https://give.cru.org/0424344⁠⁠⁠

Professor Jay Northington (Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University) and graduate student Mathew Nelson share a simple 2-step strategy any campus can use to start a Bible study connecting professors and students around God's Word:

Step 1: Christian professors make it known that they follow Jesus
Step 2: Christian students find them and initiate ministry ideas

Jay and Mathew discuss why students long for Christian mentors, how faith can transform engineering (and any field of study) into worship, the value of multi-generational discipleship, and how God uses ordinary conversations to create extraordinary ministry opportunities.

Whether you're a Christian professor, college student, campus minister, or someone who simply loves the college campus, you'll discover practical ways to build Christ-centered relationships that can impact an entire campus.

Read more about Jay at: https://meettheprof.com/view/professors/entry/jay-northington/

Resources from Faculty Commons, a Cru ministry:

• Find 500+ Christian professors at https://meettheprof.com/
• Faculty Commons – https://www.facultycommons.org/
• A Grander Story – https://a.co/d/8VoYXSV

Watch MTP on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@MeetTheProfOfficial/videos

You can support Meet The Prof through Shane Hartley's work with Faculty Commons, a Cru ministry, at this link: ⁠⁠⁠https://give.cru.org/0424344⁠⁠⁠

Dr. Kim Shorter is a Full Professor of Biology at University of South Carolina Upstate. Her research focuses on epigenetics and neuroscience, and she recently received a National Institutes of Health grant of $517,000 supporting her work. She shares about her battle with depression and anxiety during a difficult postdoctoral appointment and answers college student Ashley Davis’ question, ‘How do you show grace in the classroom when discussing science and faith?’

Some of Shane’s highlights:

• Growing up in church but not truly knowing Christ
• The sermon on Jesus’ crucifixion that changed everything
• Head knowledge vs. heart knowledge of God
• What Kim most appreciates about Jesus today
• Romans 8:28 and seeing God's hand in difficult seasons
• Science, epigenetics, and viewing research through a biblical lens
• Encouragement for Christian professors to be bold
• Advice for students: ask questions and don't fear failure

Resources from Faculty Commons, a Cru ministry:

• Find 500+ Christian professors at https://meettheprof.com/
• Faculty Commons – https://www.facultycommons.org/
• A Grander Story – https://a.co/d/8VoYXSV

Watch MTP on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@MeetTheProfOfficial/videos

You can support Meet The Prof through Shane Hartley's work with Faculty Commons, a Cru ministry, at this link: ⁠⁠⁠https://give.cru.org/0424344⁠⁠⁠

Dr. Robert Kaita is Senior Physicist Emeritus at the Plasma Physics Laboratory at Princeton University, where he conducted nuclear fusion energy research for nearly four decades. In this episode, he discusses mentoring graduate students, integrating Christian faith naturally within academia, helping introverted professors engage spiritually with students, and approaching retirement as a new calling from God.

Read more about Robert Kaita online:
Meet The Prof Profile for Robert Kaita

Main Takeaways

• The university should teach students how to think critically, not simply memorize information.
• Mentoring relationships often create the best opportunities for spiritual conversations.
• Many professors are introverts and need relational encouragement to engage spiritually with students.
• Faith integration works best when it flows naturally from the discipline itself.
• Students are often impacted as much by humility and character as by arguments.
• Christian faculty can partner with campus ministries to become more accessible to students.
• Witnessing is more about faithfulness than winning debates.
• Retirement can become a new season of calling rather than a loss of identity.
• Great mentoring often means helping students eventually surpass you.

CHAPTERS

00:13 — Introduction to Meet The Prof and Dr. Robert Kaita
01:06 — The true purpose of the university and critical thinking
02:23 — How mentoring relationships create opportunities for faith conversations
04:15 — Why many professors are introverts and struggle relationally
06:04 — How Christian professors can share faith naturally instead of forcing boldness
07:39 — Integrating faith into teaching without making it feel artificial
09:57 — Finding identity in Christ instead of feeling obligated to perform spiritually
11:29 — A colleague searching for meaning and a student praising God in his thesis
13:02 — Why traditional evangelism approaches feel unnatural for some introverted faculty
14:03 — Finding creative bridges between shared interests and faith conversations
15:16 — Why Bob says he “needs science to be a Christian”
17:12 — Practical ways professors can make themselves spiritually accessible to students
19:48 — The importance of professors speaking at campus ministry gatherings
20:12 — A hostile student interaction that eventually led another student to Christ
22:01 — Why witnessing matters more than winning debates
23:50 — Retirement as a calling and rediscovering your first love
25:12 — The joy of seeing former students surpass you
26:01 — Identity beyond titles awards and accomplishments
26:48 — Concerns about higher education producing “excellent sheep” instead of critical thinkers
27:40 — Final encouragements about mentoring students well

Resources from Faculty Commons, a Cru ministry:

• Find 500+ Christian professors at https://meettheprof.com/
• Faculty Commons – https://www.facultycommons.org/
• A Grander Story – https://a.co/d/8VoYXSV

Watch MTP on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@MeetTheProfOfficial/videos

You can support Meet The Prof through Shane Hartley's work with Faculty Commons, a Cru ministry, at this link: ⁠⁠⁠https://give.cru.org/0424344⁠⁠⁠

Dr. Gbola Adesogan is a professor of Ruminant Nutrition at the University of Florida and serves as Associate Vice President and Director of the Global Food Systems Institute. In this interview, he shares his powerful testimony of transformation, his journey of surrender to Christ, and how a deep dependence on the Holy Spirit has shaped his life, work, and relationships with students. He also describes practical ways he engages students in Christ-centered conversations and encourages faculty to see their role as a single calling—to be ambassadors for Christ.

Read more about Gbola Adesogan online:
https://meettheprof.com/view/professors/entry/gbola-adesogan/

Main Takeaways

• Surrender is not a one-time event but a daily and ongoing process of dying to self.
• Professors do not have two callings; their academic role is a platform for their one calling as Christ’s ambassador.
• Time with the Holy Spirit is essential and should be prioritized above all else each day.
• Academic success can easily become an idol if not surrendered to God.
• God often works through relationships more than achievements.
• Inviting students into your home creates natural opportunities for meaningful faith conversations.
• International students represent a significant opportunity for gospel engagement.
• Prayer is foundational to revival and spiritual impact on campus.
• Faculty should be both excellent in their work and deeply dependent on God.
• Campus ministers should boldly and gently challenge professors to live missionally.

Mentioned in interview:

JAMES TOUR
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Tour

Why Revival Tarries
Book by Leonard Ravenhill

Resources from Faculty Commons, a Cru ministry:

• Find 500+ Christian professors at https://meettheprof.com/
• Faculty Commons – https://www.facultycommons.org/
• A Grander Story – https://a.co/d/8VoYXSV

Watch MTP on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@MeetTheProfOfficial/videos

You can support Meet The Prof through Shane Hartley's work with Faculty Commons, a Cru ministry, at this link: ⁠⁠⁠https://give.cru.org/0424344⁠⁠⁠

In this interview, Dr. Kate Fogarty-Read shares her journey to faith in Christ during graduate school through the influence of one of her undergrad students, how Jesus sustained her through academic challenges, her involvement in mentoring graduate students, and her experience leading a faculty mission trip to Italy. She also discusses how faith and science can work together and offers practical advice for Christian faculty who want to make an impact on campus.

Read more about Kate Fogarty-Read online:
https://meettheprof.com/view/professors/entry/kate-fogarty-read/

Main Takeaways

• God often uses simple relationships and integrity to draw people to Himself
• Academic success without Christ can feel overwhelming and unsustainable
• Pride and competition are real challenges for faculty, especially early in their careers
• Mentorship is one of the most strategic ways professors can invest spiritually
• Faculty can play a key role in global missions and ministry multiplication
• Faith and science are not in conflict—discovery can deepen awe of God
• Students are more open to faith conversations than professors often assume
• Starting ministry can be simple: find one partner and take one step

Resources from Faculty Commons, a Cru ministry:

• Find 500+ Christian professors at https://meettheprof.com/
• Faculty Commons – https://www.facultycommons.org/
• A Grander Story – https://a.co/d/8VoYXSV

Watch MTP on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@MeetTheProfOfficial/videos

You can support Meet The Prof through Shane Hartley's work with Faculty Commons, a Cru ministry, at this link: ⁠⁠⁠https://give.cru.org/0424344⁠⁠⁠

In this episode, we interview Anita Stephen, Clinical Assistant Professor of Nursing at the University of Florida. Anita challenges professors not to compartmentalize their faith but to live it out boldly and naturally in everyday academic life. She shares how God reshaped her heart from striving and self-focus to listening and kindness, and how that transformation now shapes her relationships with students, colleagues, and the broader campus community.

Read more about Anita Stephen online: https://meettheprof.com/view/professors/entry/anita-stephen/

Resources from Faculty Commons, a Cru ministry:

• Find 500+ Christian professors at https://meettheprof.com/
• Faculty Commons – https://www.facultycommons.org/
• A Grander Story – https://a.co/d/8VoYXSV

Watch MTP on YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@MeetTheProfOfficial/videos

You can support Meet The Prof through Shane Hartley's work with Faculty Commons, a Cru ministry, at this link: ⁠⁠⁠https://give.cru.org/0424344⁠⁠⁠