Meet The Prof

Lanny Griffin is a longtime professor of mechanical engineering at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly). Over the course of his career he has served as a department chair, Army Reserve officer, and faculty member at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

If you’d like to learn more about Professor Griffin, you can find his profile at: https://meettheprof.com/view/professors/entry/lanny-griffin/

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• God often pursues people before they begin seeking Him.
• Many Christian professors feel isolated until they intentionally look for other believers.
• Simple relational invitations—like coffee conversations—can open doors to spiritual discussions.
• Mentoring students and discipling young believers creates lasting impact.
• Introverted professors can still build meaningful relationships by taking small steps of initiative.
• Interruptions in daily life can become opportunities for ministry.

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. Charles Kemp, Associate Professor of Teacher Education at Shawnee State University, talks about being a Christian professor and integrating his faith on campus, on Meet The Prof, episodes 72 and 73.

He also discusses:
Is it safe to be a Christian professor today?
How to talk about faith as a professor.
Can professors talk about Christianity in class?
Being bold about faith as a professor.
Christian professors afraid to speak up.
How Christian professors influence students?
Finding other Christian faculty on campus.
How professors can mentor students spiritually.
Should Christian professors share their faith?
Encouraging Christian professors.

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 talk with Dr. Charles Kemp, Associate Professor of Teacher Education and Program Coordinator and Intervention Specialist at Shawnee State University in Ohio. Charles shares his journey from a fear-based view of God to a deep experience of God’s love, his years serving missionary kids in West Africa and Papua New Guinea, and the surprising path that led him into higher education. He also explains how he boldly but wisely identifies himself as a Jesus follower in the classroom and models community for a generation hungry for relationships.

Read more about Charles Kemp online: https://meettheprof.com/view/professors/entry/charles-kemp/

Main Takeaways
 • Many Christian professors underestimate how freely and legally they can share their identity in Christ with students.
 • Introducing yourself as a Jesus follower frames your identity without proselytizing.
 • Students are hungry for authenticity, community, and relational connection.
 • God uses early life experiences to prepare us for surprising future callings.
 • Fear of God can grow into reverence when it becomes rooted in love rather than punishment.

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. Kara Powell, Chief of Leadership Formation at Fuller Theological Seminary and Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute, unpacks humble leadership in academic settings, how students can share faith without judgment, and key ideas from her new book Future Focused Church. She shares practical moves churches and professors can make to prioritize young people, build supportive communities, and love neighbors in tangible ways.

Read: Future-Focused Church:  Leading through Change, Engaging the Next Generation, and Building a More Diverse Tomorrow   https://a.co/d/8v7RGxl
By: Kara Powell, Jake Mulder, and Raymond Chang

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 part 1 of this inspiring interview, Dr. Kara Powell, Chief of Leadership Formation at Fuller Theological Seminary and Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute, shares stories from her own faith journey, her passion for reaching young people, and practical advice for professors navigating doubt, boldness, humility, and transformation in academia and in the Church. 

Main Takeaways:

• Christian professors are in full-time ministry, even on non-faith-based campuses.
• Building community is essential for courage and clarity, especially in a culture of fear around faith.
• Doubt is not toxic—silence is. Making room for students' tough questions can strengthen faith.
• Professors can prioritize young people in their churches by asking, “How does this decision affect the next generation?”
• Leading with humility includes being quick to apologize—even for the 10%.
• You don’t have to have all the answers. Ask questions instead of making statements.

Read: Future-Focused Church:  Leading through Change, Engaging the Next Generation, and Building a More Diverse Tomorrow

By: Kara Powell, Jake Mulder, and Raymond Chang

Kara Powell, PhD, is the chief of leadership formation at Fuller
 Theological Seminary, the executive director of the Fuller Youth
 Institute, and the founder of the TENx10 Collaboration. Named by
 Christianity Today as one of "50 Women to Watch," Kara speaks
 regularly at national parenting and leadership conferences. Kara has
 authored or coauthored numerous books, including Faith Beyond Youth
 Group, 3 Big Questions That Shape Your Future, 3 Big Questions That
 Change Every Teenager, Growing With, Growing Young, The Sticky Faith
 Guide for Your Family, and the entire Sticky Faith series. Kara and her
 husband, Dave, are regularly inspired by the learning and laughter that
 come from their three young adult children.
 

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. Karen Liller, Distinguished University Health Professor in the College of Public Health at the University of South Florida, shares how consistent, respectful openness about her Christian faith—something as simple as wearing a cross daily—has sparked student conversations, encouraged fellow faculty, and shaped her public-health advocacy and research on injury and suicide prevention. She also spotlights USF’s faculty prayer community, her Activist Lab, and the role churches can play in reaching youth.

Read more about Karen Liller online:
 https://meettheprof.com/view/professors/entry/karen-liller/

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

Spence and I were impressed by Karen's compassion for her students. In part 1 of this interview, Dr. Karen Liller, Distinguished University Health Professor at the University of South Florida and Director of the Activist Lab, shares her journey of faith, grief, and resilience. From childhood imagination to moments of public embarrassment, to losing her sister to cancer, Karen reveals how God patiently restored her faith and gave her opportunities to love and teach with compassion. 

Read more about Karen Liller online:
 https://meettheprof.com/view/professors/entry/karen-liller/

Main Takeaways

• Professors face embarrassing and humbling moments that become growth opportunities.
• Faith can be tested deeply through family loss and grief, but God’s patience leads us back.
• Compassion is an essential quality for caregivers, professors, and students alike.
• Personal loss can fuel greater love for others and open doors for deeper conversations about faith.

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

This episode is part 2 of our roundtable discussion with Christian professors from around the country. We explore themes of Sabbath rest and identity in Christ, and professors share personal stories and practical ways to keep Jesus at the center of academic life and our identity.

Main Takeaways

• Practicing Sabbath is vital to resisting the pressure to overwork and to reorient identity around Jesus.
• A Christian worldview informs not just professional work but all of life—relationships, attitudes, and service.
• Professors can openly identify as Christians in class while tactfully building relationships with students.
• Encouraging and mentoring students often begins with simply making faith known early in the semester.
• Avoiding work-based identity requires intentional rest, prayer, and seeing worth in how God sees us.
• New faculty outreach, such as gift bags and welcome luncheons, can be strategic entry points for ministry.

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 unique roundtable format of Meet The Prof, we gather over a dozen Christian professors from campuses across the country to discuss a timely and personal question: how do we avoid getting our identity from our work instead of Christ? Inspired by a powerful clip from Sara Myers, the episode explores real struggles, vulnerable stories, and practical steps professors are taking to keep Jesus at the center.

Main Takeaways

• Professors often derive their sense of worth from their productivity or professional status, but this can lead to burnout and discouragement.
• A Christ-centered identity offers greater peace, purpose, and emotional resilience.
• Vulnerable stories from professors show how course evaluations, promotions, and academic rejection can influence mood and self-worth.
• Professors need to intentionally create boundaries and reframe their roles as part of God's story.
• Regular community and reminders help Christian professors stay grounded in their faith.

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. Denis LaClare, Professor of Education at Porterville College in California, shares his inspiring journey of launching both faculty and student ministries. With experience in both campus ministry and higher education, Denis opens up about his outreach to international students, creative tabling strategies, and bold witness alongside fellow professors. He provides a practical, Spirit-led model for engaging students and colleagues through friendship, prayer, and partnership with ministries like InterVarsity and Bridges International.

Read more about Denis LaClare online:
 https://meettheprof.com/view/professors/entry/denis-laclare/

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