Meet Our Faculty

Dennis Flentge (Chair)

Dr. Dennis Flentge, professor of chemistry and chair of the department of science and Mathematics, received his Bachelor of Science degree from Texas Lutheran College (1969) and his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University (1974). He is a member of the American Chemical Society and has conducted research on potential turbine engine lubricant candidates at the Air Force Research Laboratory. Dr. Flentge has been at Cedarville since 1980.

Donald Baumann

Dr. Baumann serves as professor of biology and chemistry and has been at Cedarville since 1964. He received his B.S. (1960), M.S. (1962), and his Ph.D. (1964) from Iowa State University. He is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Institute of Biological Sciences, Creation Research Society, and Society for Industrial Microbiology. Dr. Baumann and his wife, Carol, have been married for 43 years. In his spare time, Dr. Baumann enjoys growing vegetables and fruit trees.

Edwin Braithwaite

Dr. Braithwaite serves as professor of mathematics and has been at Cedarville since 1976. He earned his B.S. (1966) and M.S. (1968) in mathematics from Western Washington University, and he earned his Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (1975). Dr. Braithwaite is a member of the American Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Association of America, and he has numerous publications in print. Most recently, he co-authored "Geometric Right Triangles," an article which can be found in Mathematics and Computer Education (Vol. 33, No. 2, Spr. 1999). Dr. Braithwaite participates in the Awana and music ministries in his church. His hobbies include music, travel, swimming, bicycling, and hiking.

Xidong Chen

Dr. Chen serves as associate professor of physics and has been at Cedarville since 2001. He earned his B.S. (1989) from Shandong University, M.S. (1992) from the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Ph.D. (1997) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Chen also holds a special term appointment at Argonne National Laboratory. Dr. Chen's research interests are medium-range order in amorphous materials, fluctuation electron microscopy, roughness and roughening, and fractional calculus and applications in dynamical growth. He is a member of the American Physical Society, the Materials Research Society, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Dr. Chen has published numerous peer-reviewed journal papers and has presented his research in many conferences. In his spare time, he enjoys classical music and literature. Dr. Chen is single and resides in Beavercreek.

Leroy Eimers

Dr. Eimers serves as professor of physics and mathematics and has been at Cedarville for 20 years. He received his B.S. in physics and mathematics (1963) from Hobart College, and both his M.S. in physics (1965) and his Ph.D. in theoretical physics (1969) from Syracuse University. He is a member of a professional organization for science teachers (N.S.T.A.) and a professional physics organization, the A.A.P.T. Dr. Eimers specializes in the use of computers and technology in physics and science education. Recently, he presented a seminar on elementary science education at the Florida Association of Christian Colleges and Schools. He is active in his home church as a deacon, church clerk, choir member, occasional Sunday school teacher, and on the Evangelism Explosion outreach team. His hobbies include reading, amateur radio, and playing several musical instruments. Dr. Eimers has three daughters and four grandchildren.

Darrin Frey

Dr. Frey serves as an associate professor of mathematics and has been at Cedarville since 1997. He earned his B.S. in math from the University of Nebraska (1989) and his Ph.D. in math from the University of Michigan (1995) where he was a runner-up for the Sumner-Myers award for best math thesis. He has published numerous articles and has presented his research at meetings of the American Mathematical Society. In the summer of 1999, Dr. Frey was honored with the Cedarville Summer Scholar Award. Dr. Frey's research is concerned with conjugacy of subgroups of exceptional complex Lie groups which are either alternating groups or nonsplit central extensions of alternating groups. He was invited to give a talk presenting his research in the summer of 2005 at the EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne) in Lausanne, Switzerland. He has a wife and three children and is an active member of his church. His hobbies include classical music, Nebraska football, Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque history and art, and (of course) math.

Mark Gathany

Mark Gathany serves as an assistant professor of biology and environmental science. He holds his Ph.D. in Ecology from Colorado State University, an M.S. in Environmental Studies from Ohio University, and a B.S. from Grace College. His research investigates the interactions between human land use, wildfires, and climate change. He seeks to connect these topics by understanding biogeochemical cycling through ecosystems. He is also interested in how society, particularly evangelical Christians, view nature and its resources. As part of the Environmental Science faculty he looks to examine those perspectives in himself and his students. He is a member of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the Ecological Society of America, and the Soil Science Society of America. He and his wife, Christina, have one son, Noah.

Sarah Gilchrist

Sarah Gilchrist serves as an assistant professor of mathematics. She graduated from Cedarville in 2000 with a B.S. in mathematics. Upon graduation from Cedarville, Sarah taught AP calculus and other math courses at Miami Trace High School in Washington Court House, Ohio for three years. She then went to Wright State University, where she was a graduate teaching assistant for one year. She joined the faculty of Cedarville University in the fall of 2004 and finished her M.S. in mathematics from Wright State University in November of 2004. Sarah is a member of Grace Community Church in Washington Court House, and she enjoys being involved in the music, drama, ladies, young adult, and Awana ministries there. She has also enjoyed working on a Bible memory program for adults in her church.

Steven Gollmer

Dr. Gollmer serves as associate professor of physics. He earned a B.S. in secondary education, math and science, (1982) from Pillsbury Baptist Bible College, a B.S. in physics (1985) from Northern Illinois University, an M.S. in physics (1986) from University of Illinois, and his Ph.D. in atmospheric science (1994) from Purdue University. He has been at Cedarville since 1994. He is a member of the Creation Research Society, American Geophysical Union and American Association of Physics Teachers. Dr. Gollmer's areas of specialization include wavelet analysis, Monte Carlo simulation, radiative transfer and inhomogeneous clouds. He is interested in Java Programming, origins and science, and enjoys playing basketball and swimming. Dr. Gollmer is married with two children and serves at his church as a deacon.

Larry Helmick

Dr. Helmick serves as professor of chemistry and has been at Cedarville since 1968. He received his B.S. in physical science from Cedarville College (1963) and his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Ohio University (1968). While teaching at Cedarville, he conducted post-doctoral research on nitrogen heterocycles at the University of Florida for three successive summers and at the University of Illinois for three more summers. Dr. Helmick spent 13 summers in industrial research with fuels and lubricants as a summer Faculty Fellow at the NASA-Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, and also received a 15-month National Research Council Fellowship to continue research on lubricants for NASA. His fields of interest include the racemization of amino acids, the origin of optical activity, and the search for Noah's ark. He has more than 40 refereed articles published on these topics. Dr. Helmick's biography is included in American Men of Science, International Scholars Directory, Who's Who in the Midwest, Who's Who in America, Dictionary of International Biography, and Men of Achievement. In 1976 he was chosen as one of the Outstanding Young Men of America, and he has received Cedarville's Faculty of the Year Award and Distinguished Educator Award. Dr. Helmick and his wife of 39 years, Catherine, have two children and are actively involved in ministry through their church.

Aaron Hutchison

Dr. Hutchison was born and raised on a small farm outside of Albany, Ohio. He recieved a B.A. in chemistry from Cedarville College in 1998 and is now completing his Ph.D. at the University of Kentucky. He serves on the board of the Creation Research Science Education Foundation and is a memeber of the American Chemical Society. His primary research interests at the moment are the removal of toxic metals (such as mercury) from water and the geochemistry of the Flood.

Jennifer Hutchison

Jennifer Hutchison serves as an assistant professor of mathematics. She received her B.S. from Cedarville in 2001 in math/secondary education and her M.A. in math from Miami University in 2003. She is pursuing a Ph.D. from Auburn University, specializing in set-theoretic topology. Jennifer has been teaching at Cedarville since 2005. She enjoys being involved in her church, reading, baking, and spending time with family.

William Jones

William Jones serves as assistant professor of biology. He graduated from Cedarville College with a B.A. in biology (1981) and earned an M.A. from the University of Akron (1999). He is a Ph.D. candidate at The Ohio State University and is currently completing his dissertation. His research areas include the nature of science and science education. Mr. Jones joined the faculty of Cedarville in 1999. He is a member of the National Science Teachers Association, the Association for Science Teacher Education, and the Science Education Council of Ohio. He has served as an Ohio Board of Regents Teaching Fellow for Science and Mathematics. Mr. Jones and his wife are members of Grace Baptist Church in Cedarville.

Heather Kuruvilla

Dr. Kuruvilla serves as associate professor of biology and has been at Cedarville since 1997. She received her B.S. in biology from Houghton College (1992) and her Ph.D. in biological sciences from the State University of New York at Buffalo (1997). She is a member of the American Society for Cell Biology, where she presents data at their annual conference and serves on the Congressional Liaison Committee. Dr. Kuruvilla and her students continue to publish scientific articles and abstracts on aspects of chemorepellent signaling in Tetrahymena. Dr. Kuruvilla and her husband, Saju, have two daughters, Debbie and Julia. In addition to jumping on the trampoline with Debbie and Julia, Dr. K enjoys writing and playing music, reading, exercise, and watching professional football (Go, BILLS). Dr. Kuruvilla received a Cedarville University Faculty Teaching Effectiveness Award in 2004 and was named the Cedarville University Faculty Scholar of the Year during the 2006–2007 academic year. She has also received a number of other teaching awards, including the Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award (2005), Ohio Magazine's Excellence in Education Award (2003) and Who's Who Among America's Teachers (2003–2004, 2004–2005).

Dali Luo

Dr. Luo serves as associate professor of mathematics. He earned his B.S. from South China Institute of Technology, M.S. from Claremont Graduate School, and Ph.D. from Washington State University. Dr. Luo also studied at Cornerstone University, Calvin College, and Trinity International University. In his spare time, he enjoys classical music and Hebrew.

Mark McClain

Dr. McClain serves as associate professor of chemistry and director of summer school and continuing education; he has been at Cedarville since 1996. He graduated from Cedarville in 1989 with a B.A. in chemistry. Dr. McClain attended the University of Michigan where he earned his M.S. (1991) and his Ph.D. (1994) in inorganic chemistry. He is a member of the American Chemical Society, the Materials Research Society, the Creation Research Society, the North American Association of Summer Sessions, the North Central Conference on Summer Sessions, and the Association for Continuing Higher Education. His research interests include conducting polymers, transition metal organometallics, and synthetic chemistry. Dr. McClain and his wife have five children and are actively involved in the education and leadership ministries in their church. They enjoy spending time together and are currently renovating their Victorian home.

Douglas Miller

Dr. Douglas Miller serves as professor of chemistry. He recieved his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Rochester in 1977 and his Ph.D. in 1981 from the University of Colorado. Dr. Miller has been at Cedarville since 1984.

Terry Phipps

Dr. Phipps serves as professor of biology. He received his B.S. from Cedarville College in 1970. He earned his M.S. in 1974 from Wright State University and his Ph.D. in 1978 from The Ohio State University. He has been at Cedarville since 1987. His areas of interest include biodiversity of invertebrates and population dynamics of zooplankton.

Kevin Roper

Dr. Roper serves as associate professor of mathematics. He received his B.Sc. (mathematics with education) from Southampton University in England. After teaching for several years in Jamaica he came to the States to coach soccer and pursue further studies. He earned his M.Ed. (educational administration) from the University of South Carolina and his Ph.D. (mathematics) from the University of Kentucky. His Ph.D. research was in the area of Function Theory in Several Complex Variables. He also serves as the goalkeeping coach for both the men and women's soccer teams at Cedarville. A Jamaican citizen, Dr. Roper likes visiting new places, meeting new people, and doing cryptic crosswords. Apart from soccer, he enjoys playing tennis and biking and is involved in the Cedarville Township Volunteer Fire Department. Dr Roper enjoys leading Bible studies and is involved in the single adult ministry at his church.

Alicia (Lisa) Schaffner

Dr. Schaffner serves as associate professor of biology. She received her B.S. from Purdue University in 1992 and her Ph.D. from The Ohio State University in 2000. Lisa enjoys hiking, biking, downhill skiing, and getting together with friends. Lisa especially loves horseback riding.

Robert Schumacher

Robert Schumacher serves as assistant professor of science and mathematics and has been at Cedarville since 1993. He received his B.S. in computer science from the United States Air Force Academy (1970) and his M.S. in operations research from the United States Air Force Institute for Technology (1979). He is a member of the Association for Computing Machinery, the Operations Research Society of America, the U.S.A.F. Academy Association of Graduates, and the Retired Officers Association. Mr. Schumacher's research interests include optimization, mathematical modeling, computer algebra systems, and statistical analysis. He enjoys working in his church's Awana ministry as a Sparks leader.

John Silvius

Dr. Silvius serves as senior professor of biology and has been at Cedarville since 1979. He earned a B.A. from Malone College (1969), a Ph.D. in plant physiology from West Virginia University (1974), and completed postdoctoral experiences in the department of botany and the department of agronomy at the University of Illinois (1974–1976). He also serves as adjunct professor and Cedarville representative at the AuSable Institute of Environmental Studies. Before coming to Cedarville, Dr. Silvius was a plant physiologist for the USDA Agricultural Research Service. He is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Institute of Biological Sciences, Botanical Society of America, Creation Research Society, and Nature Conservancy. Dr. Silvius has been honored as Cedarville's Faculty Member of the Year and also as Faculty Scholar of the Year. His research interests include the effects of disturbance on forest communities and preservation of prairie remnants in southwest Ohio. He is an active member of his church, where he serves as a deacon and in the Awana program. He and his wife, Abby, have been married since 1969 and have a son, Brad; a daughter, Melinda; and three grandchildren.

Dennis Sullivan

Dr. Sullivan serves as professor of biology and has been at Cedarville since 1996. He received his B.S. from Youngstown State University (1974) and his M.D. from Case Western Reserve University (1978). More recently, he completed an M.A. in Bioethics from Trinity University (2004). He has been honored as a Diplomate by the American Board of Surgery (1985) and as Fellow by the American College of Surgeons (1996). Before coming to Cedarville, Dr. Sullivan served as a medical missionary with Baptist Mid-Missions for three years in Haiti and three years in the Central African Republic. He is a member of several organizations, including the American Medical Association, the Christian Medical Association, and the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity. His research and writing interests include biomedical ethics, cross-cultural medicine, and exercise physiology. Dr. Sullivan is actively involved in his church as a Sunday school teacher. He has also taken groups of students to Chad, Africa, and to Central African Republic through Cedarville's Missions Involvement Service. In his spare time, Dr. Sullivan enjoys woodworking and racquetball. He and his wife, Barbara, have three daughters.

John Whitmore

Dr. Whitmore serves as associate professor of geology. He earned his B.S. in geology from Kent State University (1985) and his M.S. in geology from the Institute for Creation Research (1991). His Ph.D. (Biology, Paleontology emphasis) is from Loma Linda University (2003), where he studied the fossil fish taphonomy of the Green River Formation of Wyoming. Before coming to Cedarville University in 1991, Dr. Whitmore taught high school science and math and spent a summer working for the United States Geological Survey in Reston, Virginia. Dr. Whitmore serves on the board of Creation Research Science Education Foundation (Columbus, Ohio). He is also a member of the Creation Research Society and the Geological Society of America. His publications include many GSA abstracts, journal articles, and an adventure book titled The Great Alaskan Dinosaur Adventure (Master Books: Green Forest, AR. 1998). He is a young-earth creationist and his primary areas of interest are Grand Canyon geology, limnogeology, taphonomy, and origins.  He and his wife, Jamie, have five children.

Cynthia Wingert

Cynthia Wingert serves as an assistant professor of biology. She graduated from Cedarville in 2001 with a B.A. in Biology and specialization in secondary education. Upon graduation from Cedarville, Cynthia returned to the University as a laboratory instructor for anatomy and physiology and biology labs for two years. She then went to Wright State University, where she received her M.S. in anatomy and physiology, with particular research interests in neuro-immunology and anatomical techniques. She joined the faculty of Cedarville in the fall of 2005. Her professional memberships include the American Association of Anatomists and the Association of Christian Schools International. Since returning to Cedarville, she has developed an advanced anatomy course with cadaver dissection, specifically designed for premedical students. The advanced anatomy course is offered on a semi-annual basis. She is an active member of Apex Community Church in Kettering and enjoys being involved in women's bible studies and house church. Her hobbies include gourmet cooking and cheering for Michigan football (GO BLUE!!!).

Otis Wright

Dr. Wright, associate professor of mathematics, received his B.Sc.(Hons.) (1987) in applied mathematics from the University of Sydney, Australia, and his Ph.D. (1991) in applied and computational mathematics from Princeton University. His research publications are in the field of nonlinear wave equations with applications to nonlinear optics. Dr. Wright spent several years teaching mathematics overseas before coming to Cedarville University in 2002. He enjoys playing tennis, swimming, and reading.