One Thousand Days Transformed: The Campaign for Cedarville. Learn more »
by Mark D. Weinstein, Executive Director of Public Relations
The Cedarville University Board of Trustees met January 25-26, 2024, amid a season of unparalleled fundraising and continued enrollment growth.
At the January meeting, university leaders celebrated a positive report of the $175 million One Thousand Days Transformed: The Campaign for Cedarville, approved the budget for the 2024-25 academic year and affirmed new faculty hires and tenure and promotions.
The university’s fundraising campaign, which was publicly launched in October 2021, has received financial commitments of $155.5 million toward the $175 million goal.
Last week, Dr. Thomas White, president, also announced the largest estate gift in university history with an anonymous $6.14 million commitment to Cedarville University. The previous largest planned gift was $3.1 million from the estate of Roger and Charlotte Kuriger in 2018.
The donors’ desire is for the gift to be used for academic programs, scholarships and new opportunities in ways they cannot envision today.
As a signature element of the campaign, construction of the 65,700-square-foot Scharnberg Business and Communication Center is nearing completion and will be open for the fall 2024 semester. The center will be home to the Robert W. Plaster School of Business and Berry Center for Free Enterprise, and it will be the hub of the university’s business, cybersecurity, entrepreneurship and communication programs.
2024-25 Budget
Cedarville’s approved budget of $124.2 million is a 4% increase from the previous year’s budget, reflecting continued investment in staffing and operations while prioritizing affordability for students.
Faculty Tenure and Promotions
The following faculty members were granted tenure:
Stephen Ayres, Ph.D., professor of civil engineering
Xiaowei (Shawn) Chen, Ph.D., assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering
Chao Liu, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology
Justin Lyons, Ph.D., associate professor of political science
Mohan Pereira, Ph.D., assistant professor of physics
Dave (Pete) Peterson, Ed.D., assistant professor of kinesiology
Rick Prigge, Ph.D., associate professor of management
Trent Rogers, Ph.D., assistant professor of New Testament and Greek and dean of the school of biblical and theological studies
Lynn Roper, Ph.D., assistant professor of special education
Michael Sherr, Ph.D., professor of social work
Thomas Ward, Ph.D., professor of mechanical engineering
The following faculty members were granted promotion:
Mackenzie Booth, M.S., to assistant professor of civil engineering
Holly Blakely, M.A., to associate professor of English
Melissa Brown, M.S.W., to associate professor of social work
Xiaowei (Shawn) Chen, Ph.D., to associate professor of electrical and computer engineering
Juanita Drame, Pharm.D., to associate professor of pharmacy practice
Patrick Dudenhofer, M.S., to associate professor of computer science
Chet Jenkins, D.M.A., to associate professor of music
Kyung-Hwa (Christine) Kim, Ph.D., to associate professor of international studies
Mohan Pereira, Ph.D., to associate professor of physics
Trent Rogers, Ph.D., to associate professor of New Testament and Greek
Erin Shaw, Ed.D., to associate professor of women’s ministry
Nathanael Smith, Pharm.D., to associate professor of pharmacy practice
David Dittenber, Ph.D., to professor of civil engineering
Seth Hamman, Ph.D., to professor of computer science and cyber operations
Elisha Injeti, Ph.D., to professor of pharmaceutical sciences
Zachary Jenkins, Pharm.D., to professor of pharmacy practice
Jeremy Kimble, Ph.D., to professor of theology
Emily Laswell, Pharm.D., to professor of pharmacy practice
Justin Lyons, Ph.D., to professor of political science
Cynthia Messer, M.A., to professor of English
Angelia Mickle, Ph.D., to professor of nursing
Robert Paris, Ph.D., to professor of biology
Rick Prigge, Ph.D., to professor of management
George Qin, Ph.D., to professor of mechanical engineering
Ched Spellman, Ph.D., to professor of biblical and theological studies
Daniel Sterkenburg, D.B.A., to professor of business and management
John Tarwater, Ph.D., to professor of finance
The following faculty members were granted emeriti status:
Teresa Clark, M.S., associate professor of kinesiology and associate to the dean. At Cedarville University since 1996.
Charles Hartman, J.D., associate professor of business law and accounting; assistant to University Counsel. At Cedarville University since 1989.
Diane Merchant, Ph.D., professor of theatre. At Cedarville University since 1989.
Annis Shaver, Ph.D., professor of German and applied linguistics. At Cedarville University since 2005.
Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is a Baptist university with undergraduate programs in arts, sciences, and professional programs, and graduate programs. With an enrollment of 5,456 students in 175 areas of study, Cedarville is one of the largest private universities in Ohio and is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, including its Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD), and high graduation and retention rates. For more information about the university, visit cedarville.edu.
One Thousand Days Transformed: The Campaign for Cedarville. Learn more »