Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE) –
No

About NetVUE

No

​​The Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE) is a nationwide network of colleges and universities formed to enrich the intellectual and theological exploration of vocation among undergraduate students. This initiative is administered by the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) with generous support from Lilly Endowment Inc. and members' dues.

CIC administers NetVUE with guidance from an advisory council comprised of representatives from participating institutions.

View a two-page summary of NetVUE programs and services, updated annually. It may be downloaded, printed, and/or forwarded as needed.


Purposes of NetVUE

The purposes of NetVUE are to:

  • Deepen the understanding of the intellectual and theological dimensions of vocational exploration;
  • Examine the role of vocational exploration in a variety of institutional contexts;
  • Share knowledge, best practices, and reflection on experiences across participating campuses;
  • Facilitate the incorporation of additional colleges and universities into this enterprise; and
  • Sustain an extended program in the intellectual and theological exploration of vocation.

Colleges and universities rooted in the liberal arts are particularly well suited to undertake the task of educating future leaders who are theologically literate, whose attitudes and behaviors are shaped by their values and commitments, and who are eager to sustain a life of service that is guided by a sense of calling.


Financial Support

Financial support of NetVUE comes from a combination of membership dues and support from Lilly Endowment Inc. Thanks to Lilly’s generous support, dues are modest. In 2020, the number of member institutions had increased to the point that all core network activities have become self-supporting. The Lilly Endowment continues to provide generous funding for grants to member institutions, faculty seminars, scholarly resources, and online programs and services.


History of NetVUE

​In 1999, Lilly Endowment Inc. launched Programs for the Theological Exploration of Vocation (PTEV) to support independent colleges and universities in establishing or strengthening programs that would (a) help students examine the relationship between their faith and vocational choices; (b) provide opportunities for young people to explore Christian ministry leadership; and (c) enhance the capacity of an institution’s faculty and staff to teach and mentor students in this regard. The objective was to identify and nurture a new generation of highly talented and committed leaders for religious communities and for society.

Over the subsequent years, Lilly supported 88 colleges and universities with PTEV programs. Efforts on each of these campuses encompassing the callings of students, faculty and staff were supported by a series of national conferences for representatives of participating institutions. As the Lilly Endowment’s active support concluded, a number of college and university presidents, pleased with the positive results of these programs, asked the Council of Independent Colleges to extend and expand a nation-wide campus-supported network for the theological exploration of vocation.

In early 2008, CIC began to craft a vision for such a network, identified its goals, and laid the groundwork for an inaugural conference in March 2009. In the fall of 2009, NetVUE was launched as a network of colleges and universities committed to fostering the theological exploration of vocation in their campus communities.

National Conference

No

National conferences and regional events are held in alternating years.  National conferences bring together teams of campus leaders with expert resource persons from across the country and serve as one of the NetVUE cornerstone activities. NetVUE funding from member dues and Lilly Endowment Inc. provides financial support for national conferences.


2022 NetVUE Conference

The most recent NetVUE Conference took place March 24–26, 2022 at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel in Dallas, Texas.

View program and registration information.

Previous Conferences


2021 NetVUE UnConference
(Virtual)

2019 NetVUE Conference
Louisville, KY

2017 NetVUE Conference
Charlotte, NC

PDF2015 NetVUE Conference
St. Louis, MO

NetVUE Chaplaincy Conferences:
PDF2013 NetVUE Conference
Indianapolis, IN

PDF2011 NetVUE Conference
Indianapolis, IN

Knowledge and Networking

No

THE 2021 NETVUE UNCONFERENCE

Because of the pandemic, the previously-scheduled 2021 NetVUE Conference was postponed to 2022. In its place, NetVUE leaders from across the country gathered online for The 2021 NetVUE UnConference. All sessions were free to any member of the staff, faculty, or administration at NetVUE member institutions. 

View a schedule of sessions from the 2021 NetVUE UnConference.


The NetVUE Big Read

In 2022, staff and faculty members at NetVUE member institutions will be invited to read together The Purpose Gap: Empowering Communities of Color to Find Meaning and Thrive. This book, published by Westminster/John Knox in 2021, is written by Patrick B. Reyes. NetVUE will supply free copies to those institutions that design a program for faculty members, staff, and administrators to read and discuss the book in group settings (which may be virtual ones).


View Information on participating in The 2022 NetVUE Big Read.

Teaching Vocational Exploration Seminar

CIC is pleased to announce a multidisciplinary seminar, Teaching Vocational Exploration, for full-time faculty members in all fields at colleges and universities that are members of NetVUE.


June 12–16, 2023 (Indianapolis, IN)

View Program and Nomination Information.

Regional Events

No

​Regional events and national conferences are held in alternating years. NetVUE supports regional gatherings and multi-campus collaborations on specific topics. NetVUE member campuses, or a group of campuses, are encouraged to organize and host such gatherings based on issues or themes of interest. These events will build smaller networks among member campuses based on location, affiliation, program offerings, or other points of mutual interest. NetVUE funding from member dues and Lilly Endowment Inc. provides financial support for regional gatherings.

View a summary of the 2017–2018 regional gatherings.

View a summary of the 2019–2020 regional gatherings.

View a summary of the 2021 regional gatherings.

Upcoming Regional and Topical Gatherings


June 1–3, 2022 • St. Norbert College • De Pere, WI

Engaging Faculty Members in the Work of Vocation

As experience and research have shown, sustaining a commitment to vocation-related efforts on a college campus over time requires the engagement of faculty members, as well as ongoing investments on their part. This gathering will consider strategies for faculty engagement—including past successes, present-day obstacles and opportunities, and fresh ideas for the future. Campuses are encouraged to send teams that include at least one faculty member and at least one professional whose portfolio includes the recruitment of faculty members for these efforts. The keynote speakers will be Paul J. Wadell, professor emeritus of religious studies at St. Norbert College and Darby K. Ray, Donald W. and Ann M. Harward Professor of Civic Engagement and Director, Harward Center for Community Partnerships at Bates College.  They are co-directors of the NetVUE faculty seminar on Teaching Vocational Exploration.

Event Site


September 23–24, 2022 • Assumption University and College of the Holy Cross • Worcester, MA

SCIENTIFIC CALLINGS: MENTORING AND VOCATIONAL EXPLORATION IN THE NATURAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES

This NetVUE regional gathering of colleagues in the natural sciences and in pre-professional health sciences and nursing programs will provide a space to discuss best practices for initiating and nurturing mentoring relationships that help diverse populations of students discern callings in STEM and pre-professional (nursing, health sciences) fields. Building meaningful mentoring relationships with students, especially with first-generation and other underrepresented, minoritized undergraduates, is essential for promoting academic success and encouraging vocational discernment. By engaging with keynote speakers, sharing vocational stories, and participating in breakout sessions, attendees will learn valuable lessons on mentoring in the natural sciences, pre-professional health sciences, and nursing that they can practice at their home campuses.

Event Site


October 5–7, 2022 • Schreiner University • Kerrville, TX

INSTITUTIONAL SAGA: A TOOL FOR ALIGNING MISSION, VOCATION, AND INNOVATION

All colleges and universities have their own historical narratives or “institutional sagas.” When a campus community commits to exploring, shaping, and sharing its saga, opportunities for vocational discovery emerge. This regional gathering will enable participants to examine the value of uncovering, recovering, and claiming an institution’s saga—including the complications and nuances of those narratives. The event is designed to create space for considering where an institution’s saga begins and ends, how it includes (or excludes) particular individuals and groups, and how the story is presented to others. The gathering will include a welcome dinner showcasing local foods and a “Star Party” at Schreiner’s Loftis Observatory, as well as a “Vocation Celebration” featuring music, conversation, and an interactive exploration of the undergraduate vocational journey.

Event Site
Register Now


November 17–18, 2022 • Preceding the AAR/SBL Annual Meeting • Denver, CO

VOCATION AND CATASTROPHE: AN AAR/SBL PRE-MEETING

Over the last few years, the world has experienced a global health pandemic, extreme polarization along lines of race and class, an increase in armed violence, and a surge of climate-related disasters. How have these events and trends altered conversations with undergraduate students about vocation and calling? How are students, staff, and faculty members affected by a sense of impending catastrophe? This event aligns with the American Academy of Religion’s 2022 theme (“Religion and Catastrophe”) and builds on NetVUE gatherings at AAR/SBL meetings in 2019 and 2021 (focusing on interreligious conversations and issues of justice). As always, the event will include panel presentations, book discussions, and interactive conversations, as well as opportunities for socializing and networking. Attendees of the AAR/SBL Annual Meeting are invited to arrive in Denver a day or two early for this pre-conference gathering.

Event Details
Register Now


May 31–June 2, 2023 • Bluffton University • Bluffton, OH

FINDING OURSELVES AT THE CENTER: COLLABORATIVE SPACES FOR PURPOSE, WORK, LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT

Many institutions have established “centers” as integrated spaces that combine areas once considered distinct: career development, academic advising, community engagement, vocational discernment, diversity initiatives, internships, and more. This gathering will examine both the impetus for and the outcomes of such creative realignments. What can be done together—at the “center”—that cannot be done from individually defined locations at the periphery? The gathering will explore models and best practices for involving various constituencies in this enterprise, including faculty members, administrators, program directors, and the local community.

Event Site

Grant Programs

No
​NetVUE currently offers the following grant programs to strengthen the ability of NetVUE member institutions to enrich the intellectual and theological exploration of vocation among undergraduate students. These initiatives are administered by CIC with generous support from Lilly Endowment Inc.


VOCATION ACROSS THE ACADEMY GRANTS

Vocation across the Academy Grants are available to support institution-wide initiatives at NetVUE member colleges and universities to expand ongoing programming in vocational exploration and discernment across the liberal arts and applied professional fields. Grants provide three years of funding for projects that will last at least four years, with the final year supported by the institution. Proposals that seek to integrate vocational exploration as a continuum from the first year through the senior year, or across the range of academic disciplines and applied fields, are especially encouraged. Optionally, proposals may seek to develop partnerships with local businesses, nonprofits, and community organizations. Institutions may request up to $25,000 for use in the first year. Matching funds from third-party sources must be raised by the end of the first year of grant funding in order to support activities in the second and third years. Upon fulfillment of the matching requirement, institutions receive an additional amount—equal to the original request—for use during the second and third years. Thus, funding from CIC and third-party sources may be up to $75,000 over the three-year grant period. This is the fifth round of selection.

View information about this grant program.


PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AWARDS

Professional Development Awards are available to support opportunities for professional development activities that enhance the knowledge, skills, and expertise of staff and faculty members who support undergraduate vocational initiatives. Eligible NetVUE member institutions may request $5,000 to $10,000 for use over one full academic year to support professional development activities, in order to strengthen vocational exploration and discernment programming for students. This is the ninth round of selection.

View information about this grant program.


GRANTS FOR REFRAMING THE INSTITUTIONAL SAGA

Grants for Reframing the Institutional Saga are available to support the efforts of NetVUE member institutions to create an updated account of their history and mission in light of their current context. All NetVUE member institutions that do not already hold a Grant for Reframing the Institutional Saga may request awards ranging up to $40,000 for use over two years. Projects should examine the ties between an institution's inheritance from the past and the vocations that situate it within its current context and call it into the future. By the end of the grant period, recipients are expected to have created one or more enduring products, such as a book (whether a monograph or a collection of essays), a permanent campus exhibit accompanied by a printed catalogue, or some other physical and durable record of the results of the reframing process. The enduring product(s) may be supported by other products (including digital and electronic ones) that reflect deep research and that may help extend the reach of the project. This is the third round of selection for this grant program. In the first two rounds, grants were awarded to 44 NetVUE member institutions.

View information about this grant program.


Program Development Grants

Program Development Grants are intended to deepen, expand, refresh, or otherwise strengthen vocational exploration programs that are already underway and supported by NetVUE member colleges and universities. Institutions that meet certain criteria are eligible to request between $25,000 and $50,000 for use over a two-year period to further develop or extend existing vocational exploration initiatives. Grant-funded programming may be offered to a wide variety of campus constituencies, including undergraduate students, faculty members, staff, or administrators. To date, nine rounds of these grants have been awarded to more than 180 NetVUE member institutions.

View eligibility and application information.

Application Deadline: December 2, 2022



Questions?

Questions about the NetVUE grant programs can be addressed to Carter Aikin, NetVUE grant director, at caikin@cic.edu or (217) 854-5619. 

View previous NetVUE grant opportunities.

Consultants and Campus Visits

No
​A consulting service and campus visits program are two key programmatic element of NetVUE.


NetVUE Consultants

NetVUE Consultants are college and university leaders who have strong experience in developing and sustaining campus programs for the exploration of vocation. Some have expertise in student mentoring programs, while others have established vocational exploration in academic curricula. They have created venues in which to deepen faculty understanding of the historical, psychological, religious, and cultural dynamics that shape vocation. These leaders are knowledgeable about religious and secular texts as well as resources that support and encourage the search for meaning. They have worked to embed such emphases in ongoing campus life. Based on years of experience and reflection, NetVUE Consultants are available to guide NetVUE campus communities.

A NetVUE Consultant can provide advice on a specific aspect of undergraduate vocational exploration through an on-campus visit. A limited number of on-campus consultation grants is available to NetVUE members. Grants will cover the time and travel of the NetVUE Consultant for a one to two-day visit. Host campuses are expected to cover on-site accommodations and meals during the visit.

To arrange for a NetVUE Consultant’s visit, complete the request form for a NetVUE Consultant Campus Visit and send it by email to NetVUE@cic.edu. The request should include a brief description of your campus goals, needs, and interests, the designation of campus leaders who will take part in the onsite visit, and an attached schedule for the visit. You may request a specific NetVUE Consultant who seems to match the needs that you identify. However, final consultant matches will be made by NetVUE in close consultation with your campus regarding needs and expertise, as well as consultant schedules and availability. Profiles of NetVUE Consultants are listed below.

PDFNetVUE Request for Consultant Form
PDFNetVUE Consultant Profiles - Carter Aiken, Julie Massey, and Hannah Schell


NetVUE Campus Visits Program

The NetVUE Campus Visit Program provides an opportunity for a three- to four-member team from a NetVUE member college or university to visit another NetVUE member campus to learn about effective practices in programs for undergraduate exploration of vocation. Visiting campus teams can observe and discuss with experienced faculty and staff members how they established successful programs, faculty and staff development activities, courses and course materials, and plans that led to stable, broadly supported programs. The goal is for the visiting team to strengthen its own program by taking advantage of the lessons learned by well-established programs.

A limited number of campus visit grants is available to NetVUE member institutions. Grants will cover travel, housing, and meals for a one- to two-day visit for up to $850 per team member for a team of three or four members. The use of grant funds should be planned with the host campus to support meal and lodging expenses during the visit. The NetVUE Campus Visit program is generously supported by a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to CIC.

NetVUE members interested in a visit should contact a potential host campus and make preliminary arrangements before requesting funding from NetVUE.

To request funding for a NetVUE Campus Visit, please complete a NetVUE Campus Visit form and submit it by email to lspoelhof@cic.edu. The request should include the following:
  • A brief description of the campus visit goals, needs, and interests;
  • A listing of the names and titles of the visiting team leader and team members;
  • The contact information for the host institution;
  • A one-sheet budget to cover travel, meal, and lodging expenses for both the visiting team and the host campus up to a maximum of $400 for travel and $450 for meals and lodging per visiting team member for a team of three or four members (NetVUE will reimburse expenses to the institutions after the visit);
  • A one-sheet proposed schedule for the visit; and
  • Approval of President or Chief Academic Officer.

Within 30 days of the visit, the visiting team should submit a one- to two-page report to NetVUE summarizing what was learned and describing the next steps to be taken by the visiting campus. The report should be accompanied by a request for visit expense reimbursement.

For additional information, please contact David Cunningham, director of NetVUE, by email at dcunningham@cic.edu or by phone at (616) 632-1060.​

Scholarly Resources Project

No
View the NetVUE Blog.

Despite the increasing interest in the intellectual and theological exploration of vocation, its further development on college and university campuses faces significant challenges. The current economic climate has led to a focus on shorter-term educational goals. Many institutions find themselves fighting to preserve emphasis on the importance of broader vision and deeper wisdom in undergraduate education. The liberal arts disciplines—traditionally a bulwark for conversations about questions of meaning and significance—are frequently on the defensive. Students increasingly encounter a wider array of religious traditions on campus and also find themselves with the uncertainties that characterize what we have learned to call “emerging adulthood.” These and related challenges have prompted many new questions about the concept of vocation and how it can best be explored by today’s undergraduate students.
 
NetVUE member colleges and universities would benefit from access to new scholarly resources that facilitate better theological understanding of vocation among students and faculty members. Although a number of such resources were produced as a result of the PTEV initiative, each new decade brings with it new questions related to faith and vocation. Three major issues have been identified by scholars of vocation and NetVUE’s leaders for the development of new scholarly resources.
  • First, how can colleges and universities educate undergraduates about vocation? In the face of an ever-changing context, institutions need resources for increasing student attentiveness to vocation, for describing the nature of vocational exploration in fresh and compelling ways, and for connecting students with vocation-based practices across institutions with diverse missions and religious heritages. Click here for further description and seminar scholars. The first seminar resulted in the publication of a book, At This Time and In This Place: Vocation and Higher Education, published by Oxford University Press. 
NetVUE has brought together three groups of senior scholars who represent a wide range of theological traditions and who have expertise related to each of these themes. Each of these seminar groups studied one of the issues and convened three times over a 14-month period. Each seminar group produced a book and perhaps will produce other scholarly materials that respond to one of these three important vocational questions and become resources for colleges and universities. Each of the three groups incorporated theological foundations from many different traditions. The members of each seminar group compared ideas and perspectives that emerged from their common and individual readings and completed a coordinated writing project over the course of a year.
 
For additional information about the NetVUE Scholarly Resources Project, please contact Erin VanLaningham, the project's director, by email at evanlaningham@cic.edu or by phone at (563) 588-7200.

Members of NetVUE

No

​The Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE) currently has 292 ​institutional members and 9 organizational members.

View a map and listing of NetVUE member institutions.

View membership and renewal information.

Electronic Resources and Links

No
NetVUE offers a collection of resources to support the exploration of vocation in undergraduate education. These include a publicly-accessible blog and podcast, a wide range of webinars and workshops for members, and the NetVUE Community Network site, which includes a library of relevant books, course syllabi, audio-visual material, and materials from national and regional conferences.


VOCATION IN A TIME OF PANDEMIC

NetVUE has created a number of electronic resources specifically related to the current pandemic. Many of these resources (and other helpful offerings gathered from the web) can accessed through a curated page on this site: Thinking about Vocation in a Time of Pandemic.


NetVUE Blog

NetVUE sponsors a publicly-accessible blog, Vocation Matters. Posts include original content from leaders at NetVUE institutions, reflections on the nature of vocational reflection, and occasional links to other relevant content on the web. The site is maintained by Daniel Meyers, NetVUE online community coordinator; for more information, send an email to dmeyers@cic.edu.


NETVUE Podcast

NetVUE sponsors a podcast, Callings: Conversations on College, Career, and a Life Well Lived. These audio offerings explore what it means to live a life defined by a sense of meaning and purpose. They focus on the process of exploring and discerning one's vocation, with particular emphasis on mentoring and supporting undergraduate students as they navigate the relationships among college, career, faith, and their future directions in life. "Callings" is hosted by Hannah Schell, NetVUE online community coordinator, and Erin VanLaningham, director of the NetVUE Scholarly Resources Project. 


NetVUE Webinars

NetVUE offers virtual conversations on topics of relevance to its member institutions. Members are notified of these events in advance and can participate in real time, with extensive opportunities for Q and A. After the events have taken place, a recording and transcript of each webinar is posted online. View a list of NetVUE webinars, including links to recordings.


NetVUE Community network site

The Community Network site is an access-controlled site for NetVUE members only. Through the site, leaders of member campuses can do the following:
  • Share documents, audio, and video files
  • Browse resources on books, movies, and course syllabi
  • Participate in listserv discussions
  • View a directory of other NetVUE member contacts
Access the NetVUE Community Network Site

If you would like to join the NetVUE Community Network site, send an email to lspoelhof@cic.edu and include your own name, your title, your institution's name, and your email address. Please allow 3–4 days for processing and verification. You will receive your login information after being registered with CIC.


Other Resource Links

Interfaith Youth Core   
 
Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion

Advisory Council and NetVUE Staff

No
​Stephen R. Briggs (Term ends March 2026)
President
Berry College
 
Graciela Caneiro-Livingston (March 2024)
Provost
Nebraska Wesleyan University

Andrew R. Chan (March 2023)
Vice President for Innovation and Career Development
Wake Forest University

Kathleen Poorman Dougherty (March 2026)
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Alma College

Tracy Y. Espy (March 2025)
President
Mitchell College

Kerry D. Fulcher (March 2026)
Provost and Chief Academic Officer
Point Loma Nazarene University

Susan S. Hasseler (March 2025)
President
Muskingum University

Jason A. Mahn (March 2025)
Director, Presidential Center for Faith and Learning
Conrad Bergendoff Chair in the Humanities
Augustana College (IL)

Julie D. Massey (March 2025)
Chief of Staff and Secretary to the Board of Trustees
St. Norbert College
 
Charlie T. McCormick (March 2023)
President
Schreiner University
 
Kathleen F. Weaver (March 2024)
Associate Provost for Research and Professional Development
Loyola Marymount University


David s. Cunningham 

Director of NetVUE

David S. Cunningham headshotDavid Cunningham is director of NetVUE. In this role, he oversees and guides NetVUE activities, working with both the CIC staff and the NetVUE Advisory Council from the NetVUE office based at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Previously he served as the director of the NetVUE Scholarly Resources Project, overseeing the development and editing of three books published by Oxford University Press. David is also the editor of two additional volumes and the author of five books. He holds a faculty appointment as professor of theology at Aquinas College; his research focuses on Christian theology and ethics and their relationship to rhetoric and drama. David previously served on the faculty at Hope College, where he was director of the CrossRoads Project, Hope's Lilly-funded Program for the Theological Exploration of Vocation (PTEV), and on the faculties of Seabury-Western Theological Seminary and the University of St. Thomas (MN). He holds a BSS in communication studies from Northwestern University, a BA and MA in theology and religious studies from the University of Cambridge, and a PhD in religion from Duke University.

David can be reached by email at dcunningham@cic.edu or by phone at (616) 632-1060.

   

Lynne M. Spoelhof

NetVUE Program Manager

Lynne M. Spoelhof headshotLynne Spoelhof is the NetVUE program manager. In this role, she supports all NetVUE grants and initiatives, maintains regular contact with member campuses, plans programs and conferences, manages information and databases, and provides executive assistance to the director of NetVUE. She is the primary contact person for the NetVUE office based at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, working with CIC staff based in Washington, DC, and with NetVUE staff based at various campuses across the country. She has served NetVUE since its inception in 2009, first as an administrative assistant to founding director Shirley Roels, becoming program coordinator in 2013 and then program manager in 2020. Prior to her current responsibilities, Lynne served as an elementary teacher for a number of years and developed her office management skills in both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. Lynne has an undergraduate degree in elementary education, communication arts and sciences, and English from Calvin College.

Lynne can be reached by email at lspoelhof@cic.edu or by phone at (616) 632-1060.


W. Carter Aikin

NetVUE Grant Director

Carter Aikin headshotCarter Aikin serves as the NetVUE grant director. He has primary responsible for administering CIC's wide array of NetVUE grant programs, working on a half-time basis from Blackburn College, where he has served as professor and chair of philosophy and religion since 2014. He has led vocational initiatives at three different NetVUE member schools across his teaching career. Carter has also served as a NetVUE campus consultant since 2010, specializing in helping institutions to develop interdisciplinary vocational exploration initiatives with a focus on curriculum development–a passion reflected in his own classroom instruction. He holds a BA from the University of Colorado at Boulder, an MDiv from Duke University Divinity School, and a PhD in Moral Theology from the University of Notre Dame.

Carter can be reached by email at caikin@cic.edu or by phone at (217) 854-5619.


John D. Barton

Co-host of the NetVUE Podcast

John D. Barton headshotJohn Barton is co-host of the NetVUE podcast, Callings: Conversations on College, Career, and a Life Well Lived. He serves as director of the Center for Faith and Learning at Pepperdine University, where he also has faculty appointments in the religion and philosophy division, the university’s graduate program in social entrepreneurship, and the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at the Caruso School of Law. John’s areas of research and teaching include African philosophy, Christian and interreligious studies, and faith and philanthropy. He is the author of Better Religion: A Primer for Interreligious Peacebuilding (Baylor, 2022). He holds a BA from Harding University and a PhD from Makerere University in Uganda.

John can be reached at jbarton@cic.edu or (310) 506-4923.


Stephanie L. Johnson

Editor of the NetVUE Blog

Stephanie L. Johnson headshotStephanie Johnson is the editor of the NetVUE blog at vocationmatters.org. This part-time position involves recruiting regular and occasional bloggers, editing and posting submissions, and publicizing the blog and other NetVUE activities through social media. Stephanie serves as associate professor and chair of the department of English at the College of St. Scholastica, where she also directs the Honors Program. She previously taught at Valparaiso University, where she held a Lilly postdoctoral teaching fellowship. Stephanie participated in the NetVUE faculty seminar on Teaching Vocation Exploration in 2017 and co-edited Cultivating Vocation in Literary Studies (Edinburgh, 2022). She holds a BA in English and religion from St. Olaf College, an MA in English from the University of Minnesota, and a PhD in English from the University of Washington.

Stephanie can be reached at sjohnson@cic.edu or (218) 625-4488.


DANIEL G. MEYERS

NetVUE Online Network Coordinator

Daniel G. Meyers headshotDaniel Meyers is the NetVUE online network coordinator. This part-time position includes managing the library and discussion board for the NetVUE Online Community (available to faculty and staff members at NetVUE member colleges and universities), as well as editing the NetVUE newsletter. He works from the campus of Butler University, where he directs the university’s Center for Faith and Vocation. In this role he facilitates vocational reflection; supports religious, spiritual, and secular life on campus; promotes interfaith engagement; and serves as an advocate for wellness resources. Daniel previously served as the inaugural Earl Hall Religious Life Fellow for the office of the university chaplain at Columbia University and has been working in university chaplaincy and interfaith contexts since 2012. He holds a BA from Willamette University and an MDiv from Yale Divinity School.

Daniel can be reached at dmeyers@cic.edu or (646) 322-9563.


Rachel F. Pickett

NetVUE Webinar Coordinator

Rachel F. Pickett headshotRachel Pickett is the NetVUE webinar coordinator. This part-time position includes developing, promoting, and managing NetVUE webinars on various topics throughout the year, as well as hosting informal gathering for NetVUE leaders from time to time. Rachel holds a faculty position as professor of psychology and department chair at Concordia University Wisconsin, where her academic interests include college student development and the role of vocational discernment. She is also a licensed psychologist. Rachel participated in the NetVUE faculty seminar on Teaching Vocation Exploration in 2017 and has contributed to the Vocation Matters blog. She completed her BA at Clarke University and her MA and PhD degrees in counseling psychology from Southern Illinois University–Carbondale.

Rachel can be reached at rpickett@cic.edu or (262) 243-4586.


Erin A. VanLaningham

NetVUE Scholarly Resources Project Director and Co-host of the NetVUE Podcast

Erin A. VanLaningham headshotErin VanLaningham is director of the NetVUE Scholarly Resources Project. In this part-time position, she recruits contributors for future NetVUE publications, facilitates the seminars through which they develop their contributions, and edits their work for publication. She also co-hosts the NetVUE podcast, Callings: Conversations on College, Career, and a Life Well Lived. She serves as professor of English at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa. Erin participated in the NetVUE faculty seminar on Teaching Vocational Exploration in 2017, subsequently adapting and leading a similar seminar at her own institution through a NetVUE professional development grant. Erin teaches courses in the British novel, the spiritual memoir, and Irish literature; her research includes art, gender studies, and vocation. She recently co-edited and contributed to Cultivating Vocation in Literary Studies  (Edinburgh, 2022). Erin holds a BA from Luther College, an MA from Northeastern University, and a PhD from Saint Louis University, all in English.

Erin can be reached by email at evanlaningham@cic.edu or by phone at (563) 588-7200.


Lilly Endowment logo 
CIC is grateful to Lilly Endowment Inc. for support of NetVUE.