Supporting Faculty advance CUE's mission and interdisciplinary programming through their teaching and research in many other departments and programs.
Dr. Vincent Bacote teaches Theologies of Transformation, Political Theology, and Neocalvinism, and his interests revolve around the ways that Christian faith intersects with various dimensions of public and private life, particularly culture, politics and business. He is author of The Spirit in Public Theology: Appropriating the Legacy of Abraham Kuyper and The Political Disciple: A Theology of Public Life, and speaks and writes frequently on faith and culture.
Dr. Barger is an Assistant Professor of TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and Intercultural Studies. She’s also the Program Director of the English Language Institute Partnerships and a supporting faculty for the Center for Urban Engagement. Pam’s research interests focuses on the intersections of technology, gender, religion, and culture on access of education. She has written a book entitled Religious Influences in Thai Female Education (1889-1931).
Dr. Jim Beitler is a Professor of English and his research focuses on the rhetorical activity of truth and reconciliation commissions.
Dr. Johann Buis' scholarship ranges from early music performance history to the aesthetics and reception history of black music between the United States and urban centers in Africa. He has been in demand as a lecturer for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the Art Institute of Chicago, and other organizations. In addition, he held seminars in the USA, the Caribbean, and Germany.
Dr. Canning is a Professor of Psychology and her work supports the healthcare and educational objectives of faith-based community organizations serving poor neighborhoods. Outside of the classroom she conducts research and provides clinical services for underserved women and children in Chicago. She recently received the Distinguished Leader for Women in Psychology Award from the American Psychological Association’s Committee on Women in Psychology.
Dr. Carroll is a Professor of Old Testament and also serves on the steering committee of the Hispanic Theological Initiative. Due to his bilingual and bicultural upbringing his experiences in this country and abroad have led to his appreciation for the contributions that ethnic minorities, women, and the global church make to the interpretation of the Old Testament. At Wheaton he is intent on modeling a commitment to careful biblical scholarship with the mission of the church amidst the complex questions of today.
As a labor economist, Dr. Jeremy Cook studies labor market behavior and the economics of education. His current research focuses on the efficacy of school resources on the labor market outcomes of public school teachers. Dr. Cook teaches Economics of Labor & Poverty and Urban Economics.
Dr. Hill, an Assistant Professor of Communication, focuses on the importance of communicating the transformative power of the gospel. He has contributed to The Atlantic online and the Chicago Tribune and is passionate about examining the role of radical rhetoric as an important form of civic engagement and public advocacy.
Dr. Howell is particularly interested in courses dealing with global Christianity, culture theory and inequality as well as anthropology and popular culture, and strives to incorporate such issues into his courses. Dr. Howell and his wife Marissa Sabio reside in Wheaton with their three children and are active church members. Some of Dr. Howell's hobbies include scuba diving, tennis and piano.
Karen Johnson teaches American Cities and Suburbs. She completed her book manuscript on interracial Catholic activism in Chicago's civil rights movement. She has published in Religion and American Culture and Christians and the Color Line: Race and Religion after Divided by Faith (Oxford, 2013), and writes for the Religion in American History blog. Johnson served as a site director for InterVarsity's Chicago Urban Project, as well as lived, worshipped, and ministered in an inner-city context for six years.
Chris Keil's scholarly expertise lies in pollution exposure assessment. He has been involved in projects assessing air, water and noise pollution in urban areas such as Chicago, Toledo, Ohio and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Brian Miller teaches Urban Sociology, First Year Seminar: The Suburban Good Life, Statistics, Research Methods, and other sociology courses. He co-authored the book Building Faith: A Sociology of Religious Structures (Oxford, 2020) which examines how religious buildings shape worship and community. He has also published on suburban growth and development, Wheaton, Illinois, McMansions and teardowns, depictions of suburbs on television, and religion and place.
Matthew Milliner is a graduate of Wheaton College (’98). After working in North Philadelphia public schools and in Urban ministry in Chester, PA, he earned an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary, and an M.A. & Ph.D. In art history from Princeton University. He has taught at Wheaton College since 2011, where his courses use the city of Chicago as a living textbook of the history of architecture.
As a Professor of Communication, Dr. Stauffer has focused on research exploring the relationship between communication and the theater. He examines the avenues in which theater affects the church and the culture at large.