Speakers & Facilitators | NetVUE Regional Conference

Professor and Department Chair, Peace and Justice Studies, Regis College | Blog Editor, Vocation Matters, Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education

Dr. Bateman’s teaching and research in social justice includes areas such as sexual citizenship, queer vocations, nonviolent resistance, gender and homelessness, queer justice, and research and writing in the community. He has worked to incorporate vocation throughout various courses and experiences within the Regis University Peace and Justice program. He is also the Blog Editor for Vocation Matters with NetVUE, as well as regularly consults with institutions on integrating vocation into their curriculum.Institution Bio

Ryan White, Ed.D.

Associate Dean for Leadership Development and Applied Learning | Director of First-Year Seminars

Dr. White’s work focuses on leadership development, calling and vocational discernment, undergraduate identity development and integrating applied learning practices into curriculum. Since joining Hope College in 2013, he has directed multiple NetVUE grant initiatives, including a “Vocation Across the Academy” grant that funded Hope College faculty in redesigning disciplinary courses to integrate vocation – the inspiration for this regional gathering. In addition to working with Hope faculty, he has consulted with faculty at other institutions on integrating vocation into their curriculum. He also uses a variety of self-awareness and coaching tools to help students and external clients align their leadership development with a deeper sense of purpose and life direction.

Institution Bio

Amy Santas, Ph.D.

Professor and Pre-Health Advising Coordinator, Biology, Muskingum University

Dr. Santas’ scholarship specializes in cell biology, molecular biology, histology, wound healing and cancer. She utilizes biochemical methods including proteomics to identify novel members of the dystroglycan epidermal complex. Reports indicate this complex is reduced in the most aggressive patient cancers. Her basic science research aims to lay the foundation to better understand cancer development. For approximately 10 years, her course offerings and advising have been infused with a focus on vocational exploration. She is a NetVUE Faculty Fellow and has contributed vocational exploration writings in the Vocation Matters blog and a special issue of Christian Scholars Review.

Institution Bio

Lindsey Root Luna, Ph.D.

Dean of Social Sciences and Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Hope College

Dr. Luna’s scholarship and interests include the impact of positive psychological processes, emotion regulation, virtues, on mental health. She also studies how forgiveness, humility, gratitude and hope impacts the body and our physiological functioning, in particular, heart rate variability. She has led numerous initiatives at Hope College integrating faith and academic life, and has redesigned multiple courses within Hope’s Neuroscience program to incorporate vocation.Institution bio

Jeanne Petit, Ph.D.

Betty Roelofs ’53 Miller Professor and Department Chair, History, Hope College

Dr. Petit specializes in the studies of religion, women, gender and immigration in the United States. She is presently researching the history of the interfaith movement that lead to the founding of the USO (United Service Organizations) during World War I and World War II. This research is part of a book project titled United for Uncle Sam: Protestants, Catholics, Jews and the Origins of the USO. She developed a key required course within the History Major, titled “The Historian’s Vocation,” that grounds the student departmental experience within a dialogue between disciplinary knowledge and skills, vocational exploration, and professional development.Institution Bio

Shannon Schans

Assistant Director of Applied Learning

As an educator at Hope College, Shannon designs and teaches interdisciplinary courses that encourage students to think holistically about their academic journey and future paths. Her work focuses on collaborating with faculty colleagues to integrate calling and vocation concepts across the curriculum, creating a cohesive approach throughout the academy. Shannon's research interests include how undergraduate students integrate their AI experiences into their understanding of both their future careers and deeper sense of life purpose. This work sits at the intersection of career development, identity formation, technological change and meaning-making — looking at both practical career implications and deeper existential questions about purpose in the AI era.

Institution Bio

Shonn Colbrunn

Executive Director, Boerigter Center for Calling and Career

Shonn is the executive director of the Boerigter Center for Calling and Career at Hope College, a role he has held for the past seven years. Over this time, he and the staff of the Boerigter Center have been intentional about prioritizing curricular integration, academic department liaisons, student engagement, leadership development and the use of AI as a tool for career preparation. Prior to joining Hope, Shonn worked as a human resources leader in various industries across the state of Michigan.Institution Bio