Cedarville Magazine, Fall 2015

and excited, to discover after graduation that what she said was actually true!” Sterrett recounted the “infectious enthusiasm” Crommett had for exercise science and applying its principles to promote healthy living, which made her students want to learn. Crommett had worked and studied in Christian and secular universities, giving her a wide breadth of knowledge to pass along. She nurtured Sterrett’s interest in research, teaching her the research process and helping her present her first research project at a conference in Washington, D.C. And, according to Sterrett, “She even encouraged my crazy notion to write a book and helped me write a first draft.” Passing along knowledge, encouraging scholarship, building confidence … just another day’s work for a Cedarville professor. POINTING TOWARD TRUTH At most universities and colleges across the country, you’ll find professors who spend time with and impart knowledge to their students. So, what’s really different about Cedarville? More than anything, professors here point their students to the truth of God’s Word, integrating it into every lesson in every course. Students don’t just learn facts and figures; they learn how to live a life that honors God in whatever profession He leads them to. Tucker prayed with Greer before choosing a class schedule for an upcoming semester. A small thing, perhaps, but a reminder from a professor that every decision—whether small or large— should be committed to God first. Sterrett recalled discussions with Crommett about living out her faith in any environment. “Dr. Crommett encouraged me to trust the Lord and His ways as I navigated life during college and graduate school,” she shared. Crommett’s personal story of trusting God in her own life — and a drastic move from the South to Cedarville — was an important example to her students then and now. After teaching at secular schools, Crommett enjoys the difference she finds teaching at Cedarville. “It is a blessing to teach at a university that promotes relationships that go beyond just student-professor,” she explained. “I can pray with my students and encourage them in their struggles as they grow and develop.” While a student, Koser marveled at how Christman balanced all the roles in her life — Christ-follower, wife, mother, nurse. “I knew she was so connected to Jesus, and I yearned to figure out how to balance life the way she did,” she explained. Those lessons still impact Koser today, now that she is balancing faith, family, and career herself. “Dr. Christman didn’t just challenge me academically,” Koser explained. “She challenged me spiritually, speaking words of healing, wisdom, and hope—always in a way that seemed supernatural in timing and tone.” For Porter, influencing a student’s spiritual walk is more important than anything her department’s faculty does in the classroom. “If a student graduates as a stellar musician or worship leader but is a mediocre person, we have failed. We are called to make disciples of our students, and that means engaging thembeyond notes and rhythms,” she explained. ACHIEVING TODAY Boalt currently serves as the Founding Pastor of Grace and Mercy Fellowship in Glendale, California, and radio host for Salem Interactive Media’s KDAR-FM in Ventura County, California. Tucker spent seven years as the Media Director for a church in Florida before recently returning to Cedarville as the University Videographer. He is excited to work with current students who are interested in video production, passing along his expertise and investing in their lives as Greer did for him. Koser works part time as a registered nurse for Heartline Pregnancy Center in Warsaw, Indiana, and serves as the Mission Coordinator for Mission Point Community Church, where she plans, coordinates, and oversees outreach activities that impact her community — and the world — for Christ. Sterrett recently completed a second Master of Science program. She is now a physician assistant working in pediatric cardiovascular surgery at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. Lives that were touched, now touching others. Michele (Cummings) Solomon ’91 is the Copy Editor for Cedarville University Marketing. A MENTOR’S LEGACY Thomas Mach ’88, Chair of the Department of History and Government, shares how Murray Murdoch, Senior Professor of History, had a monumental impact on his life. Murray first impacted my life when I was a student at Cedarville. His stimulating lectures breathed new life into my interest in history. Murray helped foster a call onmy life that kept me focused through the long years of graduate school. He had faith in me when I did not. I loved history, but that did not draw me to graduate school. It was a call to teach, to mentor, and to disciple that I had seen modeled by Murray. I taught six years before returning to Cedarville. Murray had always been my teacher and mentor, but now he became my friend. Through some of the most difficult challenges of my life, Murray’s door was always open for godly counsel, encouragement, prayer, and, when needed, a hug. Murray elicits both respect and love. He has both fromme. Now, our roles have reversed. I serve as chair of the department he led for 25 years. He delights in calling me “boss.” While our responsibilities have changed, our relationship has not. I regularly seek his counsel and listening ear, and he is always available. I strive each day to be the type of leader he is. He facilitated the success of those that worked under him. He quickly sized up a situation and proposed a solution that everyone could accept. Without fail, he pointed us to the Word of God, whether for encouragement or correction. And he did it all with grace and kindness. I do not have these wonderful attributes, but Murray has set a standard for which I strive. I am so grateful for his investment in my life. I can honestly say, I would not be at Cedarville University today, doing what I love, had not God put him in my life. 22 | Cedarville Magazine