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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.
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Cedarville Magazine