LAW & GOVERNMENT
Former CIA Director and the 70th Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (left) was named senior executive director of the Center for Law & Government in October. Government Professor Zane Richer (right) was named deputy director. The center is an academic hub dedicated to advancing the principles, knowledge, and skills necessary for faculty and students to positively impact the fields of public policy, government, law, foreign policy, international relations, and criminal justice by providing original and relevant scholarship from a biblical worldview.
FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR
Philosophy Professor Dr. Michael Jones is spending the Spring 2026 semester as a Fulbright Scholar at Lucian Blaga University in Sibiu, Romania, teaching and working alongside students to translate the writings of Blaga into English. The trip is marking Jones’ third Fulbright grant and is part of his decades-long endeavor to introduce Blaga’s philosophical works to America.
HEALING ADDICTIONS
Dr. Fred Volk, director of doctoral research for the School of Behavioral Sciences, is serving as co-principal investigator and evaluator for a $1 million grant awarded to the area agency Horizon Behavioral Health to ensure access to behavioral health services for those with mental health disorders who are at a high risk for substance abuse.
DEAN’S AWARD
After serving Liberty and its affiliated ministries for over 50 years, School of Education Professor Dr. Harvey Klamm received the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Spiritual Formation in recognition of his ministry in the classroom and to his colleagues.
BOARD SERVICE
Two School of Behavioral Sciences professors have been appointed to state boards. Professor of Clinical Psychology Dr. Timothy Barclay (left), assistant director of the Psy.D. program, was appointed to the Virginia Board of Psychology. Dr. Deborah Braboy (right), assistant professor in the school’s online clinical mental health counseling program, was appointed to the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling.
CAREER PREP TALK
School of Business Assistant Professor Kristin Boyce, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship, was a speaker at CMB University, a conference for college-aged students hosted by Christian Music Broadcasters in Nashville in November. Boyce led a session on the “Top 10 things Gen Z should know to prepare for a successful career.”
WELLNESS AND LAW
In addition to developing professionalism and wellness programming at Liberty University School of Law, Jurist in Residence Judge R. Edwin Burnette was appointed to the Wellness Advisory Committee under the Supreme Court of Virginia. The committee focuses on providing ways for law schools and the greater law profession to foster wellness.
FILM AWARDS
The film “Barnabas and Paul: A Friendship that Rocked the Roman World,” by Cinematic Arts Professor Stuart Bennett, won Best Documentary Film at the Religion Faith International Film Festival and Most Creative Documentary at the International Christian Film Festival. The film has been screened at the Paris Film Festival, New York Cinemafest, Los Angeles Movie & Music Video Awards, Independent Film Institute, and other festivals in the United States, Europe, and India.
NEW COMMENTARY
Dr. Chad Thornhill, biblical and theological studies residential chair and professor, published a new commentary on 2 Peter through Cambridge University Press in November. The commentary uses a range of methods, including narrative theology and historical, social, cultural, literary, rhetorical, discourse, and linguistic analysis.
NEW DEANS
Dr. Shawn Bielicki (left) was named dean of the School of Education in December. He previously served as associate dean of the College of Applied Studies & Academic Success and director of Teaching Excellence. Bielicki spent nearly 15 years in K-12 settings as a middle and high school teacher, assistant principal, and curriculum coordinator.
Kenneth Camplin (right), PE, was introduced as the new dean of the School of Engineering in August. He previously served as president of BWX Technologies’ Nuclear Services Group in Lynchburg, overseeing commercial nuclear, technical services, and business development operations. He brings over 40 years of experience in the engineering industry.
