Date: December 18, 2025
For the next two months, the Dean’s commentary will feature text by VTS & GTS faculty members writing about what they are currently teaching, reading, or writing about.
Over the past month, readers of the Dean’s Commentary have gotten a better sense of what the faculty of VTS and GTS do. You’ve read about their current research and sabbatical plans, and heard about what the VTS faculty discussed at their all-day meeting last week.
Invisible but not forgotten in these projects is the work that the entire seminary staff does to support these endeavors. In AASL, Quinn Harkless supports faculty meetings and reviews, Cynthia Bullard-Perez and Victoria Ellie ensure that the course scheduling works, Kurt Ellison and Dan Coleman provide patient support and clear answers to prospective students — the work of the faculty would falter without their faithful and careful efforts.
And this ripples throughout the entire institution with librarians providing access to key resources, CXM faithfully overseeing ministry placements, Multicultural Ministries calling us to resist racism and expand our hearts, facilities bringing beauty to our buildings and grounds, the business office mixing prudence with generosity, the staff of Merriwether-Godsey for providing nourishing food to foster life and community, IA and Communications telling our story to the world, the Butterfly House teaching our children, Lifelong Learning reminding us of the students beyond our campus, CACs for reminding us that we are global citizens, and the Dean’s office for leading us all.
I know that the entire faculty of GTS and VTS join me in their deep appreciation for all of the staff who work so hard and creatively to make what we do possible. We are thankful for all of you.
Melody D. Knowles, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer
Associate Professor of Old Testament
Virginia Theological Seminary and The General Theological Seminary