Meet our faculty
Our department faculty are diverse in many areas, not only in their areas of interest or their professional background, but also in the ways they discovered their passion for the field. In addition to being published researchers/scholars, our faculty are seasoned professionals with firsthand experience in their areas of specialization. They aptly incorporate their own education with their clinical and field experience to provide students with invaluable learning opportunities in the classroom. Featuring age, ethnic and gender diversity, our professors are also caring, committed Christians who want to see their students grow and mature academically, spiritually and personally.
Our students say that their professors:
- care deeply about their students in AND out of the classroom
- are well trained in their field
- are both challenging and interesting in the classroom
Faculty research areas include studying Amish adolescents, adolescents' understanding of God, children's views of parents, issues in Christian higher education, research ethics, multicultural approaches to marriage, cognitive processes involved with distracting tasks, the psychological effects of technology, and the physiological responses to stress during learning. Our faculty members also see importance in cross-cultural experiences and the impact that traveling abroad can have on an individual. They strive to offer insight from their own cross-cultural experiences as well as opportunities for students to experience other cultures during their four years at Messiah!
Jenell Paris, Ph.D.
Professor of Anthropology and Criminal Justice
Send email 717-796-1800, ext. 7044Professor Emeritus
Adjunct Faculty
Brandon Hoover, M.A.
Adjunct Instructor in Sociology and Biological Sciences
Send email 717-796-1800 ext. 4785