Alumnae/i News and Events

Daniel M. Corll ’80/’01
Pastoral

The Rev. Dr. Daniel Corll’s entire career has been devoted to pastoral ministry—before ordination and in retirement. Dan is a graduate of Westminster College (B.A.) and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (M.Div. and D.Min.). He was ordained a PC(USA) Minister of Word and Sacrament in 1980 and retired in 2019. During his years in active ministry, Dan served churches in Pennsylvania and Ohio including Mt. Pleasant United Presbyterian Church of Marshall Township, Wexford, Pa. for 27 years (now pastor emeritus).In his retirement, Dan serves as part-time visitation pastor at First Presbyterian Church, Meadville, Pa. Beyond this work, Dan has served a number of presbytery roles, been the chaplain for his local volunteer fire department and senior care facility, and was a member of the Seminary’s Alumnae/i Council (2000-2008, president, vice president, and Alumnae/i Days chair). 

Michael C. T. Ludwig ’09
Mission

The Rev. Michael Ludwig is associate pastor at Memorial Presbyterian Church in Midland, Mich., where he has served since 2022. From 2014-2021, Michael and his wife, Rachel, served as mission co-workers in Niger, West Africa, with the PC(USA). In Niger, Michael was a trainer in the community health evangelism technique to help pastors empower their communities through self-development. Learning from the local church and responding to their shared concerns was formative in the strong partnership that the Ludwigs helped develop between the Evangelical Church in Niger (EERN) and U.S. Presbyterians. Michael continues to strengthen these connections as the Lake Huron Presbytery’s special mission liaison with the EERN. Michael received an M.Div. from PTS in 2009 and the Valentour Travel Scholarship in 2007, using it to study theological education in seven countries in Africa and Asia. 

Nichelle Nelson ’05
Specialized Ministry

The Rev. Dr. Nichelle Nelson graduated in 2005 with a joint M.Div./M.S.W. from PTS and the University of Pittsburgh. She has a B.A. in psychology from the University of Delaware, and a D.Min. from Drew University. Nichelle has worked as a fundraiser and development officer, and for over a decade has been the chief programming officer for the Fund for Advancement of Minorities Through Education (FAME), where she works to close the education gap in Pittsburgh and help FAME scholars realize their full potential. She is also the interim chief executive officer of FAME. Additionally, for 14 years she has served as a field instructor for the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work. The receiptient of several awards, Nichelle is an ordained minister at Mount Ararat Baptist Church in Pittsburgh, a public speaker, and a teacher for churches, theological schools, and colleges.

Ralph B. Watkins II ’93  
Academia

The Rev. Dr. Ralph Watkins is the Peachtree Professor of Evangelism and Church Growth at Columbia Theological Seminary. As a scholar, professional photographer, documentarian, pastor, speaker, and workshop leader, his work focuses on building bridges between young adults and the church to develop future leaders who work for justice. Ralph has a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Pittsburgh, a D.Min. in African American Church Studies from PTS, and degrees in photography, religion, and political science. Ralph worked for a year at PTS as the assistant director for Black Church Studies. He has written more than 250 publications and conference presentations, including several books. He is also a television producer and nationally recognized jazz musician. Thanks to various fellowships, awards, and grants, he has studied the African roots of African American theology in Kenya, Tanzania, Egypt, Ethiopia, Senegal, and Ghana.

Joanne E. Spence ’18
The Fred McFeely Rogers Award for Creative Ministry

Joanne Spence is a certified yoga therapist who has taught mindfulness and yoga for 20 years. Her work is trauma-informed and trauma-sensitive, and her specialties are adults and children with trauma, chronic pain, insomnia, depression, and anxiety. She also has a background in clinical social work, and worked for 10 years as the first yoga instructor at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic in Pittsburgh. She teaches yoga in prisons, hospitals, schools, churches, and sometimes on street corners. In 2005, Joanne founded the nonprofit Yoga in Schools (YIS) as a way to help school children and teachers nurture their own wellbeing through yoga. In 2018, Joanne earned her M.A. from PTS, and is currently a student in the D.Min. in Creative Writing and Public Theology Cohort. She is the author of Trauma-Informed Yoga: A Toolbox for Therapists and is a spiritual director trained in Ignatian spirituality. 

Making Hearts Sing: Jazz in Worship

Deanna Witkowski and friends presented "Making Hearts Sing: Jazz in Worship." Deanna is a pianist, composer, vocalist, and author. Her adventurous, engaging music heals the soul as she moves with remarkable ease between Brazilian, jazz, classical, and sacred music.

Conversation, Music, and Liturgy in Worship

Deanna Witkowski and PTS President Asa Lee discussed music and liturgy in worship.

Award Recipient Presentations

Throughout the event, our award-winning alums offered presentations on their respective fields.

In addition to these in-person and livestreamed events, we invite you to also check out the following:

Images of Music: An Evening of Clarinet and Piano
Faye D’Ippolito (piano), Dr. Edith Humphrey (piano), Janice Vanderslice Coppola (clarinetist)

Harry L. Burns ’97
Specialized Ministry

The Rev. Harry L. Burns is a chaplain at Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center in Charlotte, N.C., and has been an ordained pastor in the AME Church for more than 34 years. He has a B.A. in business management from Shaw University, an M.A. in religion from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, and is a board certified chaplain with the Association of Professional Chaplains. Harry previously served as director of pastoral care at UPMC Squirrel Hill and as a community chaplain at Carolinas Medical Center. He is a member of the North Carolina Chaplains’ Association and in 2008 was named the NCCA Chaplain of the Year. He serves on several nonprofit boards in the Charlotte area. Through health fairs, speaking engagements, and other opportunities, Harry has worked hard to bring a message of hope to the faith community and those affiliated with health in general.

John A. Creasy ’06
Mission

The Rev. John A. Creasy is the founder and executive director of the Garfield Community Farm. He is also the founding co-pastor of The Open Door Presbyterian Church, a missional community in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Garfield, and was a founding board member of Open Hand Ministries in Garfield and Lamppost Farm in Columbiana, Ohio. John is passionate about helping people and faith communities connect with God and nature through works of social justice, environmental justice, and eco-theology. Garfield Community Farm is a place of experimentation of missional faith practices, sustainable urban food production, ecological restoration, and community activism. Due to his work with Garfield Community Farm, John received a 40 under 40 award from Pittsburgh Magazine in 2016 and the Community Pioneer award by the Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation.

Casper I. Glenn ’46
Pastoral

The Rev. Casper I. Glenn completed a bachelor of divinity at Western Theological Seminary (now PTS) in 1946. Following graduation he served Presbyterian churches in Baltimore, Md. (1946-52); New Orleans, La. (1952-54); Tuscon, Ariz. (1956-64); and Los Angeles, Calif. (1964-68). Throughout Glenn’s ministry he was active in the civil rights movement and the NAACP. The churches he served became central to the movement, and while in Tucson the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. insisted on meeting him. Later, Glenn’s peacemaking work in the streets during the 1965 Watts rebellion kept area buildings and residents safe. Glenn later served as a synod executive for the PCUSA, engaged in interfaith peace initiatives, and pastored in Kenya in the 1980s and 1990s. In retirement, Glenn continues to mentor young ministers, lead worship, and remains involved in community and civil rights initiatives. He recently celebrated his 100^th birthday.

Patricia A. Sharbaugh ’99   
Academia

Dr. Patricia Sharbaugh is an associate professor of biblical theology at Saint Vincent College, where she has taught since 2006. She holds a B.A. in business economics from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, an M.Div. from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. in systematic theology from Duquesne University. Patricia has also been an instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University, Seton Hill University, and Duquesne University. She specializes in the field of biblical theology. Patricia’s research interests include: Christology in the Gospel of Matthew, Jewish-Christian dialogue, the theology of the cross, and the study of women in Scripture. She is the recipient of numerous academic honors and awards. Patricia has written articles published by several academic journals, and is the author of Irrepressible Light: The Women of the New Testament. She maintains a blog of her writings called Everyday Spirituality.

Richard P. Hanlon Jr. ’15
The Fred McFeely Rogers Award for Creative Ministry

The Rev. Richard P. Hanlon Jr. says his professional mission is to kindle neighborly connections between people and nature. As a pastor in Athens, Pa., he leads guided events at parks and trails and shares nature writings and videos on social media. Rich believes this work is critical for preparing church and community groups to address habitat loss, climate change, and other environmental challenges facing the world today. He holds a B.A. in environmental studies from Penn State University and M.Div. from PTS. Rich is a certified interpretive guide through the National Association for Interpretation and an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church. Beginning in June 2022, Hanlon and his wife, Erin, will offer guided tours of nature and spiritual retreats for church and community groups in New York’s Adirondack Mountains.

BookTalks - Witches and Mystics in Reformation Scotland
The Rev. Dr. Nancy Hayes Kilgore '83

Images of Music: An Evening of Clarinet and Piano
Faye D’Ippolito (piano), Dr. Edith Humphrey (piano), Janice Vanderslice Coppola (clarinetist)

Clergy Covenant Building 
The Rev. Dr. Renee Mikell ‘10, Assistant to the Bishop, Western Pennsylvania Conference of The United Methodist Church

Self-Care and Spirituality in Anxious Times 
The Rev. Joseph Hedden ‘97, Pastor of Emmanuel Reformed Church of the United Church of Christ, Spiritual Director and Spiritual Leader

Manage Conflict Before It Manages You: Lessons We Have Learned 
The Rev. Dr. Mark Whitsel ’04/’18, Lead Pastor, Pleasant Hills Community Presbyterian Church; and the Rev. Chris Weichman ’98, Pastor, Head of Staff, First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant 

What Borders Mean Within Community: Faith in Action at the Mexican/American Border 
Ruth Boykin, Associate Director of the Metro-Urban Institute, PTS; Nicole Schilder, Student; and Jocabed Gallegos, Trip Host