Professor Thad Polk joined us for lunch on Friday. Students heard how Professor Polk became a Christian, landed at the University of Michigan, and has flourished as a professor here.

We were delighted to host Melodie Marske for our lunch conversation. Melodie is the Regional Director of Graduate and Faculty Ministries for Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. She shared how her time at Michigan transitioned into a calling to full-time ministry, and how people, prayer, and her church have sustained her through the years.

Our Friday lunch featured a fascinating conversation with Atlantic staff writer Tim Alberta, who shared how he ended up as a political journalist and his reflections on how we can navigate our current situation faithfully.

Our Friday lunch speaker this week was Joseph Ho, a historian at the University of Michigan who specializes in the history of Christianity in Asia. Joseph studies history using old photographs and films, and he brought with him to the Center a vintage camera from the mid-twentieth century—the same type that was used to take the famous photograph of U.S. marines raising the American flag at Iwo Jima in 1945. Students enjoyed hearing Joseph’s journey into academia.

This week we spoke to Paul Clyde, professor of business economics and public policy at the UM Ross School of Business. 

David Blaauw, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, for his Friday lunch conversation with students this week. Dr. Blaauw shared how he became a Christian and how engineering the world’s smallest computer stems from a sense of Christian calling and his desire to make a positive difference in the world through his work.

We were grateful to Kristin Collier for joining us this week. With grace and candor, Kristin shared her journey of faith and the changes that came with her conversion to Christianity, keeping students engaged long after lunch had ended.

Pete Dahlem joined us for Friday lunch. Pete came to Michigan as an atheist with the goal of graduating and becoming wealthy. But during his freshman year, his unbelief began to crumble, eventually leading to his conversion to Christianity with a new set of desires and goals. Pete also shared the beauties, benefits, and challenges of worshiping in a multicultural church.

Alison Vander Roest, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering joined us for lunch this week. She shared her academic journey with students and spoke about the intersection of faith and science.

Abdu Murray, the noted apologist and U-M alumnus, shared his faith journey and encouraged students on how they can have productive conversations about faith. Students also appreciated the chance to ask honest questions and hear Abdu’s thoughtful answers.