Convo Speakers

Leroy  Barber

Leroy Barber has dedicated over 20 yrs. to eradicating poverty, confronting homelessness, restoring local neighborhoods, and healing racism.  In 1990, he founded Restoration Ministries in Philadephia and in 1997, he joined FCS Urban Ministries to serve as the founding director of Atlanta Youth Academies which provide quality Christian education for low-income families in the inner city.

Tori  Bragg

Tori Bragg is a political science major from Windermere, FL.

Cedric  Brown

Rev. Cedric Brown is founder and lead pastor of Destiny Covenant Church as well as an air-traffice controller.  He holds a M. Div from Howard College and BS from Tuskegee University.  Pastor Cedric intertwines real life experiences with Biblical truths to encourage believers to live out God's purpose and plan for their lives.  He is married with three children and hopes some day to pursue doctoral studies with the goal of becoming Dean of his alma mater.

John  D Caputo

John D. Caputo is the Thomas J. Watson Professor of Religion Emeritus at Syracuse University and the David R. Cook Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at Villanova University and the founder of weak theology.  Caputo is a specialist in contemporary continental philosophy, with particular expertise in  hermeneutics, phenomenology, and deconstruction. He received is BA from La Salle University, his MA from Villanova, and Ph.D in philosophy from Bryn Mawr College.

Aaron  Carr

A religion major, senior Aaron Carr hails from Cummings, GA.

Stephen  Chew

Stephen Chew is the chairperson of Samford's Psychology Department.

Chad  Cossiboom

Chad Cossiboom is College Minister at Shades Mountain Baptist Church in Birmingham.

Hunter  Davis

Samford alumni Hunter Davis and Austin Richardson are co-founders of an upstart Birmingham non-proft organization that seeks to advocate for the houseless community.  Their book, AVAIL: unVAILing the Houseless Void chronicles the stories of eight individuals in the houseless community, offering a voice to the voiceless.

Harold  Goss

Harold Goss is the Chair of Samford's Davis Library Reference and Research Services.

Denise  Gregory

Dr. Denise Gregory is Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Samford.

Jenny  Hwang

Jenny Hwang is director of Advocacy and Policy for the Refugee and Immigration Program of World Relief located in Baltimore, MD.  She co-authored Welcoming the Stranger:  Justice, Compassion and Truth in the Immigration Debate with Matthew Soerens.

Matt  Kerlin

 Matt Kerlin is Samford's Minister to the University and Assistant Dean For Spiritual Life.

John  Knapp

John Knapp is the Director of Samford's Mann Center for Ethics and Leadership.

Bill J Leonard

Bill Leonard as founding dean of the Wake Forest University School of Divinity from May, 1996 until June, 2010.  He is now James and Marilyn Professor of Baptist Studies as well as Professor Church History in the School of Divinity and Professor of Religion in the Dept. of Religion.   He has been on staff at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kentucky and Samford University, 1992-96.  He holds degrees from Texas Wesleyan University, Southwestern Baptist Seminary and Boston University.  Leonard has authored some twenty books and has been widely recognized for his work in American, Southern, and Baptist religious studies.

Michael  Lindsay

Award-winning sociologist and educator D. Michael Lindsay is the eighth president of Gordon College in Massachusetts whose presidency has been distinguished by his international reputation, acclaimed teaching record and innovative scholarship.  Dr. Lindsay holds a BA from Baylor, graduate theology degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary and Wycliffe Hall, Oxford as well as a doctorate in sociology from Princeton.  He has taught at Rice University and Princeton University.

Ellen Ott Marshall

Dr. Ellen Ott Marshall is Associate Professor of Christian Ethics and Conflict Transformation at Candler School of Theology at Emory University.  She holds a Ph.D. from Vanderbilt.  A recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award at Candler in 2011, Dr. Marshall is interested in issues of violence and peacemaking, ethical questions in literature and film, and the dynamic relationship between faith, history, and ethics.  In addition, she served as lead writer for the United Methodist Church Council of Bishops' pastoral letter in 2009.

Larry  McCutcheon

Larry McCutcheon is a classics major from Fort Payne, AL.

Caroline  Noland

Caroline Noland is a non-profit management major from Boiling Springs, SC.

Leigh Ann Pusey

President and CEO of the American Insurance Association (AIA) since 2009, Leigh Ann Pusey has overseen the organization's operation and works directly with  AIS's Board of Directors to develop and guide the stategic mission of the association.  Her prominence and leadership within the industry have merited recognition by Business Insurance Magazine among their "Women to Watch and Ms. Pusey is considered one of the top lobbyists in Washington, D.C.  She graduated from Samford and lives in Alexandria, VA with her husband and two children.

Jay  Roberson

Jay Roberson is in his seventh year as Samford's associate director of athletics, responsible for sports information, broadcasting, marketing, and game operations.

Joseph  Scrivner

Joseph Scrivner is Assistant Professor of Religion.

Alisha & Abdul  Seruyange

Alisha Damron Seruyange is a former UM Leadership Council president who graduated from Samford in 2005 with a degree in Journalism/Mass Communications and Theater.  She holds a M.Div. from Duke University and lives with her husband, Abdul, in Kampala, Uganda where they are the directors of the Terra Nova Soccer Academy with plans to open a primary school in January, 2012.  Their convo address will be their story about working in the education system in Uganda.

Rachel  Snyder

Rachel Snyder is an english major from John's Island, SC.

Matthew  Soerens

Co-author with Jenny Hwang of Welcoming the Stranger:  Justice, Compassion and Truth in the Immigration Debate, Matthew Soerens serves as the US Church Training Specialist for World Relief where he assists churches in understanding the complexities of immigration from a biblical perspective.  He holds a bachelor's degree from Wheaton College and a Masters in International Public Service from DePaul University. 

David  Story

David Story is a Nashville-based singer/songwriter with Midwestern roots. He released his first album in 2007, and has since released five more. His latest album, entitled Sailing Alone Around The World (April, 2011), is a self-produced collection of introspective songs about his many travels.Having performed in over 20 countries on five continents, David pours his life and his experiences into his craft. He draws his musical inspiration from his favorite artists, including Paul Simon, David Gray, Josh Ritter, and Glen Hansard, among others.Story moved to Nashville in December, 2011. 

Billy  Strickland

Billy Strickland is Associate Dean of the Division of Music and Director of the Bells of Buchanan.

Andrew  Toney

Andrew Toney is a Religion major from Collierville, TN.

Lowell  Vann

Lowell Vann received the John H. Buchanan Award for Excellence in Classroom Teaching in 2009, given annually to an outstanding faculty member at Samford University. He is Chair of the Art Department. 

Riley  Westmoreland

Riley Westmoreland is a political science major from Birmingham, AL.