In February, the Board of Trustees approved the following faculty members for promotion, tenure, or emeritus status. Two emeriti have left a profound impact on students, staff, alumni, friends of the College, and their peers throughout their many combined decades of service.
Words: Juliana Bacote ’24
Photos: Kayla Ruchti
EMERITUS
Dr. M. Daniel Carroll R. (Rodas), Professor of Old Testament Emeritus
Dr. Terri S. Watson M.A. ’86, Professor of Psychology Emerita
Tenure
Dr. F. Xavier Beteta, Associate Professor of Music
Dr. Danielle Corple, Associate Professor of Communication
Dr. Steven Layne, Professor of Education
Dr. Francis Umesiri, Associate Professor of Chemistry
Promotion from Associate Lecturer to Senior Lecturer
Professor Shuguang Rose Wang, Senior Lecturer in Mandarin
Promotion from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor
Dr. R. Pam Suksod Barger M.A. ’00, Associate Professor of Teaching English to Speakers
of Other Languages (TESOL)/Intercultural Studies
Dr. Andrew Burlingame ’09, M.A. ’11, Associate Professor of Hebrew
Dr. Melissa Elliot, Associate Professor of German and German Studies
Dr. Donté Ford, Associate Professor of Music and Associate Chaplain for Worship Arts
Dr. Peter Jantsch, Associate Professor of Mathematics
Professor Cathy Troupos, Associate Professor of Library Science
Promotion from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor and Tenure
Dr. Kathryn Maneiro, Associate Professor of Geology
Dr. Dyanne Martin, Associate Professor of English and Core Studies
Dr. James Schroeder ’09, Associate Professor of Physics
Promotion from Associate Professor to Professor
Dr. Thomas Boehm, Ann Haskins Professor of Special Education and Associate Professor of
Christian Formation and Ministry (by courtesy)
Dr. Christine Jeske, Professor of Anthropology
Professor Cherith Lundin ’96, Professor of Art
Dr. Amy Reynolds, Professor of Sociology
Dr. Rochelle Scheuermann, Professor of Evangelism and Leadership
Dr. M. Daniel Carroll R. (Rodas)
Professor of Old Testament Emeritus (10 years of service, 2016 – 2026)
Prior to his time at Wheaton, Dr. M. Daniel Carroll R. (Rodas) taught at El Seminario Teológico Centroamericano in Guatemala and at Denver Seminary, where he founded a Spanish-language lay training program. Caroll, who is half-Guatemalan, developed a passionate focus on Old Testament social ethics and the social sciences because of the biblical text’s relevance for the challenges of poverty, war, and politics in Central America. At Wheaton, Carroll demonstrated a commitment to connecting careful biblical scholarship with the mission of the church while engaging relevant complex realities. His research and areas of expertise include minority and majority world approaches, Old Testament studies; particularly prophetic literature and narrative approaches; and Old Testament social ethics.
Dr. Terri S. Watson M.A. ’86
Professor of Psychology Emerita (30 years of service, 1996–2026)
A board-certified clinical psychologist, Dr. Terri S. Watson M.A. ’86 served as Director of the M.A. in Clinical Psychology from 2002–2013. From 2012–2018, Watson served as the Associate Dean of Psychology, later becoming the first Dean of the School of Psychology, Counseling, and Family Therapy in 2018. In recent years, Watson has taught in all four psychology graduate programs and undergraduate psychology classes, and has been committed to seeing students develop personally and spiritually throughout their educational and professional journeys. Watson also maintains a private practice and provides supervision and clinical consultation for community and private organizations.
Photo by Axiom Media Group
Honoring Dr. Daniel Treier
On December 22, 2025, Dr. Daniel Treier passed away at the age of 53 after a battle with metastatic lung cancer. On faculty since 2001, Treier served as the Gunther H. Knoedler Professor of Theology and the
longest-serving director of Wheaton’s Biblical and Theological Studies Ph.D. program. When he passed, he was also the longest-serving member of the Bible and Theology faculty in the Litfin Divinity School. Treier spent most of his academic career at Wheaton and taught classes in the B.A., M.A., Ph.D., and D.Min. programs during his time at the College. Treier met his wife, Dr. Amy Black, Professor of Political Science at Wheaton, when they were both new faculty. The two wed in 2005 and welcomed their daughter, Anna, in 2008.
Treier is remembered for his scholarly contributions, mentorship, and steadfast faith. He was a leading figure in the approach to the Bible known as the Theological Interpretation of Scripture and authored and edited numerous books, including three on evangelical theology. The faculty and many Ph.D. students he mentored at Wheaton were shaped by him both academically and spiritually. Even when facing his diagnosis, Treier demonstrated his deep faith and love for Jesus Christ.
“Dr. Treier embodied what we hope to see in every theologian formed at Wheaton: deep love for Scripture, careful and faithful thought, and a wholehearted commitment to serving the church,” said Dr. Marc Cortez, Dean of the Litfin Divinity School. “His legacy will continue to guide us for years to come, even as we grieve his loss.”
“He was a tremendous gift to Wheaton,” said Provost Dr. Karen An-Hwei Lee. “I will always remember Dr. Treier as a devoted and inspiring colleague whose intellectual rigor, spiritual wisdom, and generous mentorship shaped a remarkable generation of doctoral students and strengthened the theological heart of the College he loved so dearly.”
Memorial gifts may be made in Treier’s name to the Wheaton College Ph.D. Student Excellence Endowed Fund.
