In The Heart of Vanguard series, VU faculty share from their heart their prospective on teaching, why they teach, and their hopes and prayers for their students.
Roxanna Ochoa, PhD
As a first-generation college student, Roxanna Ochoa, PhD, knows firsthand that the path isn’t easy. Now as a biology professor and department chair, she brings that same mentorship-driven approach to every student who walks through her door, whether they know where they’re headed or not.
Her goal isn’t to create mini versions of herself. It’s to give students the tools to think, analyze, and decide for themselves.
Renee Rose, Dean of the School of Education
For Vanguard University’s Dean of the School of Education, Renee Rose, teaching is a divine calling. Her professional journey took her from being a Vanguard student in the 1990s to stepping into the front lines of the classroom as a professor and academic leader, and now leading VU’s School of Education.
Paige (Braden ’17) Kuhle, PhD
Paige (Braden ’17) Kuhle, PhD, teaches nutritional neuroscience, researching how Mediterranean dietary factors like olive oil impact brain health. She brings that same hands-on energy into the classroom, giving undergraduates real laboratory research experience that prepares them for graduate school and beyond.
For Dr. Kuhle, Vanguard isn’t just where she works. It’s home.
John Mark Robeck, PhD
Growing up in a Hispanic and Black neighborhood in the greater Los Angeles-area, John Mark Robeck, PhD, associate professor, director of Graduate Programs, School of Theology and Ministry, sees VU’s growth into a minority-majority Hispanic-serving institution as deeply personal. In the classroom, he prioritizes conversation over lecture, meeting students in the social realities they’re already living.
Ask him to describe Vanguard in one word and he’ll say “faithful”, and mean it with his whole heart.
Keep Reading:
A Family’s Call to Global Missions
From First Steps to Graduation Stage: A Story of Legacy and Love