About NetVUE

David Cunningham is the executive director of NetVUE. In this role, he oversees and guides NetVUE staff and the activities for which they are responsible, working with both the CIC staff and the NetVUE Advisory Council from the NetVUE office based at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Previously he served as director of the NetVUE Scholarly Resources Project, overseeing the development and editing of three books published by Oxford University Press. David is also the editor of two additional volumes and the author of five books. He holds a faculty appointment as professor of theology at Aquinas College; his research focuses on Christian theology and ethics and their relationship to rhetoric and drama. David previously served on the faculty at Hope College, where he was director of the CrossRoads Project, Hope’s Lilly-funded Program for the Theological Exploration of Vocation (PTEV), and on the faculties of Seabury-Western Theological Seminary and the University of St. Thomas (MN). He holds a BSS in communication studies from Northwestern University, a BA and MA in theology and religious studies from the University of Cambridge, and a PhD in religion from Duke University.

David can be reached by email at david.cunningham@cic.edu or by phone at (616) 632-1060.

Lynne Spoelhof serves as NetVUE’s director of operations. In this role, she supports all NetVUE programs and initiatives, coordinates the work of the NetVUE staff, maintains regular contact with member campuses, plans programs and conferences, manages information and databases, and provides executive assistance to the director of NetVUE. She is the primary contact person for the NetVUE office based at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, working with CIC staff based in Washington, DC, and with NetVUE staff based at various campuses across the country. She has served NetVUE since its inception in 2009, first as an administrative assistant to founding director Shirley Roels, then program coordinator in 2013, program manager in 2020, and was recently promoted to director of NetVUE operations. Prior to her current responsibilities, Lynne served as an elementary teacher for a number of years and developed her office management skills in both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. Lynne has an undergraduate degree in elementary education, communication arts and sciences, and English from Calvin College (now University).

Lynne can be reached by email at lspoelhof@cic.edu or by phone at (616) 632-1060.

Carter Aikin serves as the NetVUE grants director. He has primary responsibility for administering CIC’s wide array of NetVUE grant programs, working on a three-quarter-time basis from Blackburn College in Carlinsville, Illinois, where he has served as professor and chair of philosophy and religion since 2014. He has led vocational initiatives at three different NetVUE member institutions across his teaching career. Carter also served as a NetVUE campus consultant from 2010 until 2023, specializing in helping institutions to develop interdisciplinary vocational exploration initiatives with a focus on curriculum development—a passion reflected in his own classroom instruction. He holds a BA from the University of Colorado at Boulder, an MDiv from Duke University Divinity School, and a PhD in Moral Theology from the University of Notre Dame.

Carter can be reached by email at caikin@cic.edu or by phone at (217) 854-5619.

Rachael Baker is the director of professional development for NetVUE. In this part-time position, she develops trainings and works with NetVUE campuses to support efforts to implement vocation-informed programs and practices for faculty, staff, and students. She also serves as associate professor and co-chair of the department of chemistry and biochemistry at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Rachael was a participant in the 2021 NetVUE Teaching Vocational Exploration seminar, which encouraged her to develop curriculum to engage students with virtue practices in courses across their programs, creating unique avenues for conversations about vocation that help students engage thoughtfully in communities and teams. Rachael holds a BS in biochemistry from Calvin University and a PhD in biochemistry and biophysics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 

Rachael can be reached at rbaker@cic.edu or (616) 526-7939.

John Barton is co-host of the NetVUE podcast, Callings: Conversations on College, Career, and a Life Well Lived. He serves as director of the Center for Faith and Learning at Pepperdine University, where he also has faculty appointments in the religion and philosophy division, the university’s graduate program in social entrepreneurship, and the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at the Caruso School of Law. John’s areas of research and teaching include African philosophy, Christian and interreligious studies, and faith and philanthropy. He is the author of Better Religion: A Primer for Interreligious Peacebuilding (Baylor, 2022). He holds a BA from Harding University and a PhD from Makerere University in Uganda.

John can be reached at jbarton@cic.edu or (310) 506-4923.

Geoffrey Bateman is the editor of Vocation Matters, NetVUE’s blog. In this part-time role, he oversees all facets of the blog, recruiting and coordinating writers, editing the work, as well as writing the occasional post himself. He works from Regis University in Denver, Colorado, where he is professor of peace and justice studies, and teaches courses on a range of social justice issues, including queer vocations, sexual citizenship, nonviolent resistance, gender and homelessness, and research and writing in the community. He also serves as one of the faculty co-advisors for the Queer Student Alliance and co-chairs the university’s Queer Resource Alliance. In 2017, he participated in the inaugural NetVUE faculty seminar on Teaching Vocational Exploration. He is also a NetVUE Scholar, and his essay, “Queer Vocation and the Common Good,” appears in the fourth volume of the NetVUE Scholarly Resources Project, Called Beyond Ourselves: Vocation and the Common Good (Oxford, 2024). He also contributed “Queer Callings: LGBTQ Literature and Vocation” to Cultivating Vocation in Literary Studies (Edinburgh, 2022). All of Geoffrey’s degrees are in English. He earned his BA from the University of Puget Sound, MA from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and PhD from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Geoffrey can be reached at gbateman@cic.edu or (303) 964-6531.

Krista E. Hughes is NetVUE’s director of resource development. In this role, she is responsible for the development of new print and digital resources for use throughout the NetVUE membership, such as the NetVUE conversation cards. She is particularly interested in how institutional vocations can contribute to the vocational formation of not only students but staff and faculty, and in the communal dimensions of vocation, including the call to equity, inclusion, and belonging. Krista teaches in the religious studies department at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Krista previously served as founding director of the Muller Center for Exploration & Engagement at Newberry College in Newberry, South Carolina, where she was also associate professor of religion. She holds a BA in Spanish & humanities from Wofford College, an MA in history and an MDiv from Vanderbilt University, and a PhD in theological & philosophical studies from Drew University.

Krista can be reached at khughes@cic.edu or (864) 597-4507.

Daniel Meyers is the NetVUE online network coordinator. This part-time position includes managing the library and discussion board for the NetVUE Online Community (available to faculty and staff members at NetVUE member colleges and universities), as well as editing the NetVUE newsletter. He works from the campus of Butler University, where he directs the university’s Center for Faith and Vocation. In this role he facilitates vocational reflection; supports religious, spiritual, and secular life on campus; promotes interfaith engagement; and serves as an advocate for wellness resources. Daniel previously served as the inaugural Earl Hall Religious Life Fellow for the office of the university chaplain at Columbia University and has been working in university chaplaincy and interfaith contexts since 2012. He holds a BA from Willamette University and an MDiv from Yale Divinity School.

Daniel can be reached at dmeyers@cic.edu or (646) 322-9563.

Rachel Pickett is the NetVUE webinar coordinator. This part-time position includes developing, promoting, and managing NetVUE webinars on various topics throughout the year, as well as hosting informal gathering for NetVUE leaders from time to time. Rachel holds a faculty position as professor of psychology and department chair at Concordia University Wisconsin, where her academic interests include college student development and the role of vocational discernment. She is also a licensed psychologist. Rachel participated in the NetVUE faculty seminar on Teaching Vocation Exploration in 2017 and has contributed to the Vocation Matters blog. She completed her BA at Clarke University and her MA and PhD degrees in counseling psychology from Southern Illinois University–Carbondale.

Rachel can be reached at rpickett@cic.edu or (262) 243-4586.

Alex Stephenson is the NetVUE communications coordinator. In this full-time role, she assists with coordinating internal and external communications, designing and creating graphic materials, and managing NetVUE’s social media and website content. Alex holds a BS in Biology and Philosophy from Calvin University and a MA in Early Human Prehistory from the University of York.

Alex can be reached by email at astephenson@cic.edu or by phone at (616) 632-1057.

Erin VanLaningham is director of the NetVUE Scholarly Resources Project. In this part-time position, she recruits contributors for future NetVUE publications, facilitates the seminars through which they develop their contributions, and edits their work for publication. She also co-hosts the NetVUE podcast, Callings: Conversations on College, Career, and a Life Well Lived. She serves as professor of English at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa. Erin participated in the NetVUE faculty seminar on Teaching Vocational Exploration in 2017, subsequently adapting and leading a similar seminar at her own institution through a NetVUE professional development grant. Erin teaches courses in the British novel, the spiritual memoir, and Irish literature; her research includes art, gender studies, and vocation. She recently co-edited and contributed to Cultivating Vocation in Literary Studies (Edinburgh, 2022). Erin holds a BA from Luther College, an MA from Northeastern University, and a PhD from Saint Louis University, all in English.

Erin can be reached by email at evanlaningham@cic.edu or by phone at (563) 588-7200.

Ashley Woodbeck is the NetVUE office manager. In this full-time role, she supports the staff at the NetVUE national office at Aquinas College, handling a range of administrative tasks. Before joining the NetVUE team, Ashley served in an administrative role at Catholic Charities West Michigan and spent several years as a stay-at-home mom while beginning her family. Ashley holds a BA in English from Aquinas College. She can be reached by email at awoodbeck@cic.edu or by phone at (616) 632-1060.