Michael Barber - Professor of Theology, Scripture and Catholic Thought.

Michael has his Ph.D. in Theology from Fuller in Pasadena, CA. His dissertation was on the Historical Jesus and Sacramental Eschatology under the world famous scholar, Colin Brown. He has an MA in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville and received his B. A. in Theology and Philosophy from Azusa Pacific University. He is the author of several books, including, 'Coming Soon: Unlocking the Book of Revelation and Applying Its Lessons Today' (Emmaus Road, 2006) and most recently, 'Genesis to Jesus: Studying Scripture from the Heart of the Church' (Servant, 2007), a Bible study co-authored with Kimberly Hahn. He is a Senior Fellow for the Saint Paul Center for Biblical Theology, founded by Dr. Scott Hahn. His weekly podcast of 'The Sacred Page with Michael Barber' is carried on many Catholic radio stations.

Dr. Barber has been granted the mandatum by Robert Brom, bishop of San Diego, as an ecclesial recognition of Michael's posture and commitment to teach always in communion with the Church. To learn more about Michael and his work, go to his blog, 'The Sacred Page.' Back to Top

Greg Breen - Professor of Finance

Greg is the Chief Financial Officer at JP Catholic University. He received his MBA from the UC, Irvine Graduate School of Management in 2002 and a BA in Criminology, Law and Society also from UC, Irvine in 1999. He has held a number of general management and operations management positions in several retail and service industries, including Dresser Wayne, Sears Roebuck, and Shell Oil Products. His expertise is in controlling costs, increasing revenue, while implementing strong operational controls.

Kevin Clarke - Adjunct Professor of Biblical Languages

Kevin Clarke has a Master's in theology with a specialization in catechetics from Franciscan University of Steubenville. He began his work in the media industry at 17 as an editorial assistant at The Roanoke Times, where he later served as a copy editor and page designer. He worked under Dr. Mark Miravalle, a renowned scholar on Our Lady, assisting in the publication of books, the production of radio shows and video, and the management of multiple Web sites. He previously taught theology, writing, journalism, and other subjects at St. Joseph Academy in San Marcos. In addition to teaching New Testament Greek at JP Catholic, he teaches theology at JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano. He is the author of a chapter on Benedict XVI's Mariology in De Maria Numquam Satis: The Significance of the Catholic Doctrines on the Blessed Virgin Mary for All People (University Press of America, 2009), and has contributed to the New Catholic Encyclopedia. He writes regularly for Zenit News Agency on the theology of Pope Benedict XVI.

Derry Connolly - Professor of Commercialization

Derry is President and a founder of JP Catholic University. Until recently, he represented the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) on the Executive Board of CCAT – the Center for the Commercialization of Advanced Technology, and headed up CCAT CEO mentoring services. He teaches Applied Innovation at the Von Liebig Center for Entrepreneurism and Technology Advancement at UCSD.

Prior to JP Catholic, Derry worked full-time as the Associate Dean of Continuing Education at UCSD Extension, leading a program with 40,000 part-time adult students, 125+ full time staff (academic and administrative), 1500+ part-time Instructors. Derry spent 15 years working in industrial Research and Development with IBM and Kodak.

He holds 8 US patents and has numerous technical publications. He has a Ph.D. from Cal-Tech in Pasadena, CA and an M.Sc. and B.Sc. from University College, Cork, Ireland. Back to Top

Lauri Deason - Adjunct Professor of Video Journalism

Lauri began her career in broadcast journalism at Fox News affiliate WSVN in Miami, Florida, and went on to work for CBS News before pursuing freelance opportunities in media. She has written and produced for radio and television, published numerous print and Internet articles, and served as writer-director for Revolution Of Hope, a 2007 documentary about the orphan crisis in Romania. Her vocation has taken her from Eastern Europe to Mexico to Southeast Asia – and, most recently, to Los Angeles where she now works as a writer and media consultant. Lauri has also helped develop journalism and screenwriting curricula at the high school and university levels, and is a guest lecturer and panelist at universities, writers’ conferences, and film festivals across North America and in Europe. She is a graduate of William Tyndale College and holds BA degrees in Journalism/Public Relations and Biblical Literature. Back to Top

Thomas Deason - Adjunct Professor of Film and Business

Thomas is a producer, pilot, and executive management consultant who left his position with Alaska Airlines’ management team in 2005 to pursue an entertainment industry career. In addition to his work with Grammnet Productions and Hero Pictures, his credits include the documentary Revolution Of Hope as well as a number of commercials and award-winning short films like Mosca Amor, Jaded, Pie ‘N’ Burger and FooL4LuV. In 2007, he founded Fool’s Errand Entertainment with his wife and professional partner, Lauri. They are currently in development and pre-production on three feature films, a web series, two music videos, and a recording project to benefit the International Justice Mission. Thom also enjoys mentoring others who share his passion for social justice and quality, thought provoking entertainment. He co-founded The Ransom Project, an initiative that unites artists and abolitionists in the fight against human trafficking; and he currently serves on the development board of a Los Angeles inner-city school. Thom received his BS degree from LeTourneau University. Back to Top

Nick diNapoli - Adjunct Professor of Cinematic Visual Effects is the founder & creative director of Drive Studio, located in Carlsbad, CA. Nick has almost 2 decades of experience in the motion graphics industry. Drive Studio is a design and production resource specializing in network branding, identity creation, show packages, promotion and new media outlets. With a unique emphasis in designing and directing brands for international audiences, Nick's work spans the globe from the US to Scandinavia to Asia. In 2000, with his business partner, he formed Drive Studio to offer complete 'design through production' resource for the broadcast design and production industry.

Tom Dunn - Professor of Film Production

Tom is Director of Digital Media Production at JP Catholic. He began his professional career over 17 years ago on the Paramount Studios lot working for Entertainment Tonight in the post-production department. Since then he has gone on to produce, direct, write and edit hundreds of television commercials, documentaries, sports and entertainment programs and news stories. He has worked for local and national cable television networks, independent production companies and a local broadcast affiliate.

Tom is the recipient of numerous national and regional awards for television production, including 4 Telly Awards and a Cable ACE Award. Tom served for 2 years as vice-president of the Orange County Chapter of the Media Communications Association International. He received his BA in Television, Radio and Film Production from California State University, Long Beach. Back to Top

Jeremy Durant - Adjunct Professor of Business Development

Jeremy is a Business Principal at BOP Design - San Diego Website Design company, where he builds relationships with businesses in need of marketing and branding strategies, helping them develop their unique value proposition and ideal customer profile.

Prior to founding Bop Design, Jeremy spent 10+ years developing tailored solutions for Fortune 500 companies in the wireless, biotech, electronics, and food and beverage industries. He spent two years at Millennium Creative Group, assisting companies with their broadcast and new media strategies. He also spent seven years working with UC San Diego to develop internal workforce development programs for organizations. Jeremy received his BA from Merrimack College and his MBA from California State University, San Marcos. Back to Top

Jennifer Durant - Adjunct Professor of Human Resources

Jennifer is the District Manager for a Fortune 500 scientific staffing firm that specializes in servicing the biotech and pharmaceutical industry.

Jennifer has a Bachelors and Masters Degree in Psychology from the University of Dallas.

Andrew Erish - Adjunct Professor of Film

Andy received his BFA from New York University, and earned an MA in film studies at Chapman University. Over a twenty-five year span, he wrote announcer copy at a Boston TV station, worked as a soundman traveling the country on a TV news crew, was the principal script reader for Nickelodeon and Showtime, was a consultant for documentaries airing on PBS and MSNBC and sitcoms on CBS and FOX. Recently, he has been a consultant for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, as well as having curated their exhibition and screenings honoring the Los Angeles motion picture centenary in 2009. Since 2008 Erish has been an adjunct professor at Chapman University, and has been a guest lecturer at the Los Angeles Film Studies Center since 1998. Erish has written articles for the Los Angeles Times and Quarterly Review of Film and Video. His book, Col. William N. Selig: The Man Who Invented Hollywood makes a strong and vital contribution to the scholarship on early film history. Given the pioneering role of Selig in establishing the generic forms, production techniques, and dramatic conventions of film -- particularly in his development of the very idea of a full-length 'feature' film.

Lee Eskey - Adjunct Professor of Acting

Lee has been a professional actor, director and teacher for 20 years. Theatres include The Folger Theatre, The Denver Center Theatre Company, the Kentucky and Virginia Shakespeare Festivals and The National Players, as well as The Actor's Playground, a Los Angeles theatre company which he co-founded with Rick Wasserman. In LA he has also served on the faculty of Holy Wood Acting Studio and the Elizabeth Mestnik Acting Studio. Much of Lee's time in Hollywood has been spent as an acting coach, working with diverse talent, from comedians and magicians to series regulars on network television and in feature films.

Lee incorporates Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body (TOB) into his work with artists and he is currently completing requirements for certification from the Theology of the Body Institute. Lee has a particular interest in forming skilled actors who are ready and able to bring their craft to the service of the New Evangelization through professional careers in the performing arts. Lee holds a B.A. in Drama from The Catholic University of America and an MFA in Acting from the National Theatre Conservatory.

Shun Lee Fong - Adjunct Professor of Media Law

Shun Lee holds a Juris Doctorate (JD) from the University of Iowa - College of Law, and BA (summa cum laude) in Journalism & Mass Communications from Creighton University. He is the CEO and Creative Principal of Genuine Productions, LLC - a creative media production company with a focus on film, new media & music. He is also the founder and creative director for 'The Greenhouse' - a non-profit organization for training, equipping, and engaging creative artists. He practiced law for 5 years in Omaha, Nebraska, focusing on civil litigation, corporate transactions, intellectual property, and media law. In 2003, he left his law practice and moved to L.A. to pursue acting, writing, and other creative opportunities. He has performed in a number of productions in film, theater, commercial, and print, and is a member of the Screen Actors Guild. He has spent significant time on stage and in the recording studio as a songwriter and musician, playing several instruments. He has written a number of screenplays, articles, essays, and other works and is an often-requested speaker. He taught the Mass Media Law class for the Journalism and Mass Communications Department at Creighton University.

Martin Harold - Adjunct Professor of Politics

Martin is Director of Admissions at JP Catholic. He holds a BA in Political Science and an MBA from Franciscan University, Steubenville, Ohio. While a student, he was the Founding Editor of and a regular contributor to Lumen Vincens - a Franciscan University literary magazine.

In his American Politics class, students engage the Western political tradition, philosophy, and the unique historical experience that shaped America’s founders and influenced the creation of America’s Constitution and political institutions. The course gives students a basic framework for understanding the structures of federal government and the ability to define terms and concepts relevant to American national government, including separation of powers, checks and balances, and federalism. Students identify and engage competing ideologies in American political life, and study and explore different perspectives on current policy debates. Back to Top

Jerry Jackson - Professor of Business Leadership

Jerry's 30-year career has included executive management positions at both small and large privately owned and publicly traded consulting firms. He's overseen the growth and transformation of firms involving hundreds of staff and $100s million of revenue. An engineer by education, Jerry has also pioneered the use of innovative technologies to treat water, wastewater, and hazardous wastes. His projects have been recognized as 'outstanding' by professional organizations, and he's accompanied the US Secretary of Commerce in international trade missions, and has testified before Congress on applicable legislation.

Jerry holds a BS, MS, and PhD in civil engineering, is a licensed professional engineer, and has been on the faculty at five universities in the United States and overseas. He is an avid runner, surfer, sky diver, and pilot. Back to Top

Julia Jackson - Adjunct Professor of Social Media

Julia earned an MFA in Fiction Writing from Brooklyn College, where she was the recipient of the Creative Writing Scholarship, and a BA in Creative Writing from UC Riverside. Her short stories and essays have appeared in various blogs, websites, and literary magazines. She is also an editor for Electric Literature's blog, The Outlet, which The Washington Post described as 'a refreshingly bold act of optimism.' With her help, the blog went from receiving 30,000 to over 85,000 unique visitors per month, and their Twitter account grew to having over 150,000 followers. She is currently at work on a novel. Back to Top

John Kincaid - Professor of Theology

John is a PhD candidate studying under Prof. Michael Waldstein at Ave Maria University. He will defend his dissertation in late August 2013. In his thesis, entitled 'Recovering the Old Perspective on Paul: Augustine, Aquinas, and the Question of Participation in Christ,' he advocates for Augustine and Aquinas's reading of Paul regarding the nature of participation in Christ. John is the co-author with Scott W. Hahn of an article entitled, 'The Multiple Literal Sense in Thomas Aquinas's Commentary on Romans and Modern Pauline Hermeneutics,' which was published in 2012 by CUA Press in Reading Romans with St. Thomas Aquinas, edited by Matthew Levering and Michael Dauphinais. John's research interests center on the theological projects of Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, contemporary Pauline studies, and the relationship between Modernity and contemporary biblical studies. He received a Th.M. from Duke Divinity School and a M.A. in Theology (MA) from Covenant Theological Seminary.

John will apply for the mandatum of Robert Brom, bishop of San Diego, as an ecclesial recognition of John's posture and commitment to teach always in communion with the Church. Back to Top

Robert Kirbyson - Adjunct Professor of Cinematography

Robert's feature film debut, Snowmen, starred Bobby Coleman, Ray Liotta & Christopher Lloyd, and was produced by Steve McEveety (Braveheart, The Passion). It received the Top Narrative Feature at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival. In 2009, Robert wrote and directed the award-winning CTRL for NBC Universal, the first stand-alone web series produced by a major network. Recently named “Web Comedy of 2010” CTRL is based on Robert’s short Ctrl Z, which won the Delta Shorts Competition at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. In 2004, he directed The Christmas Orange, an adaptation of the award winning children's book for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Robert graduated from the University of British Columbia Film School, winning the 'Top Graduate' award, while the film he shot and produced swept the local student film festival awards. Robert received many awards for his academic and artistic achievements. From 1997 - 2004, he served as the Cinematography instructor at UBC. He has a certificate in Television Studies from Universite St. Anne and a Bachelors of Fine Arts, with honors from the University of Manitoba. Back to Top

Rob Long - Adjunct Professor of New Media

Rob is a Hollywood writer and producer, started his career as a screenwriter for the TV show 'Cheers.' You can find his musings on National Review, Newsweek International, and the Los Angeles Times. Rob's weekly commentary 'Martini Shot' is broadcast on L.A.'s KCRW and can be found on iTunes. Rob is editor-in-chief of Ricochet.

Long is the author of two books. His first, Conversations with My Agent, is a memoir of his early career. Published in 1998, it provides extensive advice for aspiring scriptwriters, and has become a cult classic. His second book, Set Up, Joke, Set Up, Joke, is a further memoir of his entertainment industry experiences, and was published in 2005. Long serves on the Board of Directors of The American Cinema Foundation, an organization created to nurture and reward television and feature-film projects that promote democratic pluralism and inclusion. Back to Top

Rob Morgenroth - Adjunct Professor of Visual Effects

Rob is Executive Producer/Senior Director, Business Development with Dynasty FX - a company headquartered in Sherman Oaks, CA with VFX and animation production resources in Beijing and Shanghai. Dynasty has produced visual effects for feature films, cartoon webisodes and a number of commercials. Prior, he was with the prestigious Visual Effects Society, where he served as Director of Development. He is an active and involved member of the visual effects community, currently serving as Chairman of the Program Committee for the Previsualization Society, and has been a moderator and panelist for various industry events for many years, including the HD Expo, HDFEST and CASO, in addition to leading courses in VFX production at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, JP Catholic, and Cal Arts in Valencia, CA. In 1990, Rob founded a boutique visual effects company, E=mc2 in Glendale, CA, where he and his team produced award-winning VFX for both television and feature films. In 2001, Rob and his team were honored with an Emmy award for the visual effects for the ABC mini-series, 'Frank Herberts Dune'. He sold the company to a Taiwan-based company in 2004, remaining on for a year as CEO and Executive Producer, and gaining valuable experience in Chinese operations. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, Morgenroth graduated West Virginia Wesleyan College and later studied business and management at Arizona State University. Back to Top

Vernon Mortensen - Adjunct Professor of Producing

Vernon is a filmmaker, businessman and a veteran of the international film festival scene. His many movies and television shows have been enjoyed by audiences around the world. As a filmmaker, his wide-ranging career has included writing, directing & producing the western/thriller 'The Sorrow' starring Kirk Harris, John Savage and Michael Madsen, as well as serving as an executive producer on 'The Kid: Chamaco,' starring Martin Sheen and Michael Madsen. He currently works for the motion picture production/distribution company Rogue Arts as a film and television producer and a distribution executive.

Vernon has an MBA from Alliant International University (formerly USIU); a Master of Professional Writing (screenwriting) from USC, where he studied under script guru Syd Field and was an Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Fellow. He earned a BFA in Film from the world-renowned Art Center College of Design and a received a BS from Excelsior College. Back to Top

Lisa Petronis - Adjunct Professor of Psychology

Lisa holds a Masters in Counseling with a specialty in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Phoenix and a Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. Dr. Petronis is a licensed marriage and family therapist. She has been practicing in the field of mental health since 1995 in various settings. She successfully implemented and managed intensive family programs at two major residential treatment facilities before starting a private practice in 2002. In addition, she taught in the Graduate Counseling and Undergraduate Psychology and Human Services Program at University from 2006 through 2012. Back to Top

Christopher Riley - Professor of Film

Chris, according to IMDB, is considered the most authoritative figure for the official screenplay format of Hollywood. He is a screenwriter whose first film, After The Truth, an award-winning courtroom thriller written with his wife and professional partner, Kathleen Riley, sparked international controversy in 1999 when it was released in Germany. Other credits include 25 To Life, a dramatic thriller for Junction Entertainment and Touchstone Pictures; The Other White House, a political thriller for Sean Connery’s Fountainbridge Films and Intermedia; Aces, an action-adventure romance for Paramount Pictures; and a screen adaptation of the book Actual Innocence for Mandalay Television Pictures and the Fox television network. A veteran of the Warner Bros. script department, Riley is the author of The Hollywood Standard: The Complete and Authoritative Guide to Script Format and Style. From 2005 through 2008, he served as director of the acclaimed Act One Writing Program in Hollywood, which trains Christians of all denominations for careers as writers and executives in mainstream film and television. Chris holds a BS in Telecommunications from Oral Roberts University and was a National Merit Scholar. Back to Top

Nathan Scoggins - Adjunct Professor of Film

An award-winning filmmaker, Nathan Scoggins' list of credits include The Least of These, released in 2011 by Universal and starring Isaiah Washington (Grey's Anatomy) and screen legend Robert Loggia (Big, Independence Day), as well as the upcoming TV movie The Perfect Summer, starring Eric Roberts. He won the Doritos Crash the Super Bowl contest in 2012 and 2013 with "Sling Baby" and "Fashionista Daddy." In addition, two of his award-winning short films were released by Lionsgate on DVD in 2008. He has written and developed projects for many companies in Hollywood. Back to Top

Sam Shpigelman - Adjunct Professor of Animation & Gaming

Sam is a faculty/program advisor for the Casual Game Development program at UC San Diego Extension. He is also an adjunct professor and the Head of Animation and Post Production Studies at San Diego State University and active industry professional with extensive experience in animation, game development, medical and architectural visualization, and product design and modeling. His work includes 'Enter the Dragonfly' - a PS2 title by Universal, R&D work for Sony Interactive, full cycle character development for multiple video game projects, and product design and modeling for the next generation of cell phones from Qualcomm.

Sam has an MFA in Computer Animation and a BS in Game Art and Design. Back to Top

John Kassab - Adjunct Professor of Computer Science

John is a Senior Staff - Software Development Engineer with Broadcom. He holds an MS in Electrical Engineering from San Diego State University, and a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, San Diego Back to Top

Jonathan Velasco - Adjunct Professor of Business Law

Jonathan is registered patent attorney with over 10 years of experience protecting the intellectual property rights of companies ranging in size from Fortune 500 companies to early-stage companies. Currently Jonathan is patent counsel with QUALCOMM Incorporated, providing legal counsel in various wireless technologies including client counseling, patent procurement and prosecution, acquisition analysis, and infringement analysis. Prior to joining QUALCOMM, Jonathan headed the patent prosecution group of Kyocera Wireless Corp. as Sr. IP Counsel, where he developed a growing domestic and international patent portfolio. In addition to his corporate counsel experience, Jonathan has worked as an associate with a number of law firms, practicing in all areas of intellectual property law, with a particular emphasis on U.S. and foreign patent protection in a wide variety of technologies. Jonathan received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from University of California at Irvine and his J.D. from McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific, and is currently pursuing his MA in Theology with Franciscan University of Steubenville’s Distance Program. Back to Top

Christine E. Wood - Professor of Theology

Christine received her Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Marquette University, Milwaukee in 2011. Her dissertation was on “The Metaphysics and Intellective Psychology in the Natural Desire for Seeing God: Henri de Lubac and Neo-Scholasticism.” She has an M.A. in Theology, as well as a Certification in Catechetics, both from Franciscan University of Steubenville. Christine received her B.Sc. in Agriculture from the University of Sydney, Australia, and had a well-established career as an environmental scientist in Australia before embarking on her theological studies in the USA. Christine’s research and teaching interests include Christology, Biblical Theology, Liturgy, Moral Theology, the integration of Virtue Ethics with Ascetical and Mystical Theology, the Theology of Grace, and the Philosophy and Theology of St Thomas Aquinas.

Professor Wood has been granted the mandatum by Robert Brom, bishop of San Diego as an ecclesial recognition of Christine's posture and commitment to teach always in communion with the Church. Back to Top

Father Andrew Younan - Professor of Philosophy

Fr. Andrew Younan received his B.A. in Philosophy from Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit in 2001, and then went on to the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology to receive M. A. Degrees in Philosophy and Theology in 2004, with honors for his thesis: 'The Mesopotamian School and Theodore of Mopsuestia.' Fr. Andrew has published two books since his ordination to the priesthood in the Chaldean Catholic Church, first 'The Book of Before & After,' a compilation and translation of prayers from the Chaldean Tradition, and recently his thesis, edited for publication. Fr. Andrew serves as Rector of the Seminary of Mar Abba the Great, the seminary of the Catholic Diocese of St. Peter the Apostle for Chaldeans & Assyrians, and is the Parochial Vicar of St. Peter Chaldean Cathedral, where he holds Bible Studies on Tuesday nights.

Professor Younan has been granted the mandatum by Robert Brom, bishop of San Diego as an ecclesial recognition of Fr Andy's posture and commitment to teach always in communion with the Church. Back to Top