Part-Time Faculty Profiles

William L. Becker

Courses taught: THEO 200 Ultimate Questions

Dr. William L. Becker received his PhD in Philosophy of Religion from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY, an M.Div. from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX, and a BA from Furman University in Greenville, SC. A former pastor, Dr. Becker is an experienced instructor, teaching for many schools in the undergraduate and graduate programs. Besides teaching Theology and Philosophy at Bellarmine for more than a decade, Dr. Becker has taught classes for WKU, KCTCS, Sullivan University, and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, as well as others both in and out of state. He is married to Allison Becker and has two grown sons. His personal interests include music and volunteer work at Westport Road Baptist Church. Dr. Becker is also the faculty advisor for the Bellarmine University Gaming club (BUG).

Roy Fuller

Courses taught: THEO 200 Ultimate Questions, THEO 302 New Testament Gospels, THEO 307 World Religions, THEO 441 Special Topics in Theology: Introduction to Islam
Curriculum Vitae

Dr. Roy Fuller was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. He holds a B.A. from Southwest Baptist University with a double major in Religious Studies and Psychology. His graduate work was completed at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary where the Master of Divinity and Doctor of Philosophy degree were earned. Additional university study was completed at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio. Dr. Fuller has served as Project Coordinator of the Art and Soul Program of the Speed Art Museum, a nationally recognized effort that explored the relationships between religion and art. He has also been involved in interfaith relations, and served as Executive Director of the Kentuckiana Interfaith Community from 2001 to 2003. Academic appointments include teaching religious studies at Indiana University Southeast; Bellarmine University; Spalding University; Campbellsville University; and the University of Louisville, where he has taught Religious Studies since 2002. He also serves on the Grawemeyer Religion Award Committee, jointly awarded by U of L and the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

James Holladay

Courses taught: THEO 200 Ultimate Questions, THEO 305 The Quest for God

Isaac McDaniel

Courses taught: THEO 200 Ultimate Questions
Curriculum Vitae

The Rev. Dr. Isaac McDaniel is a Roman Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Louisville. He received a B.A. from Centre College in 1971, an M.Div. from St. Meinrad School of Theology in 1979 and a Ph.D. in History from the University of Notre Dame in 1991. He teaches part-time at Bellarmine University and Spalding University.

Ronald C. Oliver

Courses taught: THEO 450 Moral Issues in Health Care
Curriculum Vitae

Ronald C. Oliver is the System Vice President, Mission and Outreach, of Norton Healthcare, Louisville, KY. Ordained and endorsed by Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, he was board certified by APC in 1996. He holds doctor of philosophy, master of theology and master of divinity degrees from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He served on the APC 2010 Conference Planning Committee as the Plenary Speakers Subcommittee chair. In addition, he currently serves on the Board of Advisors of WaterStep and the Advisory Board of the Young Professionals of Louisville, and formerly served on the Wayne E. Oates Institute Board of Directors. A member of the American Red Cross Disaster Spiritual Care Action Team, he is the Area Advisor for chapters in the Southeastern U.S. establishing disaster spiritual care teams.

David Orberson

Courses taught: THEO 200 Ultimate Questions

David Orberson graduated from Bellarmine in 1990 with BA in Business Administration. In 2005 he earned my Master of Theological Studies from the St Meinrad School of Theology. Since then he has been working part time on my PhD, first at the University of Dayton and now at the University of Louisville. David has been teaching part-time at Bellarmine since 2007. In addition, he’s been in the insurance and risk management field since graduating from college and he is currently the Senior Director of Risk Services for Papa John's International.

Joseph Rapport

Courses taught: THEO 401 History of Judaic Thought I, THEO 402 History of Judaic Thought II

Rabbi Joseph Rapport has served the congregation since 1988. He teaches in a variety of adult education classes, as well as teaching the Religious School’s sixth grade class and the High School of Jewish Studies, guiding The Temple Confirmation Class, and working closely with Bar and Bat Mitzvah students. Each summer, he works with Jewish children during a two-week session at Goldman Union Camp Institute in Zionsville, Indiana. He oversees many congregational programs, serving as rabbinic liaison for the Brotherhood, the Temple Archives, and the Building Committee, among others. In all of these areas, he brings a particular commitment to social action and Tikkun Olam - repairing the world.

In the community at large, Rabbi Rapport offers courses in Jewish philosophy at Bellarmine University and is often called upon to speak throughout the city. He was on the original planning committee for the new Rauch Planetarium and now serves as Chairman of its Advisory Board. He is a member of the University of Louisville Board of Overseers, and is involved in various interfaith and social action activities. He and Rabbi Rooks share a seat on the Board of Directors of the Center for Interfaith Relations and the Kentucky Interfaith Power and Light board. He is past chair of the Louisville Coalition for the Homeless, and Many People One Community, a diversity project of the NCCJ.

Melanie-Préjean Sullivan

Courses taught: THEO 200 Ultimate Questions, THEO 426 Spirituality of Sacraments, THEO 441: Special Topics: Theology of Discernment
Curriculum Vitae

Dr. Melanie-Préjean Sullivan has been the Director of Campus Ministry at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky since 2000. She is a certified campus minister and has over thirty years of experience working with interfaith groups. She has three masters degrees - in history, in counseling/student affairs, and in theological studies. Before becoming a campus minister, she was an archivist, a museum collections manager, a high school humanities teacher and a student development counselor.

Dr. Prejean’s doctorate is on the topic of discernment which she earned from the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. She is a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Phi Alpha Theta History Honorary, Epsilon Alpha Epsilon Senior Women’s Honorary, Chi Sigma Iota Counseling Honorary, and the Order of Omega Greek Honor Society. A Trustee of St. Meinrad School of Theology, she also chairs the Foundation Scholarship Committee for Alpha Delta Pi. For the Catholic Campus Ministry Association, Dr. Prejean is the Regional Representative on the Certification Committee and works with the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities on questions of mission and ministry.

Gloria Thornburg

Courses taught: THEO 305 Quest for God

Dr. Gloria Thornburg did her undergraduate work at The Ohio State University. Later degrees include an M.S. in education from Indiana University- Purdue University, an MA in Religious Studies from Mount Saint Joseph University, an MAS from Bellarmine, and a Doctor of Ministry in Classical Spirituality from Washington Theological Union. She believes in teachers learning and students teaching, in the power and beauty of words, in the quest for God as a lifelong pursuit. She believes that great teachers inspire and is privileged to have known and worked with many great teachers.