KIRSTEN ADAIR | STAFF REPORTER
The Center for Faith and Vocation Search Committee has unanimously appointed Daniel Meyers as the new director of the Center for Faith and Vocation.
According to an email sent from Associate Provost Mary Macmanus Ramsbottom on February 2, Meyers will make his debut at Butler as the director of the CFV on June first of this year.
Daniel Meyers
“As soon as he arrives he will be reaching out to people all over the Butler community,” said Dr. Paul Valliere, faculty director of the Center for Faith and Vocation.
“He’s just the right guy for the task. He’s young, really young, bright, really bright, and personable, really personable. Someone a student would identify as a person to engage with about this center.”
Butler began looking for a new director for the CFV after the previous director of ten years, Judith Cebula, was hired as the Director of Communications at Lily Endowment, Inc.
A search committee representing each college and composed of faculty from various departments was selected to choose the new director. The committee was co-chaired by Ramsbottom and chemistry professor Robert Pribush.
The committee screened a total of 52 applicants, and Meyers was highly ranked coming out of interviews. Ramsbottom said that although all the applicants were well qualified and would have been good additions to the Butler community, Meyers had something extra that set him apart.
“We had a really wonderful group of finalists,” she said. “We would have been happy appointing any of them. Daniel had everything we were looking for and more. All feedback was very, very positive.”
Ramsbottom said that the committee was looking for someone with the personal characteristics to succeed, as well as deep experience. They specifically looked for someone with cooperation skills, a great sense of humor, academic curiosity, and a commitment to pastoral care.
She said that the search committee was impressed by Meyers’ candid, unguarded personality, his humor, and his calmness.
The email sent to students last Monday said that Meyers double majored in Biochemistry and Religious Studies at Willamette University, received a master of divinity at Yale Divinity School, and was ordained in the United Church of Christ. He is currently completing a two year position as Earl Hall Religious Life Fellow in the Office of the University Chaplain at Columbia University.
Valliere said he is looking forward to Meyers’ arrival because he thinks that Meyers will promote the CFV in a way that makes clear why students should take advantage of it.
He emphasized that the CFV’s first priority is outreach because many students don’t really understand its purpose to connect people’s values with their work life.
Ramsbottom said that she thinks Meyers will strive to increase awareness about and participation in CFV programs.
“Daniel clearly has a commitment to reaching all students on campus,” she said.
“He wants to be everywhere because students are everywhere.”
Valliere expects that Meyers will look forward to meeting more students, faculty, and staff when he arrives on campus in June. He said he is eager to introduce Meyers to alumni who were involved with the CFV to discuss how to grow the CFV and get students more involved.
“I don’t think we’re expecting to see less of anything,” Valliere said. “I think we’re expecting to see more. More programs, and expansion of participation in existing programs.”
