We are thrilled to welcome these new Ministry Staff– some new to our staff and some on new campuses! Please pray for them as they begin their ministries and continue God’s work through RUF around the nation.
Campus Staff
Anna Ayers – Clemson (RUF-I) God put a love for the nations on her heart at a young age and she is thrilled to be a part of welcoming and befriending international students from all over the world at Clemson.
Lauren Danforth – Baylor Some of her favorite things are taking long walks outside, playing pickleball, watching sports, wandering through grocery stores, and baking cakes.
Emma Holland – UT – Austin She loves baking (especially chocolate chip cookies), running Town Lake, spending time with her fiancé Mason, reading, and frequenting Zed’s Ice Cream multiple times a week.
Grace Kreul – UT – Chattanooga She loves kickboxing and trail running, has two cats (though she says she’s not a cat person), and is a twin.
Kaitlyn Kuntz – Rice She loves exploring new places from restaurants and coffee shops to running and hiking trails.
Hannah Murphy – University of Tulsa She loves long walks by the river, playing sports and board games, frequenting Tulsa’s coffee shops, and having meals with friends.
Hannah Sandridge – Davidson College She loves singing and playing the piano, playing games, and quality time with friends and family.
Jessica Shaver – Penn State She likes drinking matcha, going on runs, rock climbing or going for a hike.
Catherine Upton – UT – Chattonooga After college, Catherine moved to Liberia, West Africa, to serve at a Christian teacher training college. While there, she developed a love and passion for discipling college students.
Sara Bausch – Rowan She has been running a homeschool theater group for the last eight years, where she both writes and directs full-length plays and interactive murder mystery performances for the local public.
Leslie Gunter – Belhaven She enjoys running, reading, making (and drinking) coffee, and she and her husband Peyton love to host board game nights with friends!
Campus Ministers, Associates, & Assistants
Seth Adams – North Dakota State He grew up in upstate New York, spending most of his time outside, and today he still loves the great outdoors.
William Alderman – Univ. of South Alabama He is excited to be restarting RUF at South Alabama.
Josh Campbell – Carson Newman He loves coffee and chasing his crazy kids around the house.
Grant Carter – Texas A&M He loves cooking dinner with his wife, reading all day, and watching Aggie football- even though the team brings him much heartache.
Austin Cassel – Kent State In his free time, you can find Austin cycling, cooking, reading good books, and fixing stuff.
Kevin Chen – Univ. of Michigan He enjoys meeting new people and connecting over coffee or tea with plenty of creamer.
Trenton Cleveland – Penn State (RUF-I) He love hosting friends and family for semi-regular Friday dinners (where he experiments with new recipes), critiquing movies, exploring new cultures, and playing video games.
Jay Dent – USAFA While pursuing seminary studies in Philadelphia, Jay joined the U.S. Army Reserve to become a chaplain.
Nick DeVusser – University of Iowa If he’s not working out, reading whatever is interesting to him at the moment, spending time with his wife and son, or playing with his dog, he is probably watching football or rewatching The Office for the 900th time.
Coleman Greene – Wofford He loves cooking, camping, playing music with friends, and watching baseball.
Seth Gurley – College of Charleston He loves exploring the great outdoors, reading books, attempting to stay in shape, and finding all the good restaurants with his wife Jillian.
Sean Han – Duke He is excited to be on campus at Duke!
Justin Helms – LSU He enjoys watching and playing any kind of sports (go Braves, go Panthers, go Grizz, geaux Tigers), watching movies, and playing with his golden retriever, Dansby.
Bobby Kazanski – UT – Arlington He is excited to be on campus at UT-A!
Noah Kershner – Georgia Tech He loves all things Georgia football, has a deep passion for Chick-fil-A, and enjoys a fun round of golf.
Trey Martin – Univ. of North Georgia He is excited to be back on home turf and in one of his favorite places: the Blue Ridge Mountains.
John Matta – Northwestern (RUF-I) In his free time, you can find John training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or practicing his French.
Bryce Nguyen – Univ. of Tulsa Bryce loves music, learning, wrestling, and spending time with friends and family.
Fraser Perrett – University of Alabama (RUF-I) He loves hiking, camping, gardening, biking, or checking out new restaurants and coffee shops.
Walker Rose – Univ. of Tulsa Walker loves all things outdoors, working on trucks and cars, and spending time with his wife and children.
Tim Sandridge – Johnson & Wales He enjoys spending time with his wife Hannah going on walks, watching their favorite TV shows and movies, or playing board games together.
Peter Scheidt – Colorado School of Mines In their spare time you can find Peter and his wife Bekah, along with their son Caleb, cooking delicious food, playing with their cats Gimli and Gandalf, and doing just about anything to explore the outdoors.
Micah Shelton – Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo He and his wife Kate are excited to connect with students and build community at Cal Poly.
Spencer Sipe – Univ. of Memphis He and his wife Faith are excited to serve on campus, as they are both alumni, and are looking forward to seeing the ways God is at work on campus!
Jacob Virtue – MTSU Jacob loves playing soccer, reading good books, throwing down in a game of garage washers, and having honest conversations about Jesus.
Interns
Anna Boyd – University of Florida. Anna enjoys all things sports-related, going on walks, spending time with her dog, being with people, and drinking good coffee.
Tiana Brooks – Florida Atlantic Univ. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Clinical Psychology.
Katie Carr – Austin Peay State Univ. Katie loves making crafts, Excel spreadsheets, the Oxford Comma, quoting movies, and baking new recipes!
Sarah Daly – Rutgers University She loves swimming, biking, reading, and a good laugh with friends.
Kathleen Davis – Furman University She loves to be outside, swimming in a lake, walking a greenway, or gazing at a sunset.
Natalie Feldmann – East Carolina Univ. She loves crafts, being outdoors, going on trips, and playing games.
Adriana Fernandez – Univ. of New Mexico Adriana enjoys listening to music, being a fashionista, and having deep conversations.
Lucy Gibbs – University of Georgia She enjoys dancing, chess, playing the cello, and is an avid sports fan.
Sarah Gould – UC -San Diego (RUF-I) Sarah loves going to bookstores, trying new coffee shops and restaurants, and riding her bike.
Emma Gregory – Rhodes College Emma most enjoys baking, listening to music, and reading a good book!
Joy Harmon – Samford She is excited to walk alongside college students at Samford!
Cora Haste – Queens Univ. of Charlotte Hiking, long walks, home-cooked meals and good conversation bring her joy.
Ronnie Hoover – Univ. of Kansas She loves all things creative, especially painting, and finds joy in using art as a way to reflect the beauty and complexity of God’s world.
Lilah Johnson – New Mexico State Univ. Lilah loves meeting new people, exploring new topics, or having fun on the soccer field.
Emmy Johnston – Ole Miss Emmy enjoys spending time outside, going for runs, playing pickleball, and can’t resist a good cup of coffee!
Sara Larson – UNC – Chapel Hill She loves coffee, being outdoors, and exploring all that nature has to offer.
Mary Grace Leuenberger – Mercer MG loves all things photography, travel, reading, Auburn sports, and trying out new lattes.
McKenna Lewis – Purdue
Rynn Little – Appalachian State Univ. She loves to spend time outdoors, pet dogs, bake cookies, and drink coffee.
Madison Livingston – Univ. of Arkansas She loves pending time outside, playing pickleball, reading, drinking coffee and playing games.
Rachel Lopez – Mississippi State When she’s not line dancing to country music, Rachel can be found with a coffee in one hand and a good book or paintbrush in the other.
Emma Cade Marshall – ETSU She loves to travel, hike, watch a good movie, and hang out with the girls.
Kasha Mato-Toyela – Georgia Southern She’s always been passionate about learning about different people and culture, and how they all come together in this world.
Eliza Mazzaferro – UT – Knoxville Some of her favorite things include going on walks with friends, grabbing coffee, driving with good music, and just being outside.
Polly Mooney – Vanderbilt She loves making music with her husband, Sam, and enjoys reading, knitting, antiquing, and cheering on the Ole Miss Rebels (and now, the Commodores!)
Katherine Noonan – Vanderbilt Katherine loves songwriting, hiking, skiing, walking with friends, and pickleball!
Addie Olsen – Rice Addie enjoys playing cello and piano, running, baking, fishing, sailing, and ultimate frisbee.
Ashley Preston – University of Illinois In her free time, she loves creating art, journaling, reading, baking, going on walks, watching movies, and exploring new coffee shops.
Christa Riggins – SC State Univ. In her free time, Christa enjoys going for walks, reading, game nights, and spending time with family and friends.
Mikaela Sesler – Florida Gulf Coast Univ. She loves long walks, drives along the PCH, or during a game of beach volleyball/spikeball.
Elise Slaton – Alabama She enjoys early morning coffee, long walks with friends, cooking, playing pickleball, and anything outdoors.
Bella Stusse – Tennessee Tech Univ. Bella loves reading, painting, swimming and getting outside.
Ginger Vernon – University of Georgia If she isn’t off backpacking, you’ll probably find her at a coffee shop, playing pickleball, or baking chocolate chip cookies.
Kalli Walsh – Lehigh University She loves long walks, sunshine, and quality time with friends.
Ada Weaver – NC State Ada loves hiking, running, crochet, and dog training.
Jenna White – University of Memphis Jenna loves country dancing, baking, and board games.
Megan Williams – Mississippi College Megan loves to do anything outside, including hiking, camping, and rock climbing.
Caroline Woodall – University of Michigan Caroline loves starting art projects, dancing, thrifting, listening to audiobooks, and hanging out with her soon-to-be husband, Dylan.
Lucas Ballard – University of Missouri Lucas enjoys music, reading, hiking, and deep conversations.
Julius Bestman – Howard University Julius is into boxing, comedy, sci-fi movies, and finding ways to have real conversations that matter.
Jay Bowman – Rhodes Collge
Ryan Chatelain – UT – Tyler Ryan enjoys playing board games, video games with friends, playing volleyball, cooking, and singing.
Bruce Clark – Kennesaw State Bruce loves to spend time with friends and family or obsess over anything nerdy, from books and history to video games and movies.
Cole Coffee – SMU (RUF-I) Cole loves to play tennis, volleyball, the outdoors, and dancing.
Nathan Daly – James Madison University Nathan loves to read just about anything (fantasy, sci-fi, Charles Spurgeon sermons, classic poetry/novels, etc.)
Titus Dubs – UM – Baltimore County Titus is easily excited by learning; he enjoys walks in the woods, reading, singing, writing, meeting with friends, and discussing the goodness of God in Christ!
Joshua Farrington – Jackson State He likes to play basketball, watch movies, take pictures, and socialize with friends.
Ben Ford – Mississippi State He enjoys movies, sports, fishing, traveling, and writing.
Elijah Graham – UT – Austin His hobbies are playing spikeball, singing karaoke, playing guitar, and fishing!
Andrew Graham – University of Oklahoma Andrew enjoys playing both tennis and pickleball, watching New Orleans Saints football, the occasional good book, and searching for the best coffeeshop in town.
Carter Hickel – Davidson College Carter enjoys reading, movies, rock climbing, and the mountains but is most often found in a hammock or doing work in a coffee shop.
Jack Howard – University of Washington Jack’s hobbies include rock climbing, traveling, and writing or sketching.
Ian Jones – Univ. of Alabama – Huntsville He can often be found enjoying games with others, reading a good book, or putting his creative drive to use!
Wilson Kasischke – University of Michigan He loves running, cycling, watching football, hiking and always enjoys a good action movie or comedy T.V. show.
Connor Lawrence – Rice He loves to read theology books (especially the Puritans!), lift heavy weights, go on trail runs, and listen to, play, and write music.
Jake Mancuso – UVA Nothing brings him more joy than deep, Christ-centered conversations.
Daniel McSwain – Belhaven You can find him going outside hiking or camping with friends, hitting up the local coffee shops, or practicing his cooking skills with new recipes!
Bennett Menendez-Clark – USF He graduated with a BA in History and Philosophy.
Marcos Morales – UNC – Wilmington He enjoys spending time with friends, whether that’s playing volleyball, pickleball, spikeball, hanging at the beach, watching movies, or even doing a little line dancing!
Sean Morris – Clemson Some hobbies he enjoys include pickleball, fishing, hunting, hiking, and anything outdoorsy.
Elijah Nix – Virginia Tech Elijah enjoys science, playing piano, watching movies, lifting weights, and asking existential questions.
Owen Osborne – University of Georgia In his free time, he enjoys playing tennis, watching sports, and working out.
Jackson Peden – UVA He enjoys running, pickleball, rock climbing, quality time with friends, cooking, and a good card game.
Sam Pelletier – SCAD He can frequently be seen lazing about in his hammock, hunched over a model figurine, or going off on wild excursions and adventures.
Jack Peterson – Northwestern Univ. Jack loves running, reading, classical music, college football, Lord of the Rings, chess, the Avett Brothers, and wearing socks with Crocs.
Devin Phandara – San Jose State Devin loves breakdancing, enjoying the outdoors, reading, and hanging with friends.
Luke Preston – Univ. of Illinois Luke enjoys reading, golfing, and hanging out with his wife, Ashley.
Andy Reed – UT – Chattanooga He enjoys hiking, camping, reading, hockey (go Flyers!), and spending time with family and friends.
Finn Smith – UNC – Charlotte
Robert Trujillo – Univ. of Nebraska In his free time, he enjoys playing piano and guitar.
Caedmon Uhren – Ole Miss His hobbies include playing whatever sport, board game, or video game that he and his friends are currently obsessed with, collecting and listening to vinyl records of his favorite albums, and reading high-fantasy books with an unreasonable amount of pages.
Kenyatta Ward – Columbus State He is excited to serve alongside Pastor Tim Grider at Columbus State University, where he looks forward to deepening his faith and growing in ministry.
Area Coordinators
Michael Novak – Area Coordinator for Gateway, Plains, & Peaks
Michael is originally from Memphis, Tennessee, and has been married to his wife, Rachel, since 2006. They have three children: Caleb (2008), Abigail (2010), and Katherine (2012). Michael attended the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where he first got involved with RUF as a student. He earned his Master of Divinity from Covenant Theological Seminary and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree with a focus on Ministry Leadership. From 2010 to 2017, Michael served as the RUF Campus Minister at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. He then planted and pastored Trinity Grace Church in San Antonio from 2017 to 2025.
Michael is thankful to be back with RUF and looks forward to serving the incredible RUF staff as an Area Coordinator.
Jon Talley – Area Coordinator for the Midwest Region
Originally from Athens, Georgia, Jon attended the University of George, where he met his future wife, Carrie. They were both involved in RUF as students at UGA before graduating, getting married, and moving to Philadelphia, PA for seminary at Westminster Seminary (2003-2007). After seminary, Jon and his family moved to Lexington, Virginia to work with RUF at Washington and Lee University (2007-2014). In 2014, the Lord called Jon and his family to Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he helped plant Christ Church Milwaukee. After pastoring in the local church for 11 years, Jon is excited to come back into RUF, a ministry that has shaped him and his family in deep and wonderful ways. Jon and Carrie have been married for 24 years and have 3 children: Tyndall (2005), Eliza (2007) and Knox (2011).