University of Texas at Dallas RUF International
Join us on Thursdays from 7-8:30pm on campus!
Contact
RUF-International at UT-Dallas exists to WELCOME scholars and students from all nations, help them EXPLORE the gospel of Jesus Christ, and EQUIP Christian internationals to be servant-leaders for the kingdom of God in "every square inch" of life.
Join Us
Dinner and Discussion
Wednesday Hang With Games, Friends & Chai!
International Student Bible Study
Meet Our Team
Justin Smith
Justin Smith is a native Texan originally from Arlington. He initially got involved with RUF as an undergrad at Belmont University, from which he graduated in 2007. Justin met his wife, Kathryn (a Vanderbilt grad and RUF Intern), at RUF’s summer conference in 2010. A year later, they were married and moved to Atlanta, where Justin completed seminary at RTS Atlanta. Justin served for 8 years with RUF (national) at the University of North Texas before coming to UTD. Justin and Kathryn are excited about welcoming and serving the international students at UTD. They also enjoy cooking and eating new foods, music, day hikes, welcoming folks in their home, and the Texas Rangers. They have three wonderful children: Vivian, Nathaniel, and Eleanor.
Hailey Tarbell
Hailey grew up in multiple different states, but her family eventually settled down in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She attended The University of Tulsa and received a degree in Speech and Language Pathology. The Lord led her to RUF when she was a freshman and the ministry became an essential part of her college experience. Upon graduating from TU in 2017, she moved to Southern California to start working for RUF at UC Irvine. She worked for RUF in California for 4.5 years and during that time met her wonderful husband, Erik. After getting married in December 2021, Erik and Hailey left SoCal and moved to their new home and community in Fate, TX. She is thrilled to work for RUF-I in Dallas and meet people from all nations and different cultural backgrounds. Hailey and Erik enjoy coffee, reading, being outside, snow sports, exploring various foods and recipes, and spending time with friends and family.