Plenary Speakers
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David S. Cunningham
Dr. David Cunningham is executive director of NetVUE, based at Aquinas College, where he also serves as professor of theology. He previously directed the NetVUE Scholarly Resources Project, editing three Oxford University Press volumes and contributing to each. His chapter “Colleges Have Callings, Too” is a key reference on institutional vocation. He has authored five books and edited two others. He has held faculty roles at Hope College, Seabury-Western, and the University of St. Thomas, and holds degrees from Northwestern, Cambridge, and Duke. His fellowships include the Humboldt (Freiburg) and Richardson (Durham).
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Rachael Baker
Dr. Rachael Baker serves as associate director of NetVUE. In this position, she leads a wide range of initiatives designed to help member institutions implement vocation-informed programs and practices for faculty members, staff, and students. Among other projects, she leads NetVUE’s efforts to provide faculty and staff development opportunities for member institutions, as well as assistance with the assessment of their grant-funded projects. She also holds a faculty appointment as associate professor of chemistry at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Rachael was a participant in the 2021 NetVUE Teaching Vocational Exploration seminar, which encouraged her to develop curriculum to engage students with virtue practices in courses across their programs, helping students engage thoughtfully in communities and teams. Rachael holds a BS in biochemistry from Calvin University and a PhD in biochemistry and biophysics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
