The Blue
Tribune
The Blue Tribune is your place to learn about all things Covenant and keep up with stories from campus and beyond. By guiding you through the different aspects of Covenant, we'll help you decide if you want to pursue your very own Covenant experience.
A Reflection on Faculty Accomplishments of 2023
As an academic community committed to Christ-honoring excellence, Covenant is proud of the many scholarly accomplishments by our faculty through the years. From publishing books and journal articles to completing doctorates and presenting their research all over the world, Covenant faculty continue to honor the Lord inside and outside the classroom in broader audiences within their academic disciplines. The following are just a few examples of what our faculty members accomplished in the past year.
Book Awards and Recognitions
Professor of theological studies Dr. Kelly Kapic’s most recent book You’re Only Human (2022) was awarded the 2023 Georgia Author of the Year Finalist in the category of Inspirational, making it through all the rounds against other great books and authors from places like Emory, UGA, Berry, Mercer, Spelman, and Morehouse, as well as non-academic authors. To receive this award from a secular committee is an exciting recognition not just for Kelly, but for Covenant. Art professor Dr. Elissa (Mather) Weichbrodt ’04 was named winner in The Gospel Coalition’s 2023 Book Awards category of Arts and Culture for her book Redeeming Vision. Adjunct pyschology professor Liz Edrington’s 31-day devotional book for teenagers titled Anxiety: Finding the Better Story was also selected as winner by The Gospel Coalition in the category of Bible Study & Devotional Literature. These books authored by Kelly Kapic, Elissa Weichbrodt, and Liz Edrington offer encouragement both to the Church and the broader culture, granting their readers wisdom on how to see ourselves, our neighbors, and even the art created by our fellow image bearers with clear and loving eyes.
Research Grant
History professor Dr. Alicia Jackson is one of nine recipients from over 100 applicants to receive a 2024 Louisville Project Grant for Researchers. Alicia Jackson’s funded historical research on African American communities in north Georgia is a beautiful picture of how our faculty are meaningfully involved with our particular region in service to the Kingdom and the common good.
Conference Presentation
In May, Dr. Debora Forteza presented a paper at the University of Salamanca at a one-day symposium held at the University of Salamanca in Spain. Deborah also presented her book, The English Reformation in the Spanish Imagination: Rewriting Nero, Jezebel, and the Dragon, at the triennial meeting of the International Association of Hispanists in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, and a paper at the meeting of the International Association of Golden Age Spain in Oviedo, Spain. Dr. Forteza’s first published monograph distinguishes her (and Covenant) in the broader scholarly community.
Doctorate Completions and Awards
Finally, professor of music, David Tahere, now Dr. Tahere, was awarded his doctorate in music from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Additionally, Professor Arwen Matos-Wood, also completing her doctorate, is the 2023 recipient of the PhD Project's Marketing Doctoral Student Association's Teaching Excellence Award. Arwen also contributed to the Journal of Marketing Research (JMR). Just as we were happy to support Professor Tahere’s graduate work, we are grateful to do likewise for Arwen Matos-Wood as she works toward her doctorate in marketing from Kennesaw State.
As we reflect upon another year with these dear colleagues, their love for God, and their deep sense of calling as Christian scholars and teachers here at Covenant College, we are reminded of the opening verses of Psalm 115: “Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.”