At MBU you will find professors -- not graduate students -- teaching your classes. MBU recruits the finest professors with an outstanding percentage -- nearly 70 percent with Ph.D.’s or terminal degrees in their field. You will find them spending time with you, answering questions after class, sharing with you how their faith affects the way they live.
Meet a few of MBU's Professors:
Cathy Benton
Brenda D. Bradford
Curtis McClain
Dr. John Han
Dr. Cathy Benton, professor of music, is involved in several organizations
including Music Teacher’s National Association, the Missouri Music
Teacher’s association, and the St. Louis Music Teacher’s Association
where she serves as directory chairperson.
She was awarded the 2001 Emerson Electric Award for her excellence in teaching. Dr. Benton is the Director of the MBU Ringers, the University’s hand bell ensemble and teaches classroom and private piano lessons.
Dr. Benton was also featured in the 2000 edition of Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. In January 2000 she published a piece for the Piano Guild Notes entitled “Norman Dello Joio and His Music for the Piano.”
After earning her bachelor’s in music education degree from Murray State University in Murray Kentucky in piano, she attended Webster University for her master’s. Recently, Dr. Benton received her Doctorate at the University of Missouri-Kansas City in piano performance.
"Enthusiastic,
determined and a true go-getter." This is how students describe Professor
Brenda Bradford.
Bradford is the business division chair and professor at the University, serving as sponsor for the MBU Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team, member of the Dean's Council, and technology committee. In 2000, she was named a Sam M. Walton Free Enterprise Fellow in recognition of her leadership and support of the SIFE program at MBU.
SIFE has been a true passion of Bradford's as she encourages students to take classroom knowledge and apply it to real-life situations - and to use their knowledge to better their communities through educational and community service projects. SIFE is a national non-profit organization that works in partnership with business and higher education to provide college students the opportunity to develop leadership, teamwork, and communication skills through learning, practicing, and teaching the principles of free enterprise.
Bradford accompanied the MBU team to Memphis where they matched their educational outreach projects against the programs of twenty-three other SIFE teams from other colleges and universities at the 2001 SIFE Regional Exposition and Career Opportunity Fair. They were awarded "Regional First Runner-up."
Bradford's visionary approach can be traced throughout her life. She was raised here in St. Louis and graduated from Soldan High School. She kept honor roll and dean's list status throughout her undergraduate and graduate studies at Washington University. Bradford enrolled in the Saint Louis University-School of Business and Administration Ph.D. Program in 1991, where she continues her work.
Brenda is a member of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in East St. Louis, IL, where her husband of eight years, Tonnie Bradford is the pastor. Brenda is actively involved with the church as a Sunday school teacher, social service ministry director, and assistant choir director. She has also been active in the St. Louis community having served on the Executive Board of the Urban League Block Unit Association, and served as a participant in the St. Louis Public Schools "Women of Tomorrow, Train Today" and Career Counseling Programs.
"Mrs. Bradford works with a passion-not just for her job, but for her students. Her enthusiasm is directed into making certain that her students learn and understand that what she teaches in class are life lessons, not just subject knowledge," says Jon McDonald, a senior in the business division.
Dr.
Curtis McClain, professor of religion and chair of the humanities division,
is in his thirteenth year at Missouri Baptist University. His passion
for God and enthusiasm in teaching has touched many lives and led to high
levels of personal achievement.
McClain came to MBU in 1988 and has taught classes in biblical Studies, biblical languages, philosophical studies, religious studies, and religious education. Along with his teaching, Dr. McClain has served as the division chair for ten years.
McClain's accomplishments have also led to both pastoral service and missions work in places such as Riga, Lativa and Townsville, Queensland, Australia. McClain has published a number of works including articles for the St. Louis Metro Voice and the Mid-America Theological Journal.
After earning his B.A. in Greek and Bible from Howard Payne University, McClain decided to pursue further education. He received his master of divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1980 and went on to Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary where he received his Th. D. in 1990 and his Ph.D. in Biblical Languages in 1995. Professor McClain has held previous teaching positions at both Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary.
Dr. McClain has had the opportunity to see many students transform their MBU classrooms into places of ministry, including pastoral, counseling, missionary and youth ministry positions with a high percentage entering seminary.
McClain has been married to his wife, Patsy, for twenty years and has two daughters, Beth, 16, and Meredith, 6, and he attends FBC St. John with his family.
Dr. John Han, professor of English at Missouri Baptist University, has
authored a number of writings in the past academic year, in addition to
his role at MBU. Han has submitted ten reference articles that were accepted
for publication in books such as Asian-American Playwrights: A Bio-Bibliographical
Critical Sourcebook, Asian-American Autobiographers: A Bio-Bibliographical
Critical Sourcebook, and Catholic Women Writers. His English-to-Korean
translations include Healing Prayer by Reginald Cherry and “A Hanging”
by George Orwell.
Han received the Parkway Distinguished Teaching Award. He was presented the award by College's President, Dr. Alton Lacey, on behalf of Parkway Baptist Church, St. Louis, during commencement ceremonies. The Distinguished Teaching Award is designed to annually recognize a professor with outstanding dedication and enthusiasm.
Han was also honored during the 2000/2001 academic year by Who's Who Among America's Teachers and recognized with the Emerson Electric Award for his commitment to students and Christian education.
Dr. John Han received his Ph.D. in English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He received his M.A. in English from Kansas State University and M.Ed. in English Education from Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea. He earned his B.A. in English Language and Literature from Kookmin University, Seoul, Korea.
