Research Team
The Research Team was led by Dr. Miriam Charter with the assistance of three PhD students in the Educational Studies program at TEDS. All four members of the team have previous experience in dealing with cross-cultural issues in theological education.
Miriam Charter
Miriam Charter(MDiv, PhD) is Director of the PhD (Educational Studies) program at Trinity and Associate Professor of Educational Ministries. She brings to the project 25 years of teaching experience in cross-cultural contexts across Canada, Europe and Russia. She currently teaches the Qualitative Research Methods course in the PhD program and will provide to the project knowledgeable oversight to all aspects of research design, methodology, and development of protocol for the project.
Cheryl Guth
Cheryl Guth (MA) is an American who has lived internationally for 13 years of her adult life. She was an international student, doing post graduate work in Adult Learning at the University of Calgary. She also taught church ministries for five years at a Canadian graduate school where more than half of her students were internationals or recent immigrants. Currently she is a full time student in the PhD/EDS program as well as a lecturer in the Christian Ministries department of Trinity College and a doctoral fellow for the EDS program. She plans to do her dissertation research in the area of the challenges faced by professors teaching international students.
Cesar Lopes
Cesar Lopes (ThM) has been working since 2000 as professor in several seminaries and colleges in Brazil, his home country, where he taught and counseled international students in multinational academic contexts. Between 2007 and 2008 he worked as associate academic dean for faculty development at ISBL College, a theological school in Londrina, Brazil. His experience also includes teaching short-term classes in Mozambique, Southeast Africa.
Felix Theonugraha
Felix Theonugraha (MDiv) is a second year doctoral student. He was born in Indonesia, and lived in Taiwan before coming to the United States. He currently serves as the Associate Dean of Students at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School where his primary responsibility is to oversee the overall international student’s experiences at Trinity, beginning prior to their arrival on campus through graduation. He also oversees new student orientation for both international students and domestic students. Fluent in Mandarin and having experienced studying overseas, Felix enjoys helping international students feel increasingly comfortable during their time at Trinity.