The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College
presents our sixth annual conference:

Progressive Liberals Surge, Conservatives Crackup?

April 15 & 16, 2010

Notice: Luncheon and Dinner programs are SOLD OUT.
On campus dining is available. 
Contact Brenda Vinton at 724-450-1541 for information.

Conference Speaker Biographies:

David J. Ayers is assistant dean of the Alva J. Calderwood School of Arts and Letters, chair of the sociology department, and associate professor of sociology at Grove City College. He is also the working group coordinator and a fellow for marriage & family with The Center for Vision & Values. Dr. Ayers is author of “Investigating Social Problems” (Wadsworth Publishing, 2005) and “Experiencing Social Research” (Wadsworth Publishing, 2002). His academic specialties are marriage and family, sociological theory, crime and deviance, and anthropology. Dr. Ayers holds a B.A. from Edinboro State University, an M.A. from American University, and received his Ph.D. from New York University. Tentative topic: “The 2008 Presidential Election: A Progressive Mandate? A Hard Look at the Polling Data.” _________________________________________________________________________________________

Michelle D. Bernard is president and CEO of the Independent Women's Forum, an MSNBC political analyst, a regular panelist with MSNBC's “Hardball with Chris Matthews” and “The McLaughlin Group,” and a Sunday columnist with The Examiner. She is the author of “Women's Progress: How Women are Wealthier, Healthier, and More Independent than Ever Before” (Spence Publishing, 2007), a contributing author to the National Urban League's “State of Black America” (2009), and Lifetime Network's “Secrets of Powerful Women: 25 Successful American Politicians Tell How They Got Where They Are—And What It's Like” (Hyperion Books, 2010). Before joining IWF, Bernard had a short stint with the 2000 Bush-Cheney Presidential Inaugural Committee, Inc. and was a partner at the District of Columbia's Patton Boggs LLP. Ms. Bernard holds a B.A. in philosophy and political science from Howard University and a Juris Doctor degree from the Georgetown University Law Center.

Tentative topic: “The Progressives: Personal Responsibility and Education Reform”

Jennifer Biddison is the owner of Jennifer Biddison Consulting, a web and communications consulting firm. From 2001-2006, Jennifer Biddison was responsible for all of Townhall.com’s partnerships with conservative organizations and websites. As the coalitions manager for this top conservative media website, she gained invaluable expertise into online media and established thousands of contacts in think tanks and in the media. While at Townhall.com, she was recognized for her writing and editing skills, as well as for her expertise on improving the effectiveness and reach of websites. She appeared on Bill Bennett’s national radio show and is a regular instructor at the Leadership Institute’s Internet Activist School. Previously, Jennifer served as director of SERVEnet.org, a national volunteer-matching website; and as legislative correspondent and webmaster for Rep. Greg Ganske. Biddison received her B.A. in psychology and sociology from Wheaton College.
Tentative topic: “From MoveOn.org to DailyKos: Progressives and the Web”
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Michael L. Coulter is a professor of humanities and political science at Grove City College and a contributing scholar with The Center for Vision & Values. His academic specialties are American government and political theory. A co-editor of the “Encyclopedia of Catholic Social Teaching, Social Science and Social Policy” (Scarecrow Press, 2007), Coulter has also has authored chapters for “Church-State Issues in America Today,” (Praeger, 2008), “Catholic Social Teaching: American Reflections on the Compendium” (Lexington Books, 2008), and has authored three entries for the five-volume “Encyclopedia of the Supreme Court of the United States” (Macmillan, 2008) in addition to contributing an entry to “Magill’s Survey of World Literature, Revised Edition” (Salem Press, 2009). Coulter graduated from Grove City College and holds both an M.A. and a Ph.D. in politics from the University of Dallas.
Tentative topic: “The Progressives on the Founders”

Jason R. Edwards is an associate professor of education and history at Grove City College and the director of educational policy studies. He is a contributing scholar with The Center for Vision & Values and a member of both the ethics & character formation and educational policy working groups. The co-author of “Ask the Professor: What Freshmen Need to Know” (Greyhound Books, 2008), Edwards is a Lehrman Scholar and Salvatori Fellow for the Intercollegiate Studies Institute and has worked in partnership with Princeton University’s James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. Edwards received a B.A. in history from Asbury College, his M.A. in history from the University of Kentucky, and his doctorate in history and philosophy of education from the University of Kentucky.Tentative topic: “Progressives and Eugenics: From Sanger to Singer”
Tentative topic: “Progressives and Education: From Dewey to Obama” 

Marvin J. Folkertsma is chairman of the political science department, professor of political science, and director of the Washington internship program at Grove City College. A fellow for American studies with The Center for Vision & Values, he is also the author of several non-fiction and fiction books, including “Ideology and Leadership” (Prentice Hall, 1988) and a high-energy novel titled “The Thirteenth Commandment” (Glenbridge Publishing, 2004). His current projects include “The Temperaments of Politics,” “The Politics of Deliverance,” and international studies. Folkertsma received his B.A. from Calvin College and both his M.A. and Ph.D. from Wayne State University.
Tentative topic: “Progressive Utopians”
Paper title: “Paths to Utopia: Bellamy and Marx”

T. David Gordon is a professor of religion and Greek at Grove City College and author of “Why Johnny Can’t Preach: The Media Have Shaped the Messengers,” (P&R Publishing, 2009). Gordon, whose academic specialty is New Testament, has contributed to a number of books and written numerous journal and magazine articles. Before he began teaching at Grove City College in 1999, he also taught at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary for 14 years, among other places. Gordon received a B.L.A. from Roanoke College, a M.A.R. and Th.M. from Westminster Theological Seminary, and his Ph.D. from Union Theological Seminary.
Paper title: “Progressivism and the Redefining of the Church (with special emphasis on Presbyterianism)”

Daniel Hanson is a junior at Grove City College, concentrating in political science, philosophy, and economics. A participant in over thirty campus organizations, Daniel has been an avid member of the College’s speech and debate team, which recently ranked 9^th nationally. He joined The Center for Vision & Values as a Koch student fellow in 2009 after providing international economic policy analysis at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he served as an assistant to former World Bank director Uri Dadush. He has also been employed in research positions for the Hoover Institution, the Bartlett Center for Public Policy, the State Department, and many political campaigns. Currently, his research interests focus on the evolution of property rights and democracy in the United States as well as the influence of sovereign wealth funds on global economic mechanisms.
Topic: Student Fellow Forum

Gillis J. Harp is a professor of history at Grove City College and member of the faith & politics working group with The Center for Vision & Values. He is the author of “Positivist Republic: Auguste Comte and the Reconstruction of American Liberalism, 1865-1920” (Penn State Press, 1995) and “Brahmin Prophet: Phillips Brooks and the Path of Liberal Protestantism” (Rowman & Littlefield, 2003). Dr. Harp has previously taught at McGill University and the University of Toronto, and is currently researching a book on the history of American conservatism. His academic specialty is American intellectual and cultural history, especially the nineteenth century. Dr. Harp earned his B.A. in history from Carleton University, and both his M.A. and Ph.D. in American history from the University of Virginia.
Tentative topic: “Herbert Croly and the Founding of The New Republic” Paper title: “Herbert Croly: The Making of a Progressive”

Andrew J. Harvey is an associate professor of English at Grove City College and a contributing scholar with The Center for Vision & Values. Prior to coming to Grove City, he taught English at Eastern Mennonite University, University of Virginia College at Wise, and was a teaching fellow in the department of English at UNC Chapel Hill. His academic specialty is Medieval and Renaissance English Literature. Harvey received his B.A. from James Madison University, and both his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Paper topic: Progressives and the culture of death

Mark W. Hendrickson is a faculty member, economist, and contributing scholar with The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College. The author of “America’s March Toward Communism” (Libertarian Press, 1987), he has taught at Westminster College and Allegheny College, in addition to publishing over one hundred articles on politics and economics. While serving as director of seminars at the Foundation for Economic Education in 1991, he created the “Fee Classics” series of books, editing the first two volumes of “The Morality of Capitalism” (Foundation for Economic Education, 1992). Dr. Hendrickson received his B.A. from Albion College with both his M.A. and Ph.D. from International University. He also studied law at the University of Michigan, literature at Oxford, moral education at Harvard, and economics under the tutelage of the renowned Austrian economist and legendary Grove City College professor Dr. Hans F. Sennholz.
Tentative topic: “Progressivism and the Road to Serfdom”

Robert Jackson is an associate professor of English and education at The King's College where he oversees the curricular concentration on the history and philosophy of education, and he teaches courses on poetry and literature, the philosophy and history of education, and research writing. Jackson serves on the Academic Affairs Committee and the Writing Committee. He also serves as the faculty advisor to The Student Voice, the student’s publishing organization, and as the faculty mentor to the men in the House of C.S. Lewis. Jackson began teaching at The King's College in 2001. He received his B.A.in psychology, M.S. in teaching English as a second language, and his Ph.D. in multicultural education, all from Florida State University.
Tentative topic: “Progressive Education: Pedagogues, Periodicals, and the Paranoia Society”

Richard G. Jewell is the eighth president of Grove City College. The Pittsburgh lawyer and businessman was a former director of the nation’s largest forensic accounting firm, Navigant Consulting. Prior to joining Navigant, Jewell was a senior administrator in applied research at the University of Pittsburgh, executive vice president of the University of Pittsburgh Trust, a member of the university’s senior management council, and president of the Pittsburgh Applied Research Corporation. He was first elected to the Grove City College board of trustees in 1974 and also holds faculty rank in the business department as professor of business law and public policy. Dr. Jewell graduated cum laude from Grove City College with high honors in political science and went on to graduate from the University of Michigan Law School with a Juris Doctor degree.
Topic: “Progressive vs. Conservatives: The Supreme Court Rules”

Steven L. Jones is an assistant professor of sociology at Grove City College and a fellow for character & ethics with The Center for Vision & Values. He is also the coach of the College’s nationally recognized debate team and the director of the Koch Fellows program at the College. Prior to Grove City, he was associate director of the Pew Research Center on Religion and Democracy at the University of Virginia and a fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture. He has also received fellowships from the Center for Children, Families, and the Law and the Civitas Forum. Jones is the author of “Religious Schooling in America: Private Education and Public Life” (Praeger Press, 2008). He received his B.A. from Houston Baptist University, his M.T.S. from Duke University, and his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia. Tentative topic: “Progressives and Parents’ Rights” and  participation in Student Fellow Forum

Paul C. Kemeny is an associate professor of religion and humanities at Grove City College and a fellow for character & ethics with The Center for Vision & Values. He is the author of “Princeton in the Nation's Service: Religious Ideals and Educational Practice, 1868-1928,” Religion in America Series (Oxford University Press, 1998) and co-editor of “American Church History: A Reader” (Abingdon Press, 1998). His academic specialties are history of religion, American culture, and American higher education, and he is currently researching a book, “The First Moral Majority: The New England Watch and Ward Society and Moral Reform Politics in Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth-Century America,” in addition to serving as the editor of “Church, State, and Social Justice: Five Views.” Kemeny received his B.A. from Wake Forest University, his M.A.R. and M.Div. from Westminster Theological Seminary, a Th.M. from Duke University, and his Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary.
Tentative topic: “Progressives and Moral Reform”

Paul Kengor is the executive director of The Center for Vision & Values and professor of political science at Grove City College. Known for his best-selling books, “God and Ronald Reagan” (ReganBooks, 2004), “God and George W. Bush” (ReganBooks, 2005), and “The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism” (ReganBooks, 2006), Kengor frequently appears as a political commentator on national radio and television. His most recent books are “The Judge: William P. Clark, Ronald Reagan’s Top Hand” (Ignatius Press, 2007) and “God and Hillary Clinton” (Harper, 2007). He received his master’s degree from American University and his doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh. Tentative topic: “Rise and Fall: Reagan’s Victory, Bush’s Loss, and the Progressive Surge” (dinner speaker)
Tentative topic: “Potemkin Progressives: John Dewey and His Soviet Friends”

Kathryn Jean Lopez is an award-winning opinion journalist, editor of National Review Online, and an associate editor at National Review. Prior to National Review, Lopez worked at the Heritage Foundation on Capitol Hill. Besides National Review and NRO, her work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Times, The Women's Quarterly, The National Catholic Register, Our Sunday Visitor, American Outlook, New York Press, and The Human Life Review, among other publications. She has appeared on CNN, the Fox News Channel, MSNBC, Oxygen, and is a frequent guest on radio and TV shows internationally. She speaks regularly, often to high-school and college groups. Lopez is a graduate of the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where she studied philosophy and politics.
Tentative topic: “After the Crackup: the Future of Conservatism”

Michael Medved is a nationally syndicated radio talk show host, best-selling author, and veteran film critic. His daily three-hour broadcast reaches close to 5 million listeners on nearly 200 stations across the country—drawing an audience that consistently ranks his show as one of the top ten political talk shows in the United States. He is author of a dozen non-fiction books, including his latest New York Times extended bestseller: “The 10 Big Lies About America: Combating Destructive Distortions About Our Nation” (Crown Forum, 2008). He has been a frequent guest on all the major TV talk shows, including “Larry King Live,” “Nightline,” “Oprah,” “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “Good Morning America” and countless others. Medved graduated with honors from Yale University and then attended Yale Law School.
Tentative topic: “You Say You Want a Revolution? On Campus with the 60s Left” (Thursday lunch speaker)

Kevin Mooney is an investigative reporter/staff writer for the Cybercast News Service (CNSNews.com). Since joining the news operation, Kevin has reported on immigration policy, national security issues, key cultural trends and religious topics. Prior to joining CNSNews.com, Kevin worked as a reporter for the Trenton Times and Forbes Newspapers in New Jersey. He also held editorial positions with Dow Jones and Company and Bloomberg News in Princeton, N.J. Kevin holds a B.A. degree in communications and political science from Rider University. Most recently, he graduated from Regent University in Virginia Beach with a joint M.A. in journalism and public policy. Kevin’s graduate work also included a study abroad program at Hertford College in Oxford University where he studied constitutional law from British and American perspectives. Kevin is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.
Tentative topic: “Soros, Obama, and Funding the Modern Progressive Left” ______________________________________________________________________________________

Alexander Pepper is a junior at Grove City College where he studies political science and economics. Alex is a member of the successful Grove City Speech and Debate Team. He also participates in Crimson Conservatives, a student organization which promotes conservative principles, along with several academic honorary organizations. In high school, Alex was involved in both attending and organizing Model United Nations conferences, an activity which simulates the operation of various international bodies. He also led a national runner-up team in the Council for Economic Education’s Economics Challenge competition.  In the summer of 2008, Alex interned with the office of Senator John Warner of Virginia. During the summer of 2009, he was an intern with the office of Congressman Frank Wolf of Virginia. Alex is considering law school graduate studies in political science or economics upon graduation.
Topic: Student Fellows Forum
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Joseph Pearce is the writer-in-residence and associate professor of literature at Ave Maria University. He previously taught at Ave Maria College in Michigan and is author of “Wisdom & Innocence: A Life of G.K. Chesterton” (Ignatius Press, 1997). Mr. Pearce has published numerous books on the great Christian intellectuals including J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Hilaire Belloc, G.K. Chesterton, and Oscar Wilde, to name but a few. Several of his books have won literary awards. He lectures widely around the United States and Europe on many topics and has published several articles. He is the co-editor of the St. Austin Review and the editor-in-chief of Sapientia Press.
Tentative topic: “G.K. Chesterton and the Progressives” (Friday lunch speaker
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Joseph Postell is the assistant director of the B. Kenneth Simon Center for American Studies at The Heritage Foundation, which sponsors lectures, organizes seminars, crafts publications and supports scholars with the objective of teaching policymakers and political leaders about the basic principles of America's political tradition. It also explains the continued relevance and application of those principles in 21^st century America. Before joining Heritage in 2007, Postell taught political science courses at the University of Dallas, where he is completing his doctorate in American political thought and political philosophy. In 2005, he was a Publius Fellow at the Claremont Institute in California and is a member of the American Political Science Association. Postell has a masters' degree in politics from the University of Dallas and a bachelor's degree in political science from Ashland University in Ohio.
Tentative topic: “Progressives, the Constitution, and the Administrative State”

Amity Shlaes is a syndicated columnist for Bloomberg, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and author of “The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression” (Harper Perennial, 2008). Miss Shlaes was formerly a columnist for the Financial Times and a member of the editorial board of the Wall Street Journal. A two-time finalist for the Loeb Prize in commentary, Miss Shlaes was co-winner of the Frederic Bastiat Prize in 2002, a JP Morgan fellow for finance and economy at the American Academy in Berlin in 2003, is a trustee of the American Institute in Contemporary German Studies, and sits on the jury for the American Academy's fellows as well as the jury for the Bastiat Prize.

Tentative topic: “FDR, the Progressives, and the Forgotten Man” (Thursday evening keynote)

Gary Scott Smith chairs the history department at Grove City College and coordinates the humanities core. He is a fellow for faith & the presidency with The Center for Vision & Values, has published numerous articles in scholarly and popular journals, and has also penned chapters for several edited volumes on religion and society. In addition, he has authored or edited six books, including “Faith and the Presidency: From George Washington to George W. Bush” (Oxford University press, 2006). In 2000, he received Grove City College’s first Professor of the Year award, and the next year he was named Pennsylvania Professor of the Year by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. Smith earned a B.A. degree in psychology at Grove City College, a Master of Divinity degree at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary near Boston, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in American history at Johns Hopkins University.
Tentative topic: “Progressivism and the Social Gospel” Paper title: “Progressivism and Social Christianity”

John A. Sparks is dean of the Alva J. Calderwood School of Arts & Letters at Grove City College, where he teaches U.S. Constitutional history and business law, and was the former chairman of the business department. A fellow for educational policy with The Center for Vision & Values, he has been named an H.B. Earhart Foundation Fellow, an R.C. Hoiles Fellow, a Chavanne Fellow (Baylor University Hankamer School of Business), and has received the prestigious George Washington Honor Medal from the Freedoms Foundation, Valley Forge, Pa. He was named Professor of the year at both Hillsdale College (where he previously taught for seven years) and Grove City College (where he began teaching in 1976) and received the highest alumni award from his alma mater, the Jack Kennedy Memorial Achievement Award. Sparks is a graduate of Grove City College with a B.A. in economics and received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan Law School.
Tentative topic: “The Progressives and the Supremes: Progressivism and the Courts”
Paper title: “The Supreme Court During the Progressive Era—Unfairly Maligned”

Earl H. Tilford is a retired Air Force intelligence officer, professor of history at Grove City College, and fellow for the Middle East & terrorism with The Center for Vision & Values. The former director of research at the U.S. Army’s Strategic Studies Institute served as an Air Force intelligence officer with tours in Vietnam and at Headquarters, Strategic Air Command, where he was a nuclear targeting specialist. Tilford also served on the faculties at the Air Force Academy, the Air Command and Staff College, and was editor of the Air University Review, the professional journal of the Air Force. He is the author of three books and was nominated for the Furniss Book Award for “Best First Book in Military History.” Tilford received both his B.A. in history and his M.A. in American history from the University of Alabama and his Ph.D. in American and European military history from George Washington University.
Tentative topic: “National Security and the Obama Administration: A Response to the Progressive Manifesto, ‘Change for America’” Paper title: “A Progressive Agenda for National Security: the Need for Radical Change”
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L. John Van Til is a retired chair and professor of history, professor of business, and professor of humanities at GroveCity College (1972-2004) where he has taught more than 20 courses. He is also a fellow for law & humanities at The Center for Vision & Values. He assisted in the development of Grove City College’s core curriculum, which is the forerunner to College's required three-year Civilization Series, and has written more than 200 articles or essays on intellectual history, theology, philosophy, American history, and public policy, including some 80 position papers with the Public Policy Education Fund. Dr. Van Til is the author of “Liberty of Conscience” and editor of President Calvin Coolidge's three volumes of writings.  
Tentative topic: “Silent Cal vs. the Progressives”