New Business and Engineering Faculty Share Their Passion to Serve Students
Cornerstone University is pleased to announce the appointment of several new faculty members: Jeff Degner, assistant professor of economics; Michael Greene, assistant professor of engineering; and Chris Kellner, assistant professor of finance.
Jeff Degner
Jeff Degner holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and History for Secondary Education from Western Michigan University (WMU), along with a Master of Arts in Applied Economics from WMU. He has prior experience in sales management and secondary education and also served as an adjunct faculty member at Lake Michigan College and Cornerstone.
Degner’s interests include world travel, architectural history and faith-based service. In his free time, he enjoys fishing, carpentry, drumming, reading and spending time with his wife Rachel and two daughters, Madalena and Emilia.
“I’m passionate about sharing what I learn with others,” Degner shared. “For me, that’s a key component of sharing one’s life and experiencing the joy of vulnerability. By sharing my ideas and thoughts with others, I have a deep sense of being an image bearer of God by being open about my ideas and by hearing the rich context of the thoughts of others.”
Michael Greene
Michael Greene holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Auburn University in Alabama and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in California.
Greene has previous experience working as a division officer on the USS Nebraska and as a department head on the USS Wyoming in Kings Bay, Ga. After that, he served as a watch officer at the U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Fla. Finally, Greene also has experience working as a mechanical engineer at Amway Corporation in Ada, Mich.
“I am very excited to be joining Cornerstone at the start of the new engineering program,” Greene said. “So much great work has already been done and there is still so much opportunity to grow. I am looking forward to working in a Christ-focused environment.”
Greene spends much of his free time working on various projects and spending time with his wife Deborah and his son, Matthew, a sophomore in high school.
Chris Kellner
Chris Kellner holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Grove City College and a Master of Business Administration in Leadership and Human Resources from Waynesburg University. He is currently completing a Doctor of Business Administration in Finance from Anderson University. He comes to Cornerstone from Life Pacific College in San Dimas, Calif., where he taught various business classes including statistics, economics and accounting.
Kellner shared that he is excited to serve Cornerstone students who are interested in finance and that he wants to help build a community of people who serve God out of love, using their God-given talents to create wealth for our communities and bring glory to God.
“I’m passionate about development,” Kellner said. “I’ve always found myself in development roles like big brother, coach, camp counselor, residence director, professor and entrepreneur. Whether it’s helping a student unlock their potential in class, putting a theory to the test in my research or working on a startup organization, I’m built for taking hold of a vision for a better future and working to close the gap.”
In his free time, Kellner enjoys spending time with his wife Audrey and their five-month-old, Winnie.
“After we have our devotional time with the Lord, Audrey and I enjoy sipping coffee—I’m a bit of an aficionado—while we play a friendly but competitive game of chess; Winnie usually watches,” Kellner said. “As a former college athlete, I enjoy various sports like basketball, ultimate frisbee and lacrosse. I also love being outdoors.”
