With student body growth of 57% this year, the college has been preparing to serve students well by bringing new faculty and staff on board this summer. Here’s a look at the new academic and collegiate professionals that will be working with Providence students this year.

John Cunningham

Dr. John Cunningham will be joining Providence Christian College as director of the First Year Experience (FYE).   John holds a PhD from the University of Virginia and has recently defended his dissertation entitled “Jonathan Edwards and the Trinitarian Shape of Beauty”.   John is a member of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) and has many years of experience as a pastor, counselor and teacher.

The FYE program is designed to incorporate new college students into the mission of the college and provide a foundation for students to be successful in their college careers.

Whitney Gamble

Dr. Whitney Gamble will be joining Providence Christian College as Assistant Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies. Whitney graduated as a
Biblical Studies major at Geneva College, a Reformed liberal arts institution near Pittsburgh, PA. Whitney also has a masters’ degree in theology from the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh. She then earned a PhD in theology at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Whitney will be teaching New Testament and Soteriology during her first semester.

Janice Van Spronsen

Jan has agreed to serve the college as an educational consultant for the Academic Resource Center (ARC).  In this capacity she will oversee the center to ensure that it is an effective resource for the myriad learning needs of our growing student body. Jan will continue to teach some education courses during the upcoming school year as well.

Jan has degrees from Calvin College and Point Loma Nazarene University. She has a real passion for education that is reflected in her classes.  We welcome Jan in her new role as educational consultant.

Wendy Espejel 

Wendy will be joining the Providence Soccer program as the Assistant Soccer Coach. Wendy is a graduate of Olivet Nazarene University where her team won the CCAC conference multiple times. In her senior year, Wendy led her team to a perfect conference season.

Recently, Wendy has spent two seasons assisting the Point University women’s soccer program in West Point, Georgia. Wendy is thrilled to become part of the Providence family and assist in both men’s and women’s soccer. She is passionate about investing in the lives of student athletes both on and off the field. She appreciated attending a Christian university and being part of a team where there was so much community and love for one another. She hopes to encourage the same at Providence.

Nate Landry

Nate Landry is a native of Southern California and is excited to join the Providence athletic staff as the Sports Information Director and the Assistant Baseball Coach. Nate earned a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from Grand Canyon University where he wrote the press releases for the school’s athletic teams and created the media guides for several teams.

Nate has experience in all levels of baseball and earned a Master’s degree in Sports Leadership from Northeastern University in Boston in 2012.

Bethany Gioielli

Bethany is thrilled to be joining the team at Providence as a Community Director. She will be focusing on student care. Her training includes a B.A. in Pre-Counseling from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL (’10) and a M.A. in Spiritual Formation from Talbot School of Theology in La Mirada, CA (’15).

Bethany was born and raised on the east coast and moved to Southern California in 2011 for graduate school with her husband, Chris. Bethany loves reading anything and everything written by C.S. Lewis and is a self-described at-home fitness fanatic.

Johnathan Kruis

Johnathan is excited to continue being a part of Providence, especially in the area of student life. He will be focusing on student involvement. He is a graduate of Providence Christian College (’15) with concentrations in Biblical and Theological Studies and Visual Arts.

Johnathan and his wife Evelyn, a fellow Providence graduate, love to travel, visit art galleries, go to concerts, hike, read, watch T.V. shows and movies and seek adventure. They attend Christ Reformed Church in Anaheim.

Dan Myers

Dan Myers joins our community as he leads and ministers to students in the role of chaplain this year.  Dan holds an MDiv from Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, MO and has an extensive background in church ministry and music leadership. Most recently Dan was the Director of Community Formation and Worship at Central Presbyterian Church in St. Louis.

Dan and his wife Kerstin moved back to the Southern California area and are in the process of planting a church for the PCA where he will serve as the lead pastor when the church is established. They have three daughters, Aurelia, Clara and Selah.  They are excited to join the Providence family and serve students in this capacity.