GAEDE INSTITUTE
for the Liberal Arts
The Gaede Institute for the Liberal Arts was established in 2000 with the goal of strengthening liberal arts education locally and nationally. The Institute hosts scholarly conversation on the present and future of the liberal arts, provides liberal arts opportunities to area communities outside the academy, promotes educational access for first-generation and underserved populations, and fosters interdisciplinary contact between faculty and students through extracurricular events on campus.
Programs
Incarnational Preaching Project
In a culture that is increasingly digital, artificial, and impersonal, the Incarnational Preaching Project explores how Christian proclamation can make the gospel come alive in our midst—in person, up close, and in community.
Trailhead
In an on-campus summer residency, Trailhead invites high school youth to join a community of scholars, pastors, and other professionals in exploring God's call to a meaningful life.
Frontiers
Through retreat, intellectual rejuvenation, spiritual direction, and mentorship, Frontiers offers pastors and other ministry professionals vital supports to flourish in their calling.
Young Adult Leadership Lab
In a multi-year learning community, the Young Adult Leadership Lab provides funding, training, and ongoing support for churches that want to creatively engage young adults in their twenties.
Thriving Communities
The ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Center for Thriving Communities gathers area churches to explore how we can see and do the work God calls us to here on California’s Central Coast.
The Conversation on the Liberal Arts
Our annual Conversation on the Liberal Arts gathers faculty, administrators, and students from colleges and universities nationwide to address opportunities and challenges in liberal arts education.
Liberal Arts Ambassadors
ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½'s Liberal Arts Ambassadors are first-generation college students who are trained to see and share with others the full value of a liberal arts education.
Lectures & Discussions
The Gaede Institute co-sponsors a variety of public lectures, conversations, and events.
Gaede Institute Staff
Christen Foell
DirectorChristen holds a Master of Public Administration from Seton Hall University and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½. Before joining the Gaede Institute, she served as program director for the Corella and Bertram F. Bonner Foundation in Princeton, New Jersey. Through the Institute’s work, Christen connects the resources of the liberal arts tradition to the academy, the Church, and the broader public.
Aaron Sizer
DirectorAaron holds a Ph.D. in church history and an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary. Before coming to Santa Barbara, he was an adjunct professor of religion at Villanova University; at ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½, he's taught courses in history, writing, and education. His research focuses on the institutionalization of American mainline Protestantism in the early twentieth century, with particular emphases on war, money, and gender.
Sarah Garland
Associate DirectorSarah is an alumna of ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ with a BA in Sociology. She co-directs ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½â€™s Young Adult Leadership Lab, and prior to joining the Gaede Institute she worked with International Justice Mission in Ghana as an advocate against human trafficking.
Wesley Webster-Brown
Assistant DirectorWesley holds a BA from ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ in English and Mathematics. Prior to joining the Gaede Institute, he worked in the nonprofit humanitarian sector and in education as a librarian and elementary after-school teacher.
Laura Turner
Director of the Sacred Stories ProjectLaura graduated from ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ with a BA in Political Science and a minor in Philosophy. She made the most of her time at ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ by going on Europe semester, directing Spring Sing, serving as an RA, and meeting her husband, Zack Turner, in a class.
Micaela Fernandez
Program CoordinatorMicaela is a ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ alumna with a B.S. in Biology. She has a heart for hospitality and, before joining the Gaede Institute, worked with ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½'s Conference Services Department. As an undergraduate, she also conducted research investigating the effects of SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins on neuronal signaling.
Resources & Contact
Contact any of the staff members:
Gaede Institute for the Liberal Arts
955 La Paz Road
Santa Barbara, CA 93108
Phone: 805-565-6239
Email: libarts@westmont.edu