Jason Eugea, of Groom, Texas, is CDU’s Outstanding Student of the Year. Each year CDU’s accreditor, the Distance Education Accrediting Commission, recognizes an outstanding graduate from each of its member institutions. Jason graduated summa cum laude in 2021 with a BA degree in Theology and a GPA of 4.01. Distance education helped Jason to earn his degree while working full time. He originally started the program because of his passion for Christ, but he also
knew it would give him a head start when beginning deacon formation in the Diocese of Amarillo, where he is currently an aspirant for deacon candidacy. He is on track to be ordained in December of 2025. After graduation, Eugea left his factory job in Amarillo to begin working for Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ Ministries (see crossministries.net). He performs maintenance tasks, runs the gift shop, and best of all, gets to talk to people about his faith all day.

Rev. Asadur M. Minasian (MA in Theology, 2021) was ordained to the Sacred Order of the Priesthood in the Armenian Catholic Church on December 19, 2021. Father Minasian is the Pastor of St. Mark’s Armenian Catholic Church in
Philadelphia. He said that Dean Dr. Peter Brown specifically and the CDU staff were a big part of this joyous occasion. “CDU was the final step in my educational journey to achieve this,” said Father Minasian.

We welcome Mike Grasinski to the faculty. Grasinski, President of Evangelization for the Ruah Woods Institute, has spent years becoming immersed in the intellectual and spiritual riches of the Church. Grasinski is a BA in Theology graduate of Catholic Distance University. He earned his MA (Philosophy) at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, and is working toward his Ph.D. in Philosophy at St. Patrick’s Pontifical College, Maynooth, Ireland. Specializing in Philosophy, Christian Anthropology, Phenomenology, and Metaphysics, he will be teaching the undergraduate course PHIL 235 Philosophy of the Human Person.

CDU welcomes Dr. Tamra Fromm, who will be teaching RELED 560 Principles of Catholic Education and directing the MA in Theology and Educational Ministry practicum. Dr. Fromm holds a doctorate from Maryvale Institute/Liverpool Hope University in the United Kingdom. Her professional background with the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Detroit includes service in seminary administration, diocesan marketing for Catholic schools, and young adult ministry. In addition to teaching for CDU, Dr. Fromm is an instructor of the Old Testament with the
Catholic Biblical School of Michigan. She is also an associate lecturer on catechesis and research methods with Maryvale Institute, where she supervises deacons and lay students involved in parish research projects. Previously, Dr. Fromm taught various courses on Theology and Sacred Scripture for Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. Dr. Fromm is the author of Pre-Evangelization and Young Adult “Native Nones”: A New Paradigm for Reaching the Unchurched (Pickwick Publications) and numerous articles on John Henry Newman, evangelization, and Scripture for academic journals and blogs.

We congratulate Cynthia Stalcup (MA in Theology, 2020), who is now serving as Director of Continuing Education.

Brian Maher has been appointed Treasurer and Chair of the Audit and Finance Committee of the Board of Trustees. We are grateful to Trustee Harry Wilkins for his years of service as Board Treasurer.

Paul Schott Stevens has been appointed Vice Chair of the Audit and Finance Committee.