STEUBENVILLE, OHIO—Franciscan University of Steubenville has named seven distinguished professors as its inaugural Be Light Faculty Fellows, recognizing faculty members whose sustained excellence in teaching, scholarship, service, and leadership has made an exceptional impact on students and the University’s Catholic educational mission.

The highly competitive Be Light Faculty Fellows Program was established in 2026 to recognize and retain professors whose consistent exceptional performance strengthens academic programs, creates new opportunities, inspires students, and advances the University. Recipients were selected following a nomination process and an extensive review of their performance in teaching, scholarship, and service over the previous three years, along with assessments of their broader institutional impact by their deans and department chairs. The winners each received a monetary award that can be utilized for research costs, course reduction, or salary.

The 2026 Be Light Faculty Fellows are:

Dr. Katarzyna Dudek, Associate Professor of English
Dr. Logan Gage, Professor of Philosophy
Dr. Joanne Storm Gallagher, Professor of Psychology
Dr. Daniel Kuebler, Professor of Biology
Dr. Joseph Pathakamuri, Professor of Biology
Deacon Dr. Robert Rice, Professor of Catechetics
Dr. Jeffrey Rohde, Professor of Chemistry

In announcing the fellows, Franciscan University Provost Dr. Stephen Hildebrand said, “Our faculty is unique among Catholic universities in that the whole faculty, across so many disciplines, is so devoted not only to the integrity of their own disciplines but also our Catholic identity and mission. Our formation of students can be so powerful because the whole faculty is devoted to the Lord, to the formation of students, and to the expert practice of their own disciplines.”

The seven fellows embody integration of academic rigor, personal investment in students, professional accomplishment, and fidelity to Franciscan University’s Catholic identity.

Dr. Katarzyna Dudek has helped make Franciscan University’s study abroad program in Gaming, Austria, a transformative academic and spiritual experience. Known for demanding excellence while giving students the support necessary to succeed, she uses creative approaches such as dramatic presentations, literary trials, writing workshops, pilgrimages, and guided cultural experiences in her classes.

Dr. Logan Gage is an accomplished teacher and internationally active scholar whose work has strengthened Franciscan’s philosophy and Catholic studies programs. His recent scholarship includes a book contract with Cambridge University Press, numerous peer-reviewed publications, residential fellowships with the National Institute for Newman Studies, and presentations at Notre Dame, Fordham University, the Pontifical Gregorian University, and other institutions. Gage also contributed scholarly work to the Vatican process surrounding the recognition of St. John Henry Newman as a Doctor of the Universal Church.

Dr. Joanne Storm Gallagher has combined excellence in the classroom with outstanding leadership as chair of Franciscan’s Psychology Department. Under her guidance, the department has maintained personal advising and attention while serving one of the University’s largest and fastest-growing major programs. She helped expand the department’s offerings through the addition of the human development and family studies major and a concentration in industrial-organizational psychology.

Dr. Daniel Kuebler is one of Franciscan University’s most visible voices in the international Catholic science community. His book Darwin and Doctrine received the Catholic Media Association’s Faith and Science Book of the Year Award, and he serves as vice president of the Society of Catholic Scientists. He is also a recognized expert in adult stem cell analysis who has brought substantial research funding to Franciscan and regularly involves undergraduates as collaborators and co-authors.

Dr. Joseph Pathakamuri has created opportunities for Franciscan biology, nursing, and pre-medical students to participate in authentic clinical research, medical shadowing, and collaboration with physicians and medical residents. Through partnerships with Trinity Health System and the Ohio Valley Health Center, he has helped connect classroom learning with the practice of medicine.

Deacon Dr. Robert Rice has provided essential leadership in the development and growth of Franciscan University’s online Master of Arts in Catechetics and Evangelization Program, whose graduates serve the Church in dioceses, parishes, schools, and ministries throughout the world. He was also a driving force behind the creation of Franciscan’s Doctor of Ministry in Evangelization degree, the University’s second doctoral program.

Dr. Jeffrey Rohde has built a distinctive model of undergraduate scientific formation that combines rigorous chemistry education, personal mentorship, professional experience, and service to human health. Through the Franciscan Institute for World Health, Rohde has connected students with pharmaceutical companies, research universities, and international organizations working to develop treatments for neglected tropical diseases. His students conduct meaningful research, develop relationships with professionals, and receive assistance obtaining internships, employment, and admission to graduate programs.

Together, the inaugural Be Light Faculty Fellows demonstrate the distinctive promise of a Franciscan University education where students are taught by professors who are experts in their disciplines, personally invested in their students, and committed to placing intellectual and professional excellence within the greater purpose revealed by the Catholic faith.

The program supports the goals of Franciscan University’s 2024–2027 Be Light Strategic Plan, which focuses on investing more intentionally in the recruitment, development, and retention of exceptional, mission-dedicated faculty and staff. The plan and award program take their names from Christ’s words in Matthew 5:14: “You are the light of the world.”