When asked what a typical day looks like for Dr. John Vonder Bruegge, or VB, he replied by saying he does not have a daily routine because “each day is different.” When he goes to work on any given day, he does not know what tasks he may undertake. Considering the multiple roles which VB serves on campus, this comes as no surprise. On campus, VB holds positions as a professor of the Biblical and Theological Studies (BTS) department, the Dean of Arts and Humanities and a Co-director of the Honors Program. Each of these positions provide VB with different opportunities to connect with students and colleagues while they also, as he states, “teach him something new every day”.
While VB’s various positions often make for an unpredictable schedule, there is one activity in his daily routine that is consistent: taking his dog, Blaze, for a walk. “When I need a break from the craziness of my schedule, Blaze and I go for a walk,” VB said. “It is a great time to be outside and enjoy God’s creation, and everything, by necessity, has to shut down”.
After he is done taking a break with Blaze, VB returns to whatever work he is currently doing in one of his three positions. Perhaps what he is most well-known for on campus is being a professor of the Biblical and Theological Studies department, where he is currently finishing up his 20th year of teaching.
One aspect VB loves about being a BTS professor is teaching the Greek Legacy course that is held every other spring semester, leading up to the trip that honors students take to Greece. Throughout the course, VB assigns different locations in Greece to each of the students that they research extensively. Once in Greece, the students then act as the local experts and tell the group all about their assigned locations. “I love seeing the students fall in love with a place they’ve never been to before,” VB said. “Every time we arrive somewhere a student has studied about throughout the course; the student’s face lights up like a kid in a candy store. It never gets old.”
Beyond the Greek Legacy course and the Summer Study Abroad associated with the Greek Legacy trip, VB also teaches the Greek language, upper level “Topics in the New Testament” and Christian Story I. He loves teaching Christian Story because he describes it as the perfect chance for him to be “a welcoming face to new students who are navigating life at Northwestern.” Because of this, his position as a professor overlaps heavily with the duties that come as the Dean of the Arts and Humanities.
As the Dean of the Arts and Humanities, there are tasks VB may do on any given day. Such as, being on the search committee for new staff and faculty members of the department every year, conducting reviews for each staff and faculty member in the department and helping plan the budget for the year.
When asked what his favorite part of this position is, VB replied with: “The arts and humanities today in our society face headwinds, so when I can find ways to help arts and humanities sail into those headwinds and face them with confidence by having the correct resources, it is rewarding.” VB went on to explain how he accomplishes this by helping Northwestern’s faculty and staff face a new class or pick out a new major or program to get under way.
As VB is currently finishing his fourth year in this position, he has learned to “go with the flow” and accept the fact that each day is going to look different than the next. VB described the “unpredictability” as the most challenging part of being the Dean of the Arts and Humanities, but he would not change it. He loves welcoming in any new staff and faculty members each fall, and he loves helping Jodi Grant from the Theatre Department run the IHSSA (Iowa High School Speech Association) Contest each year. Another task connected to his position as the Dean is being the Honors Program’s Co-Director.
VB wears many hats around campus, but no matter which one he wears on any given day, a common theme is that he loves working with people. “It is my absolute joy to walk with and help support the students and faculty I get to work with every day,” VB said.
