Northwestern welcomes two new faculty members to the Raider family: Jay and Lindsey Medenwalt. Jay is an assistant professor of psychology, and Lindsey is an adjunct English professor. The husband-and-wife duo are happily enjoying the welcoming community of NW.
Prior to NW, Jay was in the Air Force for nine years as a behavioral scientist before earning a Masters of Divination in apologetics and ethics at Denver Seminary. Then, he went to gain a Ph.D. in social psychology at Baylor University.
Psychology interests Jay because “people are weird, and I mean that in a good way,” Jay said. “I remember being fascinated as a kid that people acted in counterintuitive ways or that our minds were capable of so many great things and so I have always wanted to learn about the incredible potential we have as humans.”
Jay heard about the job opportunity through his Ph. D. adviser. “I was initially on the fence about the job, since my wife and I were not sure if the timing was right for moving our family,” Jay said. “After I visited the campus and met the people, I started to move off the fence. The faculty and students that I met on my visit were so kind and welcoming that I knew this would be a great place to work and raise a family.”
He appreciates the open talk of faith on this Chistian campus. “I appreciate that I can have meaningful conversations about faith inside and outside of the classroom,” Jay said. “ It is the best academic environment I have taught in in regard to integrating faith into learning, or even just having conversations about religious belief.”
Before coming to NW, Lindsey was a children’s pastor in Waco, Texas. She also currently works for Mama Bear Apologetics, a ministry that guides mothers to live faithfully. Because Jay accepted the job, Lindsey headed to northwest Iowa, and was eventually contacted about teaching a few courses. She teaches two Writing Studio courses and is an instructor for a First Year Seminar class. As an adjunct English professor, she is passionate about writing. “My interest in writing in particular started in high school when I began writing for the school paper,” Lindsey said.
“I had always loved reading and writing, but that’s when I started editing, too.” In college, Lindsey earned a bachelor of arts in mass communication, in which she had been an editor for her college newspaper. “In law school, I was an editor on the law review, and I’ve taken up several writing projects since then, including contributing a chapter to a book about world religion. I just finished my manuscript for my first book, ‘Bridge Building Apologetics.’” “Bridge Building Apologetics” is forthcoming, spring 2024.
Apart from writing, Lindsey enjoys spending her time in the classroom. “Well, I have always wanted to be in the college classroom, which is probably why I spent so much time getting degrees,” Lindsey said. “I think if magic were real, it would happen in the college classroom.” The value of Christian faith and learning at NW is what “ultimately” convinced her to teach here.
Lindsey enjoys getting to personally know her students. “Helping students hone their writing and speaking skills has been such a joy,” Lindsey said. “We have had some projects in FYS that have allowed me to learn more about their backgrounds, hopes and dreams. I have always felt like we have welcomed by the staff in ways I was not necessarily expecting, and Orange City has been lovely!”
