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Magis Center Leadership and Staff

Meet the Team

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Read full bio
Robert J. Spitzer, S.J., Ph.D. President & Co-FounderRead full bio
Larry
Larry Smith Executive Director
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Joan Jacoby Director of Administration
joe_miller
Joe Miller Director, Purposeful Universe
Janell
Janell Whaley Director of Operations
Tim Ryan
Tim Ryan Director of Client Services
Ed_Vieira_Headshot
Ed Vieira Director of Sales, Western U.S.
Ashley
Ashley Gregory Director of Sales, Eastern U.S.
Justina
Justina Murzyn Digital Marketing
susan
Susan Medart Manger Customer Relations
Katherine-LeBlanc_opt
Katherine LeBlanc Director of Finance
  • Board of Directors
  • Board of Advisors
  • Committee of Academic Fellows
  • Ecclesiastical Advisory Committee
  • Physics Advisory Committee

Board of Directors

Bill Newland
Chairman of the Board
Owner, Hercules Industries Inc.

Timothy R. Busch, J.D., CPA
Vice-Chairman of the Board
Founder and President of the Pacific Hospitality Group, LLC

Fr. Robert Spitzer, Ph.D., S.J.
President of the Board
Founder and President of Magis Center

Rebecca Cates
Secretary of the Board

John Ford
Treasurer of the Board
Founder, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Insight Investments Corp

Margot Kyd
Retired Executive, Sempra Energy

George Patrick Murphy

Don Ferfolia
Corporate Treasurer/Licensed Funeral Director at Ferfolia Funeral Homes

Fr. Robert Kroll, S.J.
Director of Spiritual Formation
, St. Francis de Sales Seminary

Lynne Jilot 

Dr. Daniel Kuebler
Dean of the School of Natural & Applied Sciences, Professor of Biology, Franciscan University

Robert Luddy
President & CEO, CaptiveAire

Michael Noggle
Former Director of Operations for Magis Center

Douglas Stephen
Former Chairman and CEO of NMC Group

Gus Zepernick

Joseph and Gena Columbus

Umberto Fedeli

Paul Fransway

R. Scott French, MD, FCAEP, MBA

Grace Dill

Paul Lawless

Craig Miller

Tim Psomas

Committee of Academic Fellows

Robert Spitzer, S.J., Ph.D. (Philosophy of Science)

Michael Barber, Ph.D., John Paul the Great (Theology – Jesus)

Steven Barr, Ph.D., University of Delaware (Physics – Evidence for God)

Francis Beckwith, Ph.D., Baylor University (Philosophy – Existence of God)

Michael Murray, Ph.D., KU (Physics – Evidence for God)

Robert Kurland, Ph.D., formerly Harvard and Carnegie Melon (Physics, Evidence for God)

Dr. John V. Robinson, Professor Emeritus, North Carolina State University (Nuclear Physics)

Ecclesiastical Advisory Committee

Cardinal Christoph Schönborn – Archdiocese of Vienna; PCPNE*

Cardinal George Pell – Former Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy

Archbishop Charles Chaput – Archdiocese of Philadelphia (retired)

Archbishop Jose Gomez – Archdiocese of Los Angeles

Bishop Kevin Vann – Diocese of Orange

*PCPNE: Pontifical Council for the Promoting of the New Evangelization 

Physics Advisory Committee

Stephen Barr, Ph.D.
University of Delaware, Department of Physics (Specializations: Particle Physics, Elementary Particle Theory, Supersymmetric Grand Unified Theories, Cosmology)

Robert Scherrer, Ph.D.
Vanderbilt University; Chair, Department of Physics and Astronomy (Specializations: Cosmology, especially particle physics in the early universe, dark energy and dark matter, and primordial element production)

Daniel Spicer, Ph.D.
NASA/GSFC; Senior Scientist, Laboratory for Solar and Space Physics (Specializations: Mathematical Codification of Electromagnetics)

Robert J. Spitzer, S.J., Ph.D.
Magis Center of Reason and Faith, President (Specializations: Philosophy of Science – Time theory, Hilbertean Proofs, Connection between physics and metaphysics)

Karl A. van Bibber, Ph.D.
Naval Postgraduate School, Vice President and Dean of Research (Specializations: experimental nuclear and high energy physics, searches for dark matter)

Learn more about Fr. Spitzer, S.J., Ph.D.