Biola University
This fall, Biola University welcomed 16 new faculty members for the 2026-2027 academic year. The new faculty joined Biola’s Rosemead School of Psychology, School of Arts and Letters, School of Science, Technology and Health, and Talbot School of Theology. Four new faculty members joined Biola through its acquisition of Phoenix Seminary and will instruct at Talbot Seminary Phoenix in Arizona, expanding the university’s influence in the Southwest.
Biola’s newest professors are passionate about giving their students a firm foundation in Christian education. Their expertise ranges from clinical psychology, voice instruction and Old Testament. Get to know Biola’s new faculty below and read their thoughts on the value of Christian higher education and the significance of a strong foundation in their specific fields.
Rosemead School of Psychology
Assistant Professor of Psychology and Director of Clinical Training
Dr. JoAnna I. Dias Sanchez is a Talbot School of Theology alumna (’13) who earned her M.A. in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care before completing her Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology at Azusa Pacific University and her doctoral internship at Baylor University Counseling Center. Prior to joining Biola, she served as an adjunct professor at Jessup University, Houston Christian University and Talbot's Spiritual Formation Focus. Dias Sanchez contributed a chapter on Christ-centered support for Millennials to Helping Millennials Thrive: Practical Wisdom for a Generation in Crisis, published by Arizona Christian University. Deeply devoted to international clinical care, service and spiritual diplomacy, her global impact spans providing therapy in Nairobi, Kenya, as well as co-leading several Holy Land pilgrimages and engaging with the Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast. Across her academic, clinical and ministry endeavors, she is passionate about holistically integrating psychology, theology and spiritual formation.
“Christian higher education is essential for training psychologists who combine evidence-based clinical excellence with a deep, Christ-centered foundation. Clinical training goes beyond mastering therapeutic skills. It shapes the clinician's soul. So when students are invited to encounter the God who loves them during their training, their clinical work naturally flows out of that transformative love,” said Dias Sanchez. “In a demanding field where so many of our patients are tired and searching for hope, a strong Christian foundation grounds a therapist’s identity in Christ rather than professional success. By learning to abide deeply in Him (John 15), future psychologists connect with the "Living Water" that Jesus promises, which makes the sometimes heavy work of clinical care sustainable. They step into the field as exceptional, resilient professionals equipped to bring steady presence, wisdom, and lasting care into every session.”
Assistant Professor of Psychology and Online Bachelor's Program Coordinator
Dr. Tessa Austin is an Assistant Professor of Psychology and the Online Bachelor’s Psychology Program Coordinator at Biola University. As a four-time graduate of Biola, former social worker, alumna of the Institute of Spiritual Formation and practicing clinical psychologist at the Biola Counseling Center, she brings an integrative, kingdom-of-God-centered approach to teaching, administrative leadership and clinical practice. Her clinical and social work background spans support for diverse communities, including foster youth, veterans, college students, individuals with eating disorders and survivors of commercial sexual exploitation. Austin is the author of the book chapter “Reframing Connection: Church Partnership Strategies in Fighting the Slavery of Human Trafficking,” and her ongoing work focuses on the intersection of mental health, church partnerships, foster care and addressing commercial sexual exploitation. Originally from Washington State, Austin serves in a local church near Long Beach and delights in life with her growing family.
“Now more than ever, in a world with increasing rates of anxiety and depression, I believe that we are in profound need of excellent, faith-integrated persons to point others back to our Lord Jesus for true hope,” said Austin. “Psychology is a means by which we understand God, others, and ourselves so that we can love deeply in this broken world. Yet, this must be an overflow from personal transformation by the Holy Spirit — not relying solely on head-knowledge or clinical interventions. A Kingdom-of-God framework of psychology can only be found in Christian education, which allows for skilled navigation of nuances and tensions with grace and truth.”
School of Arts and Letters
Assistant Professor of Choir and Voice
Juan Castaneda holds a master’s degree in choral donducting from Portland State University and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from the Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach. He is a recipient of the Pritchard Opera Scholarship, given to promising young artists helping to fund their education. Juan was also awarded a graduate assistantship at Portland State, where he taught vocal technique and music fundamentals and was the artistic director for the Rose Chorus and University Chorus. Additionally, he was the assistant conductor of the Portland State Chamber Choir, the only college ensemble in the history of Billboard to be listed as number one on the Billboard Classical charts. Juan is a featured soloist on the album “Translations,” featuring the music of Eriks Esenvalds. In addition to his teaching positions, he holds an active voice studio in the greater Los Angeles area and is a member of the American Guild of Musical Artists, the National Association of Teachers of Singing and the American Choral Directors Association. Juan’s students often sing in community and professional theater, and have record deals with Atlantic, Interscope and Def Jam Records and feature one Grammy Winner and three Grammy Nominees.
“Christian higher education shapes who we become at our core,” said Castaneda. “Anchoring our studies in God’s unchanging nature gives us direction in a chaotic culture. It equips us to look beyond personal gain, turning our knowledge into a practical force for healing in a world that desperately needs the light of God’s Word.”
Associate Dean of Architecture and Interior Design
Keelan Kaiser arrives at Biola after a lengthy career in higher education and practice, having contributed to and led new schools of architecture and design within Christian university contexts, including California Baptist University and Judson University. He has also consulted with Samford and Harding Universities as they launched their own architecture programs, and has served for over a decade as a volunteer accreditation expert with the NAAB. He sees his contribution as twofold: delivering excellent educational experiences to students, validated by the award-winning work of his graduates, and doing so within the ethos and culture of Christian higher education.
“We are living in another defining moment in American culture, one shaped by the convergence of cultural indifference, disembodying technologies and post-Christian impulses that together are eroding our institutions and undermining our future,” said Kaiser. “The Christian worldview and ethos is positioned to confront these forces, reverse their effects and reclaim the culture of the good life. The quality of the built environment, in turn, holds a distinctive power to elevate that culture.”
Assistant Professor and Area Director of Instrumental Studies
Matt Ordaz keeps a busy freelance schedule with extensive experience in both live performance and studio recording in Southern California. He has worked in many major venues and with top industry professionals, including Grammy Award winners, Zedd & Madison Cunningham, Tony Award winner, Jeanine Tesori, Academy Award winners, Javier Bardem and Aaron Sorkin, film composer Michael Abels, vocal icon, Dame Shirley Bassey, and Dove Award winners, Keith and Kristyn Getty. When not performing, he is often recording in his home studio for clients worldwide and is also a published composer of children's piano pieces through Willis/Hal Leonard publishing. Ordaz holds a bachelor's degree in Percussion Performance from Biola University as well as a master’s degree in Percussion Performance from Cal State Fullerton. During his studies at Biola, Ordaz was commissioned by the Conservatory to record a solo album entitled “Marimba Expressions.” Ordaz has extensive teaching experience and has educated students of all ages. He has held very successful teaching positions at Biola University, Concordia University and The Colburn School and maintains a productive home teaching studio.
“Music and the arts are vitally important to who we are as human beings, how we process the world around us and how we relate to our Heavenly Father. Therefore, we would be foolish to create or study art without a solid, biblical perspective and foundation,” said Ordaz. “I am excited to help equip the next generation of artists to go out into the world and speak confidently through their music. As Christian musicians, we strive to be excellent at our craft so that we may bring truth and beauty to the world, all the while marveling at the amazing opportunity we have to co-create with our Creator.”
Assistant Professor of Art and Design
School of Science, Technology and Health
Assistant Professor of Nursing
Briana Newman is a student-centered educator committed to preparing nursing students to care and practice with both excellence and compassion. Newman brings more than a decade of experience working within healthcare as a registered nurse, with experience in the areas of pediatric and adult oncology, as well as emergency room nursing. She teaches Nursing of the Patient/Family I Theory and Clinical. Her teaching methods incorporate a variety of engaging activities, including patient case studies, game-based learning and discussion groups. She teaches with a servant-hearted approach, aiming to prepare graduates who are ready to face the challenges of modern healthcare and emulate the healing ministry of Jesus.
Talbot School of Theology
Assistant Professor of Old Testament and Semitics
Dr. Bryan Elliff grew up as a pastor’s kid in Kansas City, MO. He received a B.A. in Biblical and Theological Studies from Boyce College in Louisville, KY and then an M.A. in Hebrew and Cognate Languages from Jerusalem University College in Israel. Following a four-year stint working in ministry in Kansas City, Elliff moved with his family to Los Angeles to pursue a Ph.D. in Hebrew Bible at UCLA, which he completed in 2025. Most recently, he served as Pastor for Shepherding and Community at The Commons LA on the west side of the city. He also acts as the current director of the Augustine Center, a center for Christian thought and formation serving the campus of UCLA. Elliff’s academic work focuses on the cultural contexts of the Old Testament, Old Testament theology, and hermeneutical approaches to Scripture, including the interpretive approaches of the Jewish groups of the Second Temple Period. His passion is to work at the intersection of Scripture and culture, discerning how the Bible continues to speak powerfully to the questions and challenges of our age. For fun, Elliff likes to read good literature, play music, hike, follow his KC sports teams and hang out with his wife and five kids.
“I am an all-in believer in the enduring importance of Christian education. Christian education is education that pursues the fullest knowledge and experience of things as they really are, the reality in which God is creator and Jesus is incarnate God and redeemer,” said Elliff. “Our joyful task is to refigure and reconcile the whole of life in the glorious light of this One whom we have come to know. He is Lord of fireflies, physics and philosophers. Let every heart and field of study bring Him praise.”
Assistant Professor of Theology
Dr. Euntaek David Shin is a theologian interested in who we are and how we should live. As an educator and a scholar, he aims for his teaching and writing to be life-giving to his students and the church. When away from his desk and classroom, Euntaek can be found going on lunch dates with his wife, baking with his two kids and telling them bedtime stories (often critically reviewed by his daughter).
“Everything that we do is oriented toward the love of God and the love of our neighbors,” said Shin. “Yet what does this twofold love look like in our daily life, work, family, and friendship? Rooted in Scripture, a Christian higher education offers an intellectual and spiritual community where we investigate such a question — to grow in love amidst the messiness of life.”
Associate Professor of Theology
Dr. David Rathel is Associate Professor of Theology at Talbot School of Theology at Biola University. His research interests include Christology, theological retrieval and evangelical history. He is the author of a monograph published by T&T Clark and has published articles in the Journal of Reformed Theology, Southeastern Theological Review, American Baptist Quarterly, and Baptist Quarterly. He received his Ph.D. from the University of St Andrews in Scotland. Prior to joining the faculty at Talbot, he served as Professor of Christian Theology at Gateway Seminary. In his spare time, he enjoys baseball (go Padres!) and trips to Southern California’s beautiful beaches with his family.
“Christian institutions like Biola provide students with opportunities for intellectual, spiritual and relational development, all within a context shaped by a shared commitment to God's truth. Intellectually, students discover that the Christian tradition can withstand their most probing questions — and that it not only offers answers but also provides rich and rewarding wisdom for life,” said Rathel. “Spiritually, students learn to make their faith their own, internalizing and applying convictions they may have first received from their parents. Relationally, students learn to navigate the complexities of life within a safe and loving community. I am very grateful to be part of an institution that makes such experiences possible.”
Assistant Professor of Old Testament
Dr. Jennifer Lee Shin grew up in Daejeon and Seoul, South Korea. She earned bachelor’s degrees in English and French from Yonsei University. She completed an M.Div., an M.A. in Biblical Languages, and a Th.M. in Old Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. She subsequently earned a Ph.D. in Old Testament from Wheaton College, where she also served as an adjunct professor. Shin's research interests include Ecclesiastes, wisdom in the Old Testament, biblical theology and literary criticism, with interdisciplinary engagement in the themes of food and drink, vocation and the good life. Her current book project, Enjoying the Fruit of Your Labor: An Intertextual Reading of the Joy Texts in Ecclesiastes, explores what it means to live well amid human limitations in light of Old Testament portrayals of work, joy, wisdom and wealth. In her free time, she enjoys playing the piano and exercising. She currently lives near campus with her husband and two children.
“As the Bible says, the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. It is not just the starting point of wise living, but also its core and pinnacle. Christian higher education aligns with this biblical vision of wise living, for without the knowledge of the living God and obedience to his Word, wisdom will always be found lacking in the most essential sense,” said Shin. “Whether you look at ants or rock badgers (as they appear in Proverbs), human bodies and minds, languages, computers or movies, without a sound foundation of faith in God, you will struggle to stay on a wise and righteous path. Biola is emphatic about this biblical and theological core in every area of study, and I believe that captures the ultimate value of Christian higher education.”
Professor of New Testament and Associate Dean of the Undergraduate Division of Talbot
Dr. John Goodrich is a New Testament scholar who teaches and writes about ancient Judaism and early Christianity in the Greco-Roman world. He holds a B.A. from Moody Bible Institute, an M.Div. and Th.M. from Talbot School of Theology and a Ph.D. from Durham University. Before coming to Biola, Goodrich served for 14 years on the faculty of Moody Bible Institute, and for two years as Dean of Academics at Compass Bible Institute. Goodrich and his wife have been married for 21 years and have two school-age sons.
“Too many believers today have demonstrated that they are ill-equipped, and often unmotivated, to represent Christ in public spaces with intelligence and integrity. Thus, both the church and the world need robust centers of Christian thought that will serve as beacons of academic excellence while also maintaining fidelity to God’s inerrant word,” said Goodrich. “What is needed are Christ-confessing, Bible-believing universities whose mission it is to provide disciples of Jesus with rigorous theological training, to equip them for a lifetime of spiritual growth and to educate them in an array of academic fields for which the Christian worldview not only is integrated into the curriculum but serves as the very basis from which all disciplinary knowledge and skills are pursued. Given the challenges of our current cultural moment and the ongoing call of God’s people to be salt and light in this world, Christian higher education is to be highly valued indeed!”
Talbot Seminary Phoenix
Assistant Professor of New Testament
Dr. Grant Flynn is Assistant Professor of New Testament at Talbot Seminary Phoenix, where he teaches courses on Greek, New Testament interpretation, and hermeneutics. His primary research interests include the General Epistles and biblical lament, with additional interests in intertextuality, New Testament Christology and the integration of biblical and theological studies. His first book, Lament in the Letter of James (Brill, 2025), examines the use of Old Testament lament traditions in James and their role in the epistle’s theology of suffering and perseverance. Originally from South Carolina, Flynn earned his Ph.D. in New Testament from Wheaton College in 2023 and has taught New Testament and Greek courses at both the graduate and undergraduate level. He enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and two sons and closely follows Major League Baseball, especially the Atlanta Braves.
“The value of Christian higher education is found in its transformative impact on students,” said Flynn. “When Scripture informs and guides all that we do in the classroom, education moves beyond a simple transfer of information to become a virtue-forming and wisdom-building experience that equips students to live faithfully in God’s world.”
Associate Professor of Theology and Campus Dean of Talbot Seminary Phoenix
Dr. Matthew C. Bingham (Ph.D., Queen’s University Belfast) is campus dean and associate professor of theology at Talbot Seminary Phoenix, Biola University. He is the author of Orthodox Radicals: Baptist Identity in the English Revolution and A Heart Aflame for God. He has served as a pastor in the United States and Northern Ireland. Bingham is married to Shelley, and they have four children.
“In a world that feels increasingly confused and rootless, the value of a coherent, biblically-grounded Christian education has never been higher,” said Bingham. “So many today possess expertise without any clear sense of how to answer the ‘why’ questions, nor can they integrate that technical knowledge into a larger system of thought. This is where the Christian university adds value that will pay systematic dividends across the entirety of a person's life and career. At Talbot, we are working to equip men and women to minister effectively and faithfully in this increasingly fragmented and chaotic world.”
Professor and Chair of Old Testament and Semitics
Dr. J. Michael Thigpen earned a B.A. in Religious Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an M.Div. from Columbia Biblical Seminary, and an MPhil and Ph.D. in Judaic, Hebraic, and Cognate Studies from Hebrew Union College. Thigpen’s special areas of interest include Old Testament theology, Babylonian and Persian period biblical books and history, Book of the Twelve, prophetic literature, God’s motives and the theology of work and economics. His passion is to help the church connect more deeply to the Old Testament by understanding its literary nature and historical background. Prior to joining Talbot Seminary Phoenix, Thigpen served as the Executive Director of the Evangelical Theological Society for more than a decade. Thigpen also served as a Talbot professor in 2016 for about four years and is now returning. He has extensive pastoral experience, having served churches in South Carolina, Ohio, and Kentucky. Thigpen is the author of Divine Motive in the Old Testament: A Comprehensive Survey and Analysis in addition to a number of book chapters and journal articles. He is currently writing a commentary on Hosea, Joel, Amos and Obadiah.
“Christian higher education provides opportunity and guidance for students to explore the world in the context of their faith. As part of their formation, they are prompted to consider the implications of Scripture and theology on all areas of knowledge and in their chosen vocational field,” said Thigpen. “This is an invaluable time for coming to understand more deeply the lordship of Jesus and to begin processing Paul’s instruction to do all things for the glory of God. Christian higher education helps students discover a way of thinking and living that is truly integrated, cohesive and satisfyingly coherent. That is to say, Christian higher education can help students learn to live a life that is truly wise.”
.jpg){kind=tracking}
