Leading the Upper House Fellows Program brings together Eric’s background and interests in unique ways. He has spent most of his life, both as a student and an educator, in the public university setting and is invested in helping students thrive during their university years and beyond. He loves exploring life’s big questions with students and thinking with them about the relevance of Christian faith for pursuing their callings and navigating life’s complexities.

At the Stephen & Laurel Brown Foundation, Eric also serves as Foundation Advisor to the Lumen Center. He is also a Teaching Professor in History at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he teaches courses on European intellectual and religious history. His research and writing focus on the emergence of modern theology and biblical scholarship in the era of the Enlightenment. Eric holds a B.A. in History from the University of Michigan, an M.Div. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in History from UW–Madison.

Eric grew up in Sweden and has lived in the U.S. since high school. He met his wife Cindy, a UW–Madison professor of medicine, in college. They are the proud parents of three grown sons. His other loves include reading and traveling widely, learning languages, music of many kinds, and beautiful summer evenings with friends on the Memorial Union Terrace.