As Director of Learning and Formation at the Stephen & Laurel Brown Foundation, Tony is currently leading the Academy Initiative for the Foundation. The Academy Initiative is a new initiative of the Foundation that will focus on courses and academic programs related to the study of Christianity. He is also the project lead for a recently awarded grant from the Templeton Foundation: Higher Pursuits 2.0: Enlarging the Impact of the Christian Study Center Movement.

Previously, Tony served as the Executive Director of New Hope Peru, an organization that serves vulnerable populations in southern Peru. In this role, Tony oversaw the organization’s significant growth, working closely with government officials, ministers, and community leaders to launch a pilot foster care program—the first of its kind in southern Peru. Tony’s previous positions include a Templeton postdoctoral fellowship at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Jerusalem and a teaching position at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), where he taught a range of courses, including Ethics, Philosophy of Science, and Epistemology. While at VCU, Tony also co-founded, with another philosopher, Scholé House—a place where students, faculty, and the Richmond community engage with scholarship related to the Christian tradition.

Tony earned his MSc and Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Edinburgh, an MA in Philosophy of Religion from Denver Seminary, and a BA in Biblical Studies from Crown College. Originally from Utica, NY, Tony lived in Peru both as a teen and, more recently, with his family in Arequipa, Peru.

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.

Now a veteran to the Stephen & Laurel Brown Foundation, Rebecca’s excitement to craft and lead meaningful gatherings that lead to spiritual formation is realized in her multi-faceted role at the foundation. She directs the Intern Program, instructs in the Fellows Program, and curates programs to highlight diverse voices in the church. On any given day, you might find her mentoring college students, emceeing a conference, or leading a cohort on African-American history.

As a Chancellor’s Scholar, Rebecca earned her B.A. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In the years since she worked with multiple ministries in event coordination and teaching. In 2023, she was recognized as one of Wisconsin’s 51 Most Influential Black Leaders.

Rebecca delights in living in Madison, and she spends her time loving her friends as family, training in taekwondo, hunting for the best chai latté, and singing whatever Broadway tunes come to her mind.

As an advisor for multiple foundation initiatives, Jean finds deep satisfaction in integrating several aspects of her career and life—from ideating programs to mentoring students to working with people of different faiths and backgrounds on social justice issues. At the Foundation, she helps lead the Upper House Fellows Program and teaches a track on service and leadership called Making a Difference. She also provides strategic input to several aspects of the foundation’s work, especially as it relates to innovation and creative partnerships.

For over a decade, Jean has led an anti-human trafficking project at the University of Wisconsin–Madison called 4W-STREETS. Her deep foreign policy experience in human rights and related issues at the U.S. Department of State, the National Security Council, and various think tanks and international organizations, undergirds her foundation advisory role. As a researcher, she studied social networks in Southeast Asia, and technology, child protection, and anti-trafficking projects in Africa and Latin America; and she has taught courses on human rights advocacy, human trafficking, and international child rights as an Adjunct Professor at George Washington University and a Visiting Distinguished Lecturer at UW–Madison.

Jean earned a B.S.B.A. from Georgetown University, an M.S. from Michigan State University, and a Ph.D. from UW–Madison, where she also received the 2006 Distinguished Young Alumni Award. Jean is married to Chris and lives in Oshkosh with her family. You’ll find her happiest hanging out with eagles, chickadees, deer, and other critters on the shores of Huron Bay in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Trained as a historian at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Dan has a passion for engaging with the university and serving its community. The Lumen Center offers him the opportunity to keep one foot in the university world while also bringing his training to bear in service to the church.

Prior to joining the Stephen & Laurel Brown Foundation and leading the Lumen Center, Dan held postdoctoral fellowships at Harvard University and UW–Madison. He continues to publish on American religion, politics, and culture, and remains affiliated with UW–Madison as a research fellow in the Department of History.

Dan earned a B.A. and M.A. from Colorado State University and a Ph.D. from UW–Madison. Dan grew up in Germany as a “missionary kid,” before moving to Colorado, and since 2010 has called Madison home. Dan and his wife, Veronica, stay busy raising three young boys.

Melissa delights in the innovation and collaboration required to design and implement programs that inspire spiritual transformation. Committed to activating the gifts of those around her, she thrives on mobilizing teams, pioneering new ideas, and transforming creative energy into practical next steps.

Prior to joining Upper House as its third staff member in 2015, Melissa managed her brother’s art business, Inspiring Art by Alex, and together with her family, founded the nonprofit Alex Haunty’s Theater & Arts Fund, Inc., to create access to the arts for people with disabilities. Melissa holds a B.A. in Communication Arts and Literature Education (5-12) from Bethel University and is a third-year graduate of the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry in Redding, CA. She also is a 2018 Alumna of Leadership Greater Madison and currently serves on the boards of Inspiring Hope Ministries and Alex Haunty’s Theater & Arts Fund, Inc.
 
Born and raised in the Madison area, Melissa loves living in a four-season state close to family, drinking locally brewed Wonderstate coffee, and going on neighborhood walks. She is married to Peter, and they have one son, Solomon, who already loves a good Wisconsin fish fry. Outside the office, you can find her and Peter introducing Solomon to Madison’s infamous Farmers’ Market, the Henry Vilas Zoo, and various music performances at Middleton’s Stone Horse Green.

If Susan were asked to design her dream job, it is what she is doing every day at Upper House, where she is the resident witness and storyteller of the transformative work happening in and through the community.

Previously, Susan led communication efforts for two federal research projects in K-12 education and family engagement through the Wisconsin Center for Education Research at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She also worked on communication research, funded by the USDA,  related to environmental stewardship, focusing on the different ways leaders reach out to meet and effectively serve their audiences.

Susan earned her M.A. in mass communication from the University of Denver and a Ph.D. in communication—with an emphasis on information campaigns and diffusion of innovations—from the UW–Madison. During grad school, she also attended InterVarsity Christian Graduate Fellowship and matured in her understanding of Christ’s vibrant love, prayer, and the intersection of scholarship and faith. She met her husband, Dean, on the stairs of the Communication and Life Sciences Department, and they later adopted two amazing daughters from China and Ethiopia. In her “spare” time, she is writing a memoir and enjoys time reading in her peaceful backyard—until winter.

Susan Swanke works primarily with two initiatives of the Foundation: the Lumen Center and New College Madison. She aids in the strategy and building of these two projects and the daily running of the academic programs and events. Susan’s academic interests include theology, philosophy, psychology, and Christian anthropology. She is currently studying the work of Pope John Paul II on Christian anthropology, commonly referred to as the Theology of the Body.

Susan has more than 15 years of experience working in the Catholic Church, primarily in adult discipleship and evangelization. She earned a BS in Education, Spanish, and ESL from the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, and went on to earn an MA in Systematic Theology from Christendom Graduate School in Virginia.

A native of Madison, Susan enjoys spending time by our city’s beautiful lakes as well as visiting as many Wisconsin State Parks as she can.

Dr. Devin L. White serves the Lumen Center as its Fellow in Biblical Studies. Dr. White is the author of two books. The first, Teacher of the Nations, examines Paul’s reception of ancient educational traditions in 1 Corinthians. The second, Christ Reads in Me, is completed and awaiting publication. In it, Dr. White explores Origen of Alexandria’s reception of Paul’s hermeneutics and argues that Paul’s biblical interpretation remains a viable model for Christian exegesis of Scripture. Dr. White’s scholarly articles have appeared in various peer-reviewed journals and edited collections. He is beginning research on a third book, tentatively exploring the book of Colossians and its implications for Christian engagement with liberal democratic politics.

Dr. White enjoys working with a range of audiences, academic and popular. In addition to his published scholarship and service as an academic instructor, he frequently preaches and facilitates learning experiences in local churches.

Hanna is a communications intern at Upper House. She is currently a second-year student at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, hoping to double-major in international studies and English. After first being introduced to Upper House through participation in The Impact Movement her freshman year, she grew to love it immediately.

She has always had a deep interest in communication and the creative arts, constantly exploring her faith through film and media. She enjoys film editing, fellowship with her peers, and studying abroad. Throughout her internship, she hopes to strengthen her writing abilities and cultivate her voice through communications work. She’s excited to incorporate her faith into her career through her experience working at Upper House.

Outside of school and work, Hanna enjoys scrapbooking, going for walks, and spending quality time with friends. She loves to sing, take dance classes, and analyze movies.

A sophomore at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Clay is studying communications with an emphasis on production and marketing, and is looking to pursue a career in media management or marketing after college. He loves coming up with new ideas to create content and tell stories through photos or videos.

Clay’s passion for producing media began in the summer of 2021, working on the video team at a summer camp in Western New York, and he has immersed himself in it ever since.
 
Clay spent a lot of time at Upper House his freshman year, and he is excited to be a part of what it represents in the community and the ways that it enables people to go deeper in their faith on campus. He is an active leader in Badger Cru, a member of his church, Doxa, and a part of the Fellows program at Upper House.
 
Whenever he has free time, Clay enjoys being in the mountains, in the gym, or with his friends and family. He loves spikeball and most sports, especially when it brings him closer to the people he cares about.

As a hospitality intern, Natasha is dedicated to creating an intentional, welcoming environment at Upper House. Now a senior studying economics on a pre-law track, Natasha plans to attend law school and eventually work in Business Law.

Natasha is passionate about Upper House's mission to bridge the gap between academia and Christianity. Upper House has always felt like her home on campus. She loves attending events such as Friday Night Lectures and All Campus Worship Night and wants other UW–Madison students to have the same experience.

In her free time, Natash enjoys reading, running, yoga, and traveling. She is from the San Francisco Bay Area, and relishes going home and enjoying the California landscape while spending time with her family.

Hayoung is excited to pursue her passion for Christ and community as a communications intern.

First introduced to Upper House through Badger Cru, Hayoung found Upper House her second home. It was the place where she could grow and rest through worship, fellowship, and open study hours. Hayoung was touched by the hospitality and motto of the Upper House and is motivated to join the movement as an intern. Hayoung is most excited to witness how God uses the SL Brown Foundation to illuminate Madison with his light.

Currently declared as a communication major, Hayoung plans to apply to business school in her junior year and study marketing. Applying to law school is still one of her considerations. Hayoung wants to bring her education into Upper House by discovering ways to reach out to more students on campus. She is excited to help students in Madison feel welcomed, encouraged, and loved.

Hayoung’s favorite thing is to meet new people and get to know them on a deeper level. Playing Spikeball and tennis with friends, watching the sunset, and playing JustDance are some of her favorite hobbies. 

Courtney Snoberger is dedicated to providing a genuine welcome to all those who enter Upper House. Being blessed by Upper House hospitality has been a foundational experience while a student at UW, and she is grateful to offer the same to others and help events run smoothly. 

Courtney is a senior pursuing a double major in Psychology and Spanish with a minor in Education Policy and Social Justice, and she is passionate about working with kids and understanding how they learn and grow in creativity and intelligence. In connection to her studies, Courtney works as an undergraduate research assistant in the Infant Learning Lab, where she is currently working on her own year-long thesis project about how three to five year olds learn new words in a classroom environment. She plans to pursue graduate school and a career working in education policy and advocating for young kids’ learning.

During her free time, Courtney enjoys reading books or planning weekend trips to go home and spoil her new nephew and cuddle with her dog, Dakota. She is also a regular at Badger sporting events and enjoys thrifting, working out, and spending quality time with friends and family.