FACULTY FEATURE

Katie Weakland, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Biology, has dedicated herself to seeing revival take place wherever she goes, both overseas and right here on Bethel University’s campus.

Though she faced many difficulties while in Tajikistan — frequent illness due to unclean water, the loss of loved ones back in the United States, and the navigation of cultural differences, (especially in a country where women don’t have a lot of standing) — Weakland grew through these experiences.

Weakland with her host family in Tajikistan.

From 2014-2018, Weakland worked for a nongovernmental organization in the Muslim country of Tajikistan, primarily doing grant writing. The organization focused on community relief and development, aiding in areas such as agriculture, water and business development.

“I have much more confidence in God’s grace now and his faithfulness to me and his kindness to me … I don’t take things for granted anymore,” says Weakland. “I just learned how to appreciate the little things.”

Now, Weakland is bringing the lessons she learned in Tajikistan back to Bethel’s campus.

“Life in Tajikistan always boiled down to two things: living, and living out your faith. We fill our lives with so much stuff here in America, we get so busy, that we forget that that’s not really what living is,” says Weakland.

Even so, Weakland can tell that students are spiritually hungry and encourages them by integrating faith into her science classes through devotions, discussion and most of all, prayer.

In addition to praying with her students once a week for the things happening in their lives, Weakland leads a prayer group of Bethel faculty and staff at Taylor Memorial Chapel. Her devotion to prayer began many years ago and is essential to her desire for revival.

“I don’t think you have revival and awakening unless there’s prayer — people praying for it and asking for it,” Weakland says.

Prayer group topics vary, encompassing leadership on campus, student needs, the finances of the institution and the admissions staff. But the one thing they always pray about is the thing that Weakland is most passionate about: that revival would happen on campus and that the Holy Spirit would move.

EXPERIENCE

Associate Professor of Biology
Bethel University, Mishawaka, Ind.
August 2019-present

Associate Professor of Biology
Spring Arbor University, Spring Arbor, Mich.
August 2017-August 2019

Grant Writer
Tajikistan
January 2014-January 2018

Associate Professor of Biology
Bethel College, Mishawaka, Ind.
August 2004-December 2013

Postdoctoral Researcher
West Virginia University, Morgantown, W. Va.
May 2000-May 2003

ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS

Ph.D., Forest Resource Science/Wildlife
West Virginia University, Morgantown, W.Va.

M.S., Wildlife Science
Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind.

B.S., Zoology
Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio