Dr. Vonder Bruegge teaches in the biblical and theological studies department and serves as dean of arts and humanities. He is known for his love for students and the New Testament as well as for creating new experiences that allow for academic challenges and personal growth.
Prioritizing students
In 2009, Dr. Vonder Bruegge received the Northwestern Teaching Excellence Award. Students say, “He has been a clear example of a professor who cares for his students, as he has a genuine interest in their academic and personal lives. In classes, he looks out for us as he makes sure no one gets behind in the material. Outside of class, he goes out of his way to ask about the things going on in our lives.”
Ivy League scholar
Dr. Vonder Bruegge received a doctorate from Yale University and holds a Master of Theology degree from Harvard University and a Master of Divinity degree from Covenant Theological Seminary. In 2016 he published a book, Mapping Galilee in Josephus, Luke, and John: Critical Geography and the Construction of Ancient Space, in Brill’s Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity series.
Greece trip leader
Dr. Vonder Bruegge serves as the co-director of the Honors Program, in which students are able to thrive in a community where they’re academically challenged. Every other summer, he takes the honors students on a trip to Greece, a program he based upon a Harvard course that gave him memorable experiences in that country.
Archaeologist
Through a Harvard class, Dr. Vonder Bruegge studied archeology and the New Testament in Greece and Turkey. He later participated in a summer archeological excavation in Turkey, where he created his master’s thesis on the Temple of Artemis at Sardis.
Humanities advocate
In 2020, he was named Northwestern’s dean of arts and humanities. In this role, he seeks to emphasize the need to take the human experience seriously and recognize the vitality of humanities in expanding our ability to think critically and creatively.
