Academic Excellence and Innovation Fund awards grant for faculty and staff professional development

The Academic Excellence and Innovation Fund recently awarded Concordia Nebraska Assistant Professor of Lutheran Education and Faith Formation Rev. Dr. Peter Jurchen a grant for $4,800 to support professional development for faculty and staff at Concordia. The development initiatives will focus on Lutheran faith formation.  

Jurchen, who joined Concordia’s faculty in 2024, instructs students in Lutheran education and faculty and staff in various faith formation initiatives. He said that the grant money will cover various expenses for professional development courses.  

“Faith Formation initiatives are a new component to our campus community, and we’re currently working on building these into our life together,” he said. “The innovation grant I received will cover the cost of these initiatives for the upcoming semester. Next year there will be a budget for these. For now, however, the grant allows us to continue with our work. This includes buying books for participants, covering stipends for guest instructors, creating new resources and purchasing snacks for participants.”  

The Academic Excellence and Innovation Fund was developed as part of Concordia Nebraska's SALT and LIGHT strategic plan to encourage and celebrate faculty and student scholarship, with a particular focus on how different disciplines intersect with the Christian faith. Learn more about the fund here.