fbpx

Faculty

Cambridge instructors are master teachers, four of whom have doctoral degrees, one is a Ph.D. candidate, and six others have master’s degrees in their areas of teaching. Faculty members are scholars willing and committed to bringing their interests and expertise to the classroom and facilitating curiosity in their students. Small class sizes enable these master teachers to be highly engaged with students personally and academically, which is critical to the school’s culture of encouraging independent thought and challenging discussion.

Tracie Bruce


Professor of Science

Tracie Bruce

Professor of Science

Email: tbruce@cambridgedallas.org

Lexi Burkett


Student Life Director & Professor of Theology

Lexi Burkett

Student Life Director & Professor of Theology

Email: lburkett@cambridgedallas.org

Erin Caldwell


Professor of Latin & Greek

Erin Caldwell

Professor of Latin & Greek

Baylor University, B.A.
University of Dallas, Masters in Classics

Erin Caldwell grew up in Waco, Texas, where she attended Live Oak Classical School. She received a Classics degree with Honors and Phi Beta Kappa from Baylor University, where she met her husband Josh. They have been married since December of 2015. Erin enjoys a variety of hobbies including fitness and exercise, reading, baking, and piano.

You can view her CV here.

Email: ecaldwell@cambridgedallas.org

Aaron Cassidy


Professor of Literature

Aaron Cassidy

Professor of Literature

Baylor University, Ph.D. in English
Texas Woman’s University, M.A. in English
University of North Texas, B.A. in Radio, Television and Film

Aaron Cassidy teaches British and European Literature from medieval to eras (10th and 12 grade) at The Cambridge School of Dallas. He holds a Ph.D. in English from Baylor University. He has taught at Baylor University and Texas Woman’s University. His scholarly interests include Renaissance poetry, specifically John Milton, and religion and literature. He has written an article on Paradise Lost which will appear in the journal Milton Studies in 2022. He has published a book chapter on C.S. Lewis and has also presented conference papers on Milton, Spenser, Shakespeare, Malory, Equiano, Tolkien, and Thomas More. Aaron enjoys hiking and photography in serene and adventurous places.

You can view his CV here.

Email: acassidy@cambridgedallas.org

An Dau


Professor of Humanities

An Dau

Professor of Humanities

Email: adau@cambridgedallas.org

Dr. John “Jay” Howell


Dean of School & Professor of Philosophy

Dr. John “Jay” Howell

Dean of School & Professor of Philosophy

Ph.D in Philosophy Baylor University, 2009
M.A. in Philosophy – Baylor University, 2004
Th.M. – Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2001
M.Div. BL – Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1999
B.A. in University Scholars – Baylor University, 1997, Summa cum laude

Dr. Jay Howell graduated summa cum laude with a BA from Baylor University’s University Scholars program in 1997. He earned an M.Div. with Biblical Languages from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1999 and a Th.M. from the same institution in 2001. He then returned to Baylor University, completing an MA in Philosophy in 2004 and a Ph.D. in Philosophy in 2009. His dissertation is entitled Forgiveness in Kierkegaard’s Ethic of Neighbor Love.

Dr. Howell serves as Professor of Philosophy and Dean of School at Cambridge, where he has taught apologetics, philosophy, and overseen the tutorial program since 2014. As an undergraduate, Dr. Howell crafted a broad liberal arts degree, taking numerous courses in history, English literature, and Hebrew and classical Greek, among others. In his graduate work he turned his attention to philosophy and ethics, focusing on philosophy of religion, epistemology, and the philosophy of forgiveness. Prior to arriving at Cambridge he served as Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary for seven years. Outside of Cambridge, Dr. Howell remains active in the Evangelical Philosophical Society, First Baptist Church of Arlington, and his local Little League. Dr. Howell loves reading, golf, and baseball — but most of all loves spending time with his wife Jessica and three boys — Jay Baker, Carter, and Elliott.

You can view his CV here.

Email: jhowell@cambridgedallas.org

Melissa Humason


Professor of Music

Melissa Humason

Professor of Music

Email: mhumason@cambridgedallas.org

Dr. Barb Isbell


Registrar & Professor of Theology

Dr. Barb Isbell

Registrar & Professor of Theology

Ph.D., New Testament Studies, New Testament Theology – Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Dissertation: “The Past Is Yet to Come: Exodus Typology in the Apocalypse”
M.A., Christian Education – Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
M.A., Theology – Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
B.M., Vocal Performance – University of Alabama

Dr. Isbell teaches Biblical Theology and serves as the Registrar, and has been with Cambridge since 2009. She is a proud alumna of the University of Alabama (Roll Tide!), where she graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance. She came to Cambridge in 2009 from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where she earned two Masters degrees as well as her Ph.D. in New Testament Studies. Her doctoral work included a semester abroad at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, and focused on intertextuality between the two testaments of Scripture, specifically how the author of Revelation used Exodus typology to portray his vision of the end times. Outside of Cambridge, Barb is a long-time member of Wedgwood Baptist Church, where she leads worship in the choir and praise team. She is part of the Heart of Texas Tres Dias community, and enjoys travelling, photography, scrapbooking, musical theater, and spending time with her dog, Brodie.

You can view her CV here.

Email: bisbell@cambridgedallas.org

Betsy Jackson


Professor of Mathematics

Betsy Jackson

Professor of Mathematics

Email: betsyjxn@gmail.com

Joshua Jeffrey


Professor of Literature & Theology

Joshua Jeffrey

Professor of Literature & Theology

B.A. University Scholars Program – Baylor University

Professor Jeffrey teaches literature and logic, and has been with Cambridge since 2018. At Baylor University he studied the intersections of philosophy and literature, culminating in an Honors Thesis arguing that C.S. Lewis presents a coherent philosophy of the nature of time throughout his fictional and nonfictional works. After graduating from Baylor he immediately started teaching at the high school level, teaching history, literature, and logic for 6 years at Live Oak Classical School in Waco, TX before moving north to Dallas. He has a 6 year old daughter, and enjoys reading, writing, and the carving and smoking of briarwood pipes.

You can view his CV here.

Email: jjeffrey@cambridgedallas.org

Christine Jimenez


Professor of Mathematics & Science

Christine Jimenez

Professor of Mathematics & Science

Email: cjimenez@cambridgedallas.org

Matt Lewis


Professor of Science, Mathematics & Theology

Matt Lewis

Professor of Science, Mathematics & Theology

M.Div. – Redeemer Seminary
B.S. – University of North Texas

Matt Lewis has been a professor of theology, science, and mathematics at the Cambridge School of Dallas since 2019. He studied biology, chemistry, and spanish at the University of North Texas with an emphasis on microbiology. He also earned a Master of Divinity from Redeemer Seminary in 2016. He particularly enjoyed studying the early church fathers and Old Testament theology. Matt and his wife Cassie were high school sweethearts who both attended the University of North Texas and were married in 2003. After graduating they worked as missionaries in Florence, Italy. The Lewises have four beautiful children, Willa (11), Hollis (9), Cormac (5), and Maren (2) and they worship at St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church in East Dallas. Matt loves to read science fiction and fantasy, eat delicious food, drink coffee, and play with his kids.

Email: mlewis@cambridgedallas.org

Bethany Nine


Professor of Mathematics

Bethany Nine

Professor of Mathematics

M.A., Christian Education – Dallas Theological Seminary
M.S., Audio Acoustics – University of Salford (England)
B.S., Electrical Engineering – University of Florida

Prof. Nine teaches upper school math and physics and has been with Cambridge since 2015. During undergrad years, her coursework specialized in the mathematics of signal processing, and for her honors thesis project she used C++ to program a microprocessor which optimized the attenuation performance of a loudspeaker limiter circuit. For her master’s level thesis project, she tried to reproduce an acoustical “iridescence” effect, an analogue to traditional visual iridescence. To do this, she used COMSOL Multiphysics software with a Matlab interface to design and calculate the wavenumber and characteristic impedance of a given acoustic metamaterial at varying incidence angles. During her summers between courses, she worked in numerous engineering internships with organizations ranging from NASA to General Electric. Before coming to Cambridge, Prof. Nine spent a few years as an engineer in Boston, MA for COMSOL Multiphysics. There she taught courses and explained to fellow engineers how to best use the finite element modeling (FEM) software to simulate the applicable physics couplings related to their own custom design prototypes. Upon moving to the Dallas area and while working on her seminary courses, she taught Physics and New Testament classes for one year at Heritage Christian Academy in Rockwall, TX. Prof. Nine also has a minor in cello performance and has studied and performed abroad in Salzburg, Austria. She is a member of The Village Church (Flower Mound), and in her free time she likes playing video games, taking long walks, and spending quality time with her husband and two young children, Annelise and Levi.

You can view her CV here.

Email: bnine@cambridgedallas.org

Dr. Brent Richards


Professor of Spanish

Dr. Brent Richards

Professor of Spanish

Email: brichards@cambridgedallas.org

Brenda Robson


Professor of Art

Brenda Robson

Professor of Art

B.S.I.S., Fine Art & Psychology – Liberty University
Associate of Arts in Art – Art Institute of Dallas

Professor Robson teaches AP Studio Art, Art 1,2,3 & Middle School Art and has been with Cambridge since 2013.
Professor Robson believes the visual arts are a unique way for anyone to express, experience, and worship God. Before working for over 20 years in Christian education she worked as an Advertising Illustrator, Fashion Illustrator, and continues to accept commissions for portraits. Her work has been included in over 16 invitational or competitive gallery exhibitions and she describes her art as Contemporary Realism. She loves painting, reading, and travelling with her family.

View her CV.

Email: brobson@cambridgedallas.org

Dr. Steven Schrum


Professor of History

Dr. Steven Schrum

Professor of History

Ph.D. History – Dissertation: “Beyond the Stadhouder-King: Political Economy and Regulation in the Economic Development of England and the Dutch Republic in the 1690s” – Washington University in St. Louis
M.A., History – Washington University in St. Louis
B.A., History – Lafayette College

Prof. Schrum teaches history and has been with Cambridge since 2016. His graduate studies focused on seventeenth century European trade and empire. For his dissertation, Prof. Schrum examined how the English and the Dutch governments attempted to control foreign and domestic trade during this period. He was awarded a yearlong Fulbright grant to research his dissertation in the Netherlands and was a visiting researcher at Utrecht University. He also spent many months in London conducting research in British archives. Prior to joining Cambridge, Prof. Schrum taught courses at several St. Louis area universities on topics including economic history, world history, and modern African civilization. Prof. Schrum is a member of St. Andrew United Methodist Church in Plano.

You can view his CV here.

Email: sschrum@cambridgedallas.org

Jim Swayze


Professor of Humanities

Jim Swayze

Professor of Humanities

Email: jswayze@cambridgedallas.org

Dr. Moryam VanOpstal

Dr. Moryam VanOpstal


Head of School, Professor of History & Government

Dr. Moryam VanOpstal

Head of School, Professor of History & Government

Ph.D., Politics – University of Dallas, 2020
Dissertation: How to Found and Safekeep a City: Cicero’s Philosophic Politics in De Republica
M.A., Politics – University of Dallas, 2013
B.A., Politics – Hillsdale College, 2007

Prof. VanOpstal serves as Dean of Students and teaches United States history, political philosophy, and United States government. He has been with Cambridge since 2014. In undergraduate and graduate school he focused on studying political theory, ancient and modern, with additional concentrations in literature. Between college and grad school Prof. VanOpstal spent time teaching, traveling, and studying in Taiwan, India, and Europe. He has been married for more than a decade and he and his wife have five children. They worship at All Saints Dallas Anglican church

You can view his CV here.

Email: mvanopstal@cambridgedallas.org

Dr. B. Paul Wolfe


Head of School Emeritus & Professor of Theology

Dr. B. Paul Wolfe

Head of School Emeritus & Professor of Theology

Dallas Baptist College, B.C.A.
Dallas Baptist University, M.A.
University of Aberdeen, Scotland, Ph.D.

After several years in residential construction, including part ownership of a custom furniture and cabinetry shop, and building custom homes, Dr. Wolfe departed for Scotland to pursue further academic work. He and his family lived for three years near Aberdeen, Scotland, where he pursued a PhD in New Testament studies, and pastored a local Baptist church. Dr. Wolfe’s studies included time each year in Cambridge, England and Tubingen, Germany. Dr. Wolfe and his wife, Marsha, went over with two children and returned with a third, their youngest. From 1990 to 2010 he taught New Testament studies and related courses, becoming the Headmaster of the Cambridge School of Dallas in 2009. He still enjoys woodworking and reading.

You can view Dr. Wolfe’s CV here.

Karlvin Wong


Professor of Science, Mathematics & Theology

Karlvin Wong

Professor of Science, Mathematics & Theology

ThM., New Testament/Christian Education — Dallas Theological Seminary
M.A., Secondary Science Education — Teachers College, Columbia University
B.A., Biology/Psychology — Rutgers University

Prof Wong teaches Life Science and has been with Cambridge since the Fall of 2010. He has been teaching since 2004, both in the high school and the college level. As an undergrad, he has done research on Pavlovian autoshaping in alcohol studies and while in grad school, his thesis was on multi-cultural education.

Prof Wong is married to his wife Lennie and they have two girls and a well beloved cat named Bokchoy. In their spare time, they love to cook, eat, travel, and watch movies. Prof Wong also enjoys serving at his church’s youth group, especially watching them grow in their faith.

You can view his CV here.

Email: kwong@cambridgedallas.org