At its 2016 Honors Day Convocation held Thursday, April 21, 2016, Presbyterian College named Dr. Bob Bryant, the Kristen Harrington Professor of Bible, Professor of the Year.

“Excellent teaching is happening across this campus every day; excellent learning is happening in every nook and cranny,” Bryant said at the convocation.

His early love of nature and people led him to Virginia Tech where he earned a B.S. in outdoor recreation. After managing camps in North Carolina and Louisiana, he received his M.Div. and Ph.D. in biblical studies from Union Theological Seminary in Virginia and, in 1998, joined PC’s department of religion and philosophy.

Bryant teaches general education courses in Old and New Testament as well as upper-level religion courses and Greek. He also teaches “Ecology and Religion” and “Wilderness, Religion, and the American Mind” in support of the college’s collegiate studies program and environmental studies minor.

“Relationships matter—every organism affects its environment,” Bryant added “Every organism is affected by its environment. How will you and I affect this place called PC?”

He has served two terms as department chair, been a Visiting Scholar at Duke University, received PC’s Faculty Scholarship Award, is an adjunct faculty member of the Jerusalem Center for Biblical Studies, and twice received a German Academic Exchange Fellowship to teach as a Visiting Professor of Religion at the University of Education in Karlsruhe, Germany.

His dissertation, The Risen Crucified Christ in Galatians, was published by the Society of Biblical Literature as the 2001 exemplary dissertation in New Testament Studies, and his work in rhetorical studies is included in the Handbook of Biblical Criticism. He has also authored The Gospel of Matthew: God With Us and First Corinthians: One In Christ, plus numerous articles, and is a frequent lecturer.

He also enjoys volunteering with the SC Science Olympiad program and serving on the Board of Directors of the Laurens County Trails Association.

“The world needs more Blue Hose, friends,” Bryant said. “Fortunately, it has some: You. Me. All of us.”

The Professor of the Year is chosen as a faculty member who has made a distinct difference in the teaching climate of the college in such areas as: model classroom teaching, campus leadership, pioneering teaching methodology, creative development and/or instructional support; plus: extraordinary effort as a teacher and scholar; evidence of achievement of former students; service to the institution and profession; service to the community; balance of achievement in teaching, scholarship, and service; evidence of impact and involvement with students; and exceptional demonstrated teaching performance.

Presbyterian College is located on a striking 240-acre campus in Clinton, between Columbia and Greenville, S.C. Offering challenging academics and a culture of honor, ethics, and service that prepares students to be leaders in communities, PC offers its students the benefit of engaging with an exceptional faculty who take individual interest in their students’ well-being, both personally and in the classroom. The Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy opened in 2010, and is dedicated to the ideals of leadership, honor to the profession, and service to the community. For more information about Presbyterian College, visit www.presby.edu.