Doctor of Ministry
Faculty Bios
Rita George-Tvrtković, Ph.D.
Rita George-Tvrtković, PhD University of Notre Dame, is dean and professor of theology at the University of St. Mary of the Lake, where she oversees the School of Parish Leadership. Her areas of expertise include the history of the Catholic theology of Islam, contemporary interreligious dialogue, lay leadership in dialogue, and women’s leadership in the church. She is former associate director of Archdiocese of Chicago’s Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, and was recently re-appointed by Pope Leo for a second term as a Consultor for the Vatican’s Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue.
Linda M. Couri, L.C.S.W., D.Min.
Linda M. Couri, L.C.S.W., D.Min. is Assistant Professor of Pastoral Theology and Coordinator of Graduate Programs at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake. Trained as both clinician and theologian, she brings an interdisciplinary approach that integrates psychology, Catholic theological anthropology, and the dynamics of human formation. Her professional background includes clinical social work practice, parish and youth ministry, and more than a decade of administrative leadership as Director of the Institute for Pastoral Leadership. She has also served as a consultant to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Subcommittee on Certification for Ecclesial Ministry and Service.
Her scholarly work focuses on the formative power of temperament and its influence on how individuals perceive and interpret reality. She is particularly interested in how ingrained preferences and habitual patterns of mind can function as epistemic filters—often unconsciously—shaping what ministers assume to be “true,” “self‑evident,” or “objective.” In this work, she remains grounded in the intellectual and spiritual tradition of the Catholic Church, drawing on it as a stable interpretive framework amidst a culture shaped by postmodern epistemology.
She approaches her psychological training with both gratitude and critical discernment—recognizing its valuable clinical insights while also attending to the ways in which modern psychological theories can be rooted in anthropological assumptions at odds with a robust Catholic understanding of the human person. A central dimension of her academic life is the role of contemplative practice in cultivating the wisdom of interiority. She emphasizes that deep self‑awareness, sustained prayer, and disciplined reflection are essential for uncovering the interior movements, assumptions, and motivations that influence pastoral discernment. Her courses are designed to foster rigorous inquiry, critical clarity, and an integrated pastoral imagination shaped by both intellectual discipline and the contemplative life.
Rev. Marek Duran, S.T.D.
Rev. Marek Duran, President of the Pontifical Faculty of Theology, holds an M.Div., S.T.B., S.T.L., University of Saint Mary of the Lake; S.T.D., Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Rome with the dissertation entitled “My Neighbor and His Wounds – Compassion and the Objective Knowledge of Good: A Conversation with Martha Nussbaum and Edith Stein”. Certified spiritual director through the Institute for Priestly Formation in Omaha. Recent publications include: “In Defense of Priestly Fatherhood” (2025), “The Virtues of Christian Leadership” (2020), “Be Compassionate as your Father is Compassionate (Lk 6:36): Avoiding the Pitfalls of Compassion.” (2019), “Edith Stein and the World’s Peace.” (2019), “Memory Morality and The Joy of the Gospel.” (2016). Member of the Society of Christian Ethics, and the Academy of Catholic Theology. The area of expertise includes virtue theory, Steinian studies, marriage and family, compassion, and ethics of leadership.
Paul Hilliard, Ph.D.
Dr. Paul Hilliard earned his BA in History, with concentrations in Classics and Medieval and Renaissance Studies from the University of Dallas. He earned his M.Phil in Medieval History and Ph.D. in History from the University of Cambridge. He is an early medieval intellectual historian by training, and through teaching he has become a generalist in Church History. His primary research interests are St. Bede, medieval biblical commentaries, conversion, and cultural transformation. He has been on the faculty of USML since 2008, and is currently the Chair of the Department of Church History and the holder of the William H. And Lois J. Endowed Chair in Church History. In the D.Min. Program he currently teaches the course Christian Leadership in the Tradition, which seeks to draw wisdom from the past to apply to the needs of today. To support his D.Min. teaching he has focused on leadership studies, especially around the personal and spiritual formation necessary for excellent leadership. For D.Min thesis projects, he favors the use of historical methods, such as source criticism, public history, and thick descriptions of context. Field anthropology is also a method that he favors in helping a student see both themselves and their communities.
Harold Horell, Ph.D.
Dr. Harold Horell, Margaret and Chester Paluch Chair of Theology, B.A. (Political Science and Philosophy) and M.A. (Philosophy), University of Dayton; M.T.S. (Ethics and Society), Harvard Divinity School; Ph.D. Boston College, Institute of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry (Theology and Education).
Areas of expertise: Pastoral/Practical Theology and Catechesis/Religious Education/ Faith Formation.
Additional Areas of Competence: The Theology of Ministry and the Mission and Ministry of the Laity, Ecclesial Leadership, Synodality, Youth and Young Adult Ministries, Moral Education and Development, Education for Peace and Justice.
Rev. David Mowry, S.T.L., DMin.
Fr. David Mowry is a priest of the Diocese of Joliet. Since 2018, he has held the Ernest and Marilyn Waud Chair of Homiletics at the University of St. Mary of the Lake. His primary focus is on the practical theology of preaching with an emphasis on listener feedback. His doctoral research developed and tested a preaching feedback model based on the affective discernment method of St. Ignatius of Loyola. He works with dioceses and offices of formation around the country to form preachers and improve communication between listeners and preachers. He teaches classes for both Mundelein Seminary and the School of Parish Leadership and Evangelization. He also serves as a formation advisor at Mundelein Seminary.
Rev. Anthony Muraya, Ph.D.
Rev. Anthony Muraya holds a B.A., Catholic University of Eastern Africa, a M.Div., S.T.L., University of St. Mary of the Lake, and a Ph.D., St. Thomas University, Miami, Florida. Rev. Anthony Muraya is a systematic and practical theologian whose work examines the interpretive, interdisciplinary, and communal dimensions of theological inquiry. He is the author of Corruption in Kenya and Communities of Interpretation: A Sacramental Pneuma‑Ontological Approach, studies that reflect his sustained interest in the relationship between theological reflection, socio‑cultural realities, and the practices of faith communities.
He teaches in the graduate programs of SPLE, where his courses include Fundamental Theology, Christology, Theological Anthropology, Research Methodologies, and Christian Leadership. His pedagogy is shaped by a commitment to rigorous theological formation that remains attentive to the lived experience of the Church and the methodological contributions of the social and human sciences.
His research engages several intersecting areas: theological hermeneutics; inter‑ and intradisciplinary approaches to theology; the lived experience of Christian communities; and the integration of social‑scientific methods in practical theological research. Across these areas, his work seeks to clarify how theological understanding emerges within concrete contexts and how it can inform transformative pastoral practice.
Fr. Muraya is particularly dedicated to mentoring students engaged in practical theological research. He assists them in developing the capacity to identify and articulate pastoral needs, interpret those needs through theological and social‑scientific frameworks, design and evaluate contextually grounded interventions, and articulate normative praxes that contribute to the flourishing of faith communities.
His scholarship and teaching are animated by a broader commitment to forming reflective practitioners—leaders capable of integrating theological insight with pastoral judgment in service of the Church’s mission.
Patricia Pintado, S.T.L., Ph.D.
History of Philosophy, Modern Philosophy’s impact on the relation of faith and reason, its influence on theology, and the nature of secularization. As a member of the Pontifical faculty, she offers a course in Latin-American Catholic Thought. Research interests on Catholic Social Thought, the Second Vatican Council, and the theology of Benedict XVI.
Pastoral experience: Parish adult education, seminary involvement in two students’ initiatives (USML Migrant Ministry and advisor to Catholic Fellowship to promote the encounter of cultures).
Dr. Ron Rojas, DBA, HIS, Dn
Dr. Ronald Rojas, DBA, is a distinguished leadership consultant, formator, and coach whose career is defined by a unique synthesis of strategic management, academic rigor, and deep spiritual commitment. His professional foundation was built over 30 years of service in the United States Air Force, where he retired at the rank of Colonel in 2004 after serving as a squadron commander during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. This military background informs his pragmatic and disciplined approach to organizational health, which he has integrated into over 24 years of experience in higher education. Since earning his Doctorate in Business Administration in 2002, Dr. Rojas has focused on graduate-level business disciplines, mentoring more than 30 doctoral candidates at institutions such as Argosy, Phoenix, and National Louis University, while publishing 23 books and over 20 scholarly articles. Parallel to his academic work, Dr. Rojas’s ministerial impact has been extensive, marked by 39 years of service as a permanent deacon. He has shaped the administrative landscape of the Catholic Church through a decade of consultancy for the Archdiocese of Chicago and Loyola University, as well as by providing management coaching for newly assigned pastors and facilitating conferences for over 150 diocesan priests. His expertise in ecclesiastical education includes six years as adjunct faculty at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary and contributing to the Doctorate in Ministry program at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake. Internationally, he has conducted leadership seminars in China, Italy, Costa Rica, and the Bahamas, while also leading high-impact workshops for lay ministry leaders in Puerto Rico for 16 years. Currently active in diaconate formation and parish management within the Diocese of St. Petersburg, Florida, Dr. Rojas has been married to his wife, Isabel, since 1973; they share five children, including a son who serves as a diocesan priest.
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