Mark Jackson
Professor & Chair of Children, Youth & Family Studies
Director, Center for Community Engagement
Contact: 425.249.4721, mark.jackson@tlc.edu

Professor Jackson blends diverse interests in faith formation, leadership development, service learning, and program administration into his courses, supported by graduate study in both pastoral ministry (Gonzaga University) and nonprofit management (Regis University). He primarily teaches courses in program planning and oversees the department’s robust practicum and internship programs. Read full biography.

Rev. Dr. David Ellingson
Professor of Children, Youth & Family Studies
Director, Children, Youth & Family Center
Contact: 425.249.4722 , david.ellingson@tlc.edu

Dr. Ellingson joined Trinity as a notable fixture in the development of Lutheran youth and family ministry in the Pacific Northwest. His teaching includes courses in youth and family ministry, youth spirituality, and justice/social transformation. An ordained Lutheran pastor, he attended both Yale Divinity School and the Claremont School of Theology. Read full biography.

Susan Houglum
Professor & Chair of Early Childhood Education
Contact: 425.249.4720, sue.houglum@tlc.edu

Professor Houglum has a diverse background in early learning, preschool education, children’s ministry, and program administration. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Pacific Lutheran University, majoring in religion and sociology. Her M.Ed. degree from the Peabody College of Education at Vanderbilt University emphasized young children and the importance of play in their learning. Read full biography.

Janet Cederberg, AIM
Affiliate Faculty in Children, Youth & Family Studies

Professor Cederberg brings 20 years of congregational youth ministry experience to her classes, making them both relevant and practical for students preparing for ministry leadership. She holds a master’s degree in systems counseling from the Leadership Institute of Seattle and is rostered as an Associate in Ministry in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Whitney Dibble
Affiliate Faculty in Children, Youth & Family Studies

Professor Dibble’s experience in counseling and mental health includes medical family therapy, eating disorders, and cross-cultural reconciliation, and she is currently completing an internship with the University of Washington Family Medical Centers. She is a graduate of Seattle Pacific University’s Marriage and Family Therapy program and is a Washington State Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate.

Elizabeth Jenkins
Affiliate Faculty in Children, Youth & Family Studies

Professor Jenkins teaches practical skills for program leadership, based on her extensive experience in congregational youth ministry and, currently, as an Area Director for Young Life. Her educational background includes teaching (Whitworth College) and a Master of Education in Creative Arts (Lesley University).

Dr. Dana Wright
Affiliate Faculty in Children, Youth & Family Studies

Dr. Wright is a Christian education leader, practical theologian, and author currently serving as Director of Christian Formation and Discipleship at First Presbyterian Church in Everett. His interests center around the work of James Loder, practical theology, Christian education, and youth ministry. He holds a Master of Divinity from Fuller Seminary and a Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary, with previous teaching appointments at Princeton and New Brunswick Theological Seminary.