About NINS

In 2000, the founder of the Venerable John Henry Newman Association (presently, The Saint John Henry Newman Association), Fr. Vincent J. Giese, passed away, leaving behind an extensive Newman collection.

In 2002, Fr. Drew Morgan and Mrs. Catharine M. Ryan – at the time board members of the VJHNA – began to formulate an idea that would allow Fr. Giese’s gift to bear abundant fruit. They envisioned a center where scholars could access Newman and Newman-related documents and materials. The Institute was conceived as a forum for exchanging ideas and discoveries about Newman’s thought and its continuing relevance. With the assistance of many generous and helpful friends they saw their idea grow into the National Institute for Newman Studies. The Giese collection was brought to Pittsburgh in 2002. Since that time the Institute has celebrated many accomplishments.

John Henry Newman stands as a giant in the fields of theology, philosophy, and education. Influencing many academic and spiritual disciplines, Newman's writings and his lifelong search for religious truth continue to inspire scholars throughout the world.

Newman began his public life as a fellow of Oriel College and, soon after, as Vicar of St. Mary the Virgin Church in Oxford, England. He was a leader of the Oxford Movement which began in 1833. A prominent member of the Church of England for the first half of his life, he converted to Roman Catholicism in 1845. Two years later, Newman founded the first English-speaking Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Birmingham, England. In 1851, Newman undertook the founding of the Catholic University of Ireland in Dublin. He was made a cardinal of the Catholic Church in 1879. His many scholarly works have remained a significant force.

Bridget’s background is with nonprofit and educational organizations, specializing in quality assurance, strategic planning, and grants management. She is highly involved with her parish, service, and social justice organizations, and with diocesan committees. Bridget’s personal interests include the Gaelic language, kayaking, travel, and theology.

Lawrence Gregory joined the NINS team as archivist in December 2016 and works remotely from the United Kingdom. Born in Lancashire, England and educated at St Bede’s RC College, Manchester, UK, Lawrence graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2017 with a Masters Degree in Archival Science. He has many years of experience working in the records and archival profession, including fifteen years as assistant Archivist to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salford, UK, 2002-2017 and concurrently nine years as Corporate Records Manager at the Danwood Group Ltd 2007-2016. Lawrence is also a nineteenth-century English Catholic historian with expertise in the Northern Dioceses, UK, and in particular the career of Cardinal Herbert Vaughan. He has published the first part of a trilogy on the history of his alma mater – St Bede’s College, Manchester, and is a Trustee of both the Catholic Family History Society and the Lancashire & Cheshire Antiquarian Society, and is a member of British Mensa.

As Senior Archivist, his role with NINS is to act as archival advisor, to catalog and undertake research into the digitized papers, to seek out further relevant archival material, developing relationships with future archive partners, overseeing, and managing the digitization projects to their conclusion.

Elizabeth Huddleston is the Head of Research and Publications at the National Institute for Newman Studies and the Associate Editor for the Newman Studies Journal. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree in Theological Studies from the University of Dayton, and a doctorate in Theology also from the University of Dayton. Her dissertation is entitled, Divine Revelation as Rectrix Stella: The Evolution of Wilfrid Ward’s Doctrine of Divine Revelation, which was completed in 2019 under the direction of Dr. William L. Portier. Dr. Huddleston’s research interests include the reception of Newman’s doctrine of revelation in nineteenth- and twentieth-century theology, the relationship between music and theology, ecumenical and inter-faith conversations, and the intersection of dogmatic theology with Christian mysticism.

Dr. Huddleston is available to speak at your parish or school about Newman and Newman-related topics. Please contact her to learn more.

Christopher Cimorelli is the Director of the National Institute for Newman Studies and Associate Editor of the Newman Studies Journal. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and a master’s degree in Theology and Religious Studies from Villanova University. Before beginning advanced graduate work, he was the Editorial Assistant of Commonweal Magazine (2008-2010). He holds a master’s degree in Advanced Studies in Theology and Religion (2011) and a doctorate in Theology (2015) from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium), where he studied under the Newman scholar, Prof. Dr. Terrence Merrigan. Prior to working at the Institute, he was an Assistant Professor of Theology at Caldwell University (2016-2020), where he served as chair of the Department of Theology and Philosophy in 2020. He is the author of the monograph, John Henry Newman’s Theology of History: Historical Consciousness, ‘Theological Imaginaries’, and the Development of Tradition (Peeters, 2017) and the co-editor of Salvation in the World: The Crossroads of Public Theology (Bloomsbury, 2017). He has varied research interests, including Newman studies, doctrinal development, views of doctrine and the magisterium, apophatic theology, spirituality, and ecotheology.

Dr. Cimorelli is available to speak at your institution about Newman and Newman-related topics. Please contact him to learn more.

Dr. Daniel T. Michaels (“Danny”) is the Chief Technology Officer at the National Institute for Newman Studies. He leads agile software development teams and archivists in the United States, UK, and India. Dr. Michaels is a seasoned leader with deep roots in educational technology, digital humanities, and executive leadership. Recent roles include President of Trend Academic, an IT services provider for higher education; Vice President of Technology for Mongoose Metrics, a telephony software and attribution company; and CIO of Quincy University. He is the immediate past President of the Newman Foundation of Northern Ohio and board member on the Commission on the Franciscan Intellectual Tradition. He is also the past Secretary of the College Theology Society. His research on medieval biblical exegesis and narrative art, including his groundbreaking 3D gaming software of the basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, led to the SacraTech Foundation and an institute of digital humanities that has thrived for two decades at Saint Louis University.

Kenneth Parker completed his Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge in 1984, under the direction of Professor Eamon Duffy. His research interest in John Henry Newman began during his post-doctoral studies at the University of Fribourg in the late 1980s. Dr. Parker has taught at the University of Alabama and Westmont College, and served in the historical theology Ph.D. program at Saint Louis University for twenty-five years. In 2014, the College of Arts and Sciences at SLU named him the Steber Professor in Theological Studies. While serving as interim executive director of the National Institute for Newman Studies in 2017, Professor Parker was invited to take up the Ryan Endowed Chair for Newman Studies at Duquesne University. He is the author or editor of seven volumes and numerous essays and articles. He has served as Editor of the Newman Studies Journal since 2016.