Faculty Profile: Dr. Keith Wise
Dr. Keith J. Wise always wanted to be a college professor. Though he found his calling in the ministry, teaching still followed him. He comes from a family of teachers — his mother and both grandmothers taught in the public schools in Ohio.
Wise was asked to teach an ancient history class at Alma while a pastor at the St. Louis Church of Christ, where he has been for over 15 years. He has since taught a variety of courses in the areas of ancient history and religious studies department.
“The nature of my ministry seems to be that I have a pastoral ministry at a local church and then teach as adjunct in a college or university,” he says. “I didn’t plan it that way; it just seemed to work out that way. I have previously taught at Wilberforce University and at Ohio University.”
He earned his bachelor’s degree at Kentucky Christian University, and earned his master's at Youngstown State University while working as a youth minister in Ohio. His doctorate is in Greco-Roman Studies from American University in Washington, D.C.
“My favorite part about Alma is the quality of students and seeing them develop confidence in their chosen field,” he says. “I also have found the faculty here very professional and co-operative. I see my work as a ministry in that I get to see people develop a positive, hopeful perspective on life and that has become more needful as of late.”
In his spare time, Wise writes a religion column for the Morning Sun newspaper and enjoys fishing, gardening and spending time with his family.
