Faculty Insights: Alex Johnson
The end of the 2025–26 academic year marks the completion of my seventh year serving as a biology and environmental science professor at Northwest University. When my wife, Stacy (Anderson, ’06), and I returned to NU in 2019, it felt like we were coming home. As students, this place played such an important role in our lives—drawing us nearer to God and providing deep friendships and community. It is evident that the God who transformed us during our time as students is still transforming the lives of NU students today, and we feel blessed to be a part of it. As I reflect on my time as a professor, I specifically cherish moments with students in the classroom, outside in God’s creation, and as a part of this community.
Holistic, Christ-centered Academics
One of the frustrations I experienced while teaching at a large public university was the lack of deeper discussion about students’ worldviews and beliefs. In settings where faith is separated from learning, education is lacking—restricted to students’ heads (knowledge) and hands (practical skills), while the heart (deeper beliefs and values) is shut out. In science courses specifically, when the Creator is removed from studies of creation, we become blind to God’s transcendent beauty, goodness, and truth that His creation so readily declares.
At NU, conversely, our science classes educate the “whole” person, and each subject declares the glory of Christ, our creator and sustainer. Our faith also provides the framework for addressing topics such as genetic engineering, medical treatments, and bioethics. As our students enter the workforce, I feel confident that they are prepared with the knowledge, skills, and values to bring Christ into a hurting world.
Empowered Engagement in Our Local Community
The biology department at NU provides students with opportunities to intern with local organizations and to participate in faculty research projects. My research background is in wildlife conservation, and I currently lead a biodiversity conservation research lab at NU. Undergraduate researchers in my lab use wildlife cameras to monitor local wildlife around Kirkland, including bobcats, coyotes, black bears, and extraordinary northern flying squirrels. One of the major questions that our research looks to answer is how to steward God’s creation in and around urban areas.
In addition to research and internship opportunities, Dr. Steinkamp and I began a campus restoration project in 2024 that involves students in our environmental science course. As part of the course, students remove invasive ivy and replace it with native flowering plants in an effort to restore ecosystem health and beauty on campus. Engagement opportunities like these within the local community empower students to bring God’s light wherever they live.
Faith-filled Community
Much of the transformative experience during college occurs outside the classroom. At NU, the community has always been paramount as it represents God’s call to do life together. As such, when Stacy and I began serving Christian colleges, we decided to always live on or near campus so we could live in community with students, staff, and faculty. Over the past several years, our campus duplex has hosted small groups, science study parties, department celebrations, and a weekly Shabbat meal for students, staff, and faculty. We hope students feel loved and known as they experience what a faith-filled community could and should look like—even after they leave NU and build community somewhere new. It truly is a blessing for us to walk together with this beautiful NU community as we experience glimpses of the Kingdom of God here on earth.
Alex Johnson (’07) is an Associate Professor of Biology.