2009 Recipient: Buff Furman
August 21, 2009 by Steve Pogue
Filed under Erick Nilson Award
[Remarks by Rae Mellichamp and John Walkup]
The 2009 Erik Nilson Award, presented to an outstanding Christian professor, has been given to Buff Furman, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at San Jose State University.
I (John) met Buff Furman in 2000, shortly after Pat and I arrived back in northern California to direct Faculty Commons’ ministries at the San Francisco Bay Area campuses. I was immediately impressed with his commitment to being a blessing to the faculty, staff and students on the San Jose State campus.
Buff and his wife Wanda demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ for others. He has a strong testimony for our Lord’s love and grace to all those around him. Moreover, Buff has the leadership skills to which his faculty colleagues have responded during his seven years leading the faculty/staff ministry at SJSU.
Whenever I attend one of their weekly meetings, I am impressed with the obvious respect that both the faculty and staff show for his leadership. This carries over to his family life; watching them, together with their young daughter, Joy, one sees a genuine picture of Christian marriage and family life.
Buff and Wanda have participated in seven of our national conferences. Because of their participation and urging, other San Jose State professors have also attended various Faculty Commons conferences. He has organized and led the use at SJSU of the PBS “Question of God” series comparing the lives and philosophies of C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud.
Buff is one of the most consistently Spirit-led Christian professors we have known. He consistently demonstrates his faith in Christ through his upbeat, encouraging demeanor, the gracious way in which he reaches out to other faculty, to university staff and to his students.
Would you join us in congratulating this outstanding representative of the cause of Christ in the academy? If you know him please consider sending an email, or give him a phone call, to recognize his exemplary service. His example can encourage each of us to make a difference through our teaching and research, and through our individual and corporate witness on the campus.
