Jaime C. Grunlan

I am an Assistant Professor in both Mechanical Engineering and Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University.  Being a professor is both a job and hobby because I really enjoy researching, writing and mentoring students (it’s not your typical 9 to 5 job).

Personal Story

I grew up as “the son of a preacher man”, to steal a line from Dusty Springfield, and really didn’t have a dramatic conversion experience as a result.  I always knew and academically believed in all of the key information contained in the Bible, but it wasn’t until college that I really began to live for God.  I had a full football scholarship to North Dakota State University and participated in all of the activities commonly associated with college athletes.

 In the middle of undergrad I met my wife Melissa and we both kind of grew up spiritually together.  I was only 20 years old when we got married, but that was probably the event that forced me to grow up.  We began teaching 5th and 6th grade Sunday school together at a local church in Fargo, ND and I felt my life slowly transform.  The transformation is still ongoing 14 years later (i.e., today).  Although I’m a very flawed man, I hope my honesty, work ethic and willingness to help others serves to benefit those around me and point them to Jesus.

I’m very blessed to be able to spend my days studying God’s creation (Isaiah 45:12).  It is this creation that points to God’s existence (Romans 1:19-20).  God truly loves everyone and wants everyone to love Him and His Son Jesus (John 3:14-16), but it is absolutely a conscious choice on each of our parts to accept His gift of salvation (John 3:17-18; Romans 6:23).  We’re all flawed (Romans 3:23), perhaps me more than most, but God is flawless (2 Samuel 22:30-32) and as a result only He can erase these flaws (Hebrews 9:13-15).  

I realize much of this is very counter-cultural and it’s not my job to “convert” anyone to Christianity, my only goal is to make a very public declaration of my faith.  I in no way wish to alienate anyone or have this be misinterpreted as a put-down of anyone else’s beliefs.