Wally Metts

Wally Metts is a Professor of Communication at Spring Arbor University. He has served as Chair of the Communication Program, Director of Graduate Studies in Communication, and Acting Dean of the School of Communication, Media and Fine Arts. His research focuses on design thinking, AI, publishing, and user experience, supported by university grants. He has authored books like The Children’s Book of the Bible and The Santa Papers, earning acclaim in writing and editing. A fifth-generation Floridian, he holds a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies (English, Communication, Religious Studies) from Michigan State University (1995), an M.S. in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Tennessee (1978), and a B.A. in Combined Sciences from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (1973).

Research interests span cross-cultural education, having led trips to China, Ireland, Argentina, India, and Nepal. He advised student publications for over 20 years and consulted on curriculum at Tribhuvan University, Nepal. Professionally, he led the Small Program Interest Group at the Association for Educators in Journalism and Mass Communication and served as President of the Association for Christian Collegiate Media.

Recipient of multiple awards, including the Faculty Merit Award (twice), he balances academic rigor with practical Christian worldview through Spring Arbor’s liberal arts mission. Beyond academia, he served as a pastor/elder at local churches, married to Katie for 50 years, with four adult children and eleven grandchildren.