STAFF

Mike Weaver

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
mike@bradleystudycenter.org

Mike directs the programs and activities of the study center and helps to connect others to this important work.  He has a passion for helping students develop as leaders and connect their faith with all aspects of life.

Mike is a proud Hokie and 1988 graduate of Virginia Tech, where he received his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering.  He recently earned a doctorate in theology and higher education from the University of Winchester in the UK, and holds master’s degrees from Johns Hopkins University, Wesley Theological Seminary, and Duke Divinity School.  He enjoys throwing a frisbee for his golden retriever, Cooper, to catch.

Prior to assuming this role, Mike served six years as a deputy commandant for the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, where he provided guidance, mentoring and education for cadets in a campus-based residential leadership development program. He now serves on the boards of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets Alumni, Inc. and the Consortium of Christian Study Centers.

James Depret-Guillaume

DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS
james@bradleystudycenter.org

James develops the activities and cultivates the student relationships at the study center — from reading groups to the Fellows program to large-scale events. He’ll likely be the first face you meet as a student or faculty involved with the study center.

James grew up in Roanoke, VA. He studied Mathematics at Virginia Tech, earning both Bachelor’s (’17) and Master’s (’19) degrees in the subject. James spent the next two years in Macon, Georgia, serving as a ministry intern for Reformed University Fellowship at Mercer University. It was during that time that he met and married his wife, Merrianna. James loves soccer, pickleball, pool, board games, and – when he has the time – a little math. He also loves a good story, whether in a book or over coffee with a friend.

Rachel Kimzey

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
rachel@bradleystudycenter.org

Rachel helps keep the study center organized, provides administrative support, and helps keep the many activities and programs going smoothly!  Her passion is being the hands to the head and heart of something — helping an idea become reality.

A Blacksburg native, Rachel got her B.A. in Humanities long-distance from Thomas Edison State University (’18) through Unbound. She has worked all kinds of jobs, including but not limited to: housekeeping, floral design, substitute teaching, social media management, and horse wrangling.

She spends a lot of her time with her family of 10, her local church in the NRV, and her friends around the country. She is a firm believer that Jesus changes everything, that books are the best, that things should be beautiful, and that getting off topic can make for amazing conversations.

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Ralph Amateis

BOARD CHAIR

Ralph is a founding member of the Bradley Study Center and current Chair of the Board. Now retired from the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation at Virginia Tech, Ralph has been ministering to the VT community since 1979. He is an elder at Blacksburg Christian Fellowship, and (along with his wife, Patricia) serves as a Senior Fellow for the Honors Residential College at Virginia Tech.

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Deborah Carlier

BOARD MEMBER

Deborah Carlier was born and raised in upstate New York to Chinese immigrant parents. Keen to avoid being merely a consumer of culture, she is interested in joining others in creating things that will aid in human flourishing – something the study center loves to explore. After years of raising a family in Blacksburg and working for Virginia Tech, she now resides in windy Chicago with her husband, Paul.

Jefferson Jones

BOARD MEMBER

Jefferson J. Jones serves in full time ministry as the Senior Leader and Founder of Surge Ministries in Christiansburg, VA.  Surge is a college ministry that exists to help students find their identity in Christ while supporting them in life and spiritual formation during the college years.

Taylor Rollo

BOARD MEMBER

Taylor Rollo has been the Associate Pastor at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church since moving to Blacksburg in 2013, including oversight of Christian Education, church community life, youth group, missions, and graduate student ministry. Taylor and his wife, Erika have two boys: Gabriel and Corban.

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Pablo Tarazaga

BOARD MEMBER

Pablo is the Associate Department Head of Research and Strategic Initiatives at Texas A&M in the Mechanical Engineering department. He is a Virginia Tech alum and a founding member of the Bradley Study Center. Pablo and his wife, Vanessa, live with their family in College Station, Texas.

Damon Thompson

BOARD MEMBER

Damon Thompson is the Founder/CEO of Real Life Dental, with locations in Blacksburg and Christiansburg. He is passionate about remaking the dental customer experience into one that is remarkable. He and his wife Andi live in Blacksburg with their sons.