Caleb has served as Houghton’s Director of Alumni Engagement since July, 2024. As the Director of Alumni Engagement, Caleb’s chief role is to walk alongside alumni as they fulfill their call to be scholar-servants in a changing world, and invite them to let Houghton be a part of that life-long journey. Caleb comes to this role with rich experience in youth and college ministry, as well as several years serving Christian higher education institutions through traditional undergraduate, online, and graduate admissions.

Caleb is passionate about the Christ-centered community that Houghton cultivates. Houghton strives to be a rejoicing community of scholar-servants who gather to worship Christ through prayer and work. Caleb believes that it is a special thing to work for an institution so willing to submit all things before Christ.

Outside of work, Caleb can be found spending time with his wife, Juliana, their son, and their daughter. He is a self-proclaimed “serial hobbyist,” and enjoys reading and writing, playing guitar (and banjo), and fishing.

Mark Shepard joined Houghton’s Advancement team in 2023 and serves the university as a Regional Director of Development. Mark brings to his work a pastor’s heart for ministry and for forging meaningful relationships with people. Hailing from nearby Geneseo, NY, Mark served in pastoral ministry since the early 2000s and daily lives out his calling of encouraging people with the love of Christ.

As an ambassador of Christ and ºÚÁÏ¿Æ, Mark has a passion for engaging alumni and friends of Houghton by sharing the work God is doing on campus in the lives of Houghton’s students. Mark thrives on ensuring that Houghton’s mission of providing students with an unapologetically Christian education and equipping them to be scholar-servants endures for the glory of God and the advancement of His Kingdom.

View a  on the Highlander Athletics website.

B.S., Communication, Grace College (1994)

Phyllis has served in various roles on campus since coming to Houghton in 1989. After serving sixteen years as the Campus Store Director, Phyllis transitioned to the position of Community Engagement Director in 2009. In 2015, she added oversight of Alumni Engagement to her work. Back to just an expanding role in Community Engagement in 2024, Phyllis’ work focuses on external relations, public events, hospitality, leadership development, local economic development efforts, and community outreach. Outside of work, Phyllis enjoys gardening, cooking, entertaining, reading, and time spent with her grandchildren.

Becca (Pifer ’96), and her husband Randy ’94, both graduated from Houghton. They returned to the area in 1998 when Becca joined the staff at Houghton. She has worked in different departments through the years, but her primary responsibilities have always included hosting conferences and events at Houghton. She currently works in the Center for Engagement and Hospitality as the Conference and Community Engagement Director.

In her spare, time Becca enjoys taking walks with their 3 dogs and enjoying the outdoors. Becca’s and Randy’s son, Jordan ’18, is also an alumnus and currently works at Alfred University as their head Men’s and Women’s Tennis Coach.

An academically challenging, Christ-centered liberal arts education is one of the most impactful tools we have to bring about the Kingdom of God here on earth. The experiences students have here are profoundly transformative, and to play a part in ensuring those experiences are affordable and accessible to those who need them is an incredible blessing. Serving the students, employees, alumni and friends of ºÚÁÏ¿Æ is a perfect alignment of the my passions and interests with the skills ad experiences the Lord has provided me.