At Pittsburgh Theological Seminary’s 2025 Alumnae/i Days gathering, four alums were honored for their work and recognized as this year’s distinguished alumnae/i. Here, meet these alums and discover the ways in which they each apply their unique gifts to serve God and neighbor. Return in June to meet the 2025 Fred McFeely Rogers Awardee for Creative Ministry, the Rev. Erin Angeli ’18, pictured with the distinguished alums above.
Distinguished Alumnus in Specialized Ministry: The Rev. Dr. Wilbur (Doug) C. Douglass III ’81
The Rev. Dr. Wilbur (Doug) C. Douglass III ’81 is a distinguished minister and military chaplain whose career spans more than 40 years in pastoral ministry and over 30 years in chaplaincy with the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps. He earned a bachelor’s in biological sciences from the University of Pittsburgh, a Master of Divinity from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry in transformational leadership from Ashland Theological Seminary.
During his active-duty military service, Doug held global assignments, including at Camp Lejeune, Yokosuka (Japan), Washington, D.C., and Tidewater, Va., with three overseas deployments. Rising to the rank of captain, he received numerous awards and led a team of 29 Navy chaplains providing pastoral care following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks—an experience that shaped his doctoral research on chaplain resiliency at Ground Zero.
Parallel to his military service, Doug ministered in Presbyterian congregations across Eastern Virginia and Washington, D.C., and served the Presbytery of Eastern Virginia in key leadership roles. Following his military retirement in 2012, he pastored Community Presbyterian Church (Portsmouth, Va.) until 2023, while also serving as moderator of the Presbytery and on the Commission on Ministry.
An active supporter of the National Black Presbyterian Caucus, Doug is a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., the National Naval Officers Association, and the Military Officers Association of America. He currently serves as president of the Portsmouth Police Athletic League Board and lives in Virginia Beach with his wife, Julie Wilson Pope-Douglass.
Distinguished Alumnus in Mission: The Rev. Simeon Harrar ’14
The Rev. Simeon Harrar ’14 is a pastor, author, and international speaker serving as chaplain at a Christian international school in Nairobi, Kenya. There, he provides pastoral care, mentorship, and discipleship programs to students from over 50 countries, fostering Christ-like service in a global context.
Born in Papua New Guinea to missionary parents, Simeon’s international upbringing shaped his passion for the global Church and pastoral ministry. After earning his bachelor’s from Erskine College, he completed a Master of Divinity at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, with a focus on missiology under the influence of Dr. Scott Sunquist and Leslie Newbigin’s writings.
Following seminary, Simeon served as youth pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Lancaster, Pa., before moving to Nigeria in 2017 to teach at a Christian international school. A subsequent call led him to serve as transitional pastor at Wrightsville Presbyterian Church, but his heart remained with missionary service and third culture kids. In response, Simeon began writing books to support missionary children, including Between Worlds, The Dreamer, and The Long Flight Home.
In 2020, he embraced his current role in Nairobi, where he and his family have lived and served for four years. Simeon continues to minister through a missiological lens, striving to communicate the gospel across cultural boundaries. He and his wife, Alison, reside in Nairobi with their two children, committed to long-term international ministry.
Distinguished Alumnus in Pastoral Ministry: The Rev. Joseph Hedden Jr. ’97
The Rev. Joseph Hedden Jr. ’97 is a pastor, spiritual director, teacher, and author with more than 30 years of service to the church. Since 2010, he has served as pastor of Emmanuel Reformed United Church of Christ in Export, Pa., while also deeply engaged in teaching and spiritual formation.
Joseph is dean and theology instructor at the Penn West Academy for Ministry, where he leads the faculty, teaches theology, and mentors candidates preparing for lay ministry and ordination in the UCC. He also teaches at the Pneuma Institute, specializing in spiritual direction and leadership.
Earlier, he pastored Tabor United Church of Christ in Lebanon, Pa., leading a major organ restoration project and serving as president of the Lebanon Association. In 2003–04, he served abroad as exchange pastor at Christuskirche in Hennef, Germany, ministering in a congregation of 8,000 members.
Committed to broader church leadership, Joseph has directed Camp Living Waters, served on the Penn West Conference Board, and acted as the inaugural ambassador to the North West Luzon Conference (Philippines). He currently serves as secretary of the Camp Living Waters board and has also contributed to the PTS Alumnae/i Council.
Joseph is the author of Desire Paths (2023) and Sowing and Reaping Together (2021), and has published in The New Mercersburg Review and These Days. He holds degrees from St. Vincent College and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, with additional training at Lancaster and Lutheran Theological Seminaries and the Pneuma Institute. He lives in Murrysville, Pa., with his wife, Jennifer, and their two daughters.
Distinguished Alumna in Academia: The Rev. Dr. Nichole Torbitzky ’00
The Rev. Dr. Nichole Torbitzky ’00 is associate professor of religion and university chaplain at Lindenwood University (St. Charles, Mo.), where she has taught for more than a decade. Her courses span world religions, Christian theology, African American religions, religion and science, and women and religion. An ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, Nichole has also served congregations in Pennsylvania, California, and Missouri, focusing on adult education, youth ministry, worship leadership, and pastoral care.
As Lindenwood’s chaplain, Nichole helped create the Sacred Space—a prayer and meditation room open to all faiths—and launched the Little Free Pantry to support students facing food insecurity. In recognition of her leadership in racial and interfaith initiatives, she received the 2020 Racial Equity and Interfaith Cooperation Award from the Interfaith Youth Core.
A noted scholar in process and open and relational theology, Nichole co-edited Preaching the Uncontrolling Love of God (SacraSage, 2024) and has contributed to Creating Women’s Theology, Process Studies, and Amipotence. She serves as editor of the lectionary commentary series for Process and Faith and frequently speaks publicly, including appearances on the “Future Christian” and “Souls in Soles” podcasts.
Nichole holds a Ph.D. in philosophy of religion and theology from Claremont Graduate University, where she researched metaphysics, atonement theory, and the Whiteheadian concept of subjective form. She earned her M.Div. summa cum laude from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and a bachelor’s from Truman State University. She lives in Saint Charles, Mo., with her husband and two sons.
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