Dr. Jonathan Watt is one of the busiest professors at Geneva College. He teaches courses in biblical studies, English, Greek, linguistics, anthropology, sociolinguistics, history and religious ministry to undergraduate, honors, adult, and online students. He chairs the department of biblical studies, ministries, and philosophy. Dr. Watt is also one of the most beloved faculty members on campus. Students and alumni regularly expound on the impact Dr. Watt has had on their education, career, faith, and life.

Communication major Celia Harris notes that there are students who consider Dr. Watt to be a father figure, particularly due to his tremendous warmth, kindness, and wisdom. She says, “He is a brilliant man with an incredible knowledge but more than that, he knows a lot of his students personally and makes it his mission to engage them. Because he wants his students to learn, he approaches his lessons with an attitude of wonder and excitement, which channel to his classes. I see Dr. Watt almost every day and he always has something witty and uplifting to share.”

Dr. Watt also serves as a mentor and advisor for students. He comments, “I often help students in their personal crises. A couple of us from the department will meet with a student and perhaps a few of the students’ close friends to pray and plan together. I also collaborate with the counseling center as much as possible to help students.”

Dr. Watt took a long route to get to Geneva College. He was born in Sydney, Australia, and also lived in England and Hong Kong before permanently immigrating to the U.S. in 1967. He got his U.S. citizenship in 1975 and graduated with a B.S. in magazine journalism from Syracuse University in 1978. The journalism degree was intended to serve as a precursor to medicine or ministry—and ministry won out.

Dr. Watt’s route to Reformed faith was also circuitous. He grew up Congregational, and was drawn to the Reformed tradition through the RPCNA congregation in Syracuse, N.Y. “They modeled thoughtful faith: real thinking plus deep faith, and I really liked that and was ‘tamed’ by it.  I saw a reflective depth and love in them, and it, and those qualities drew me in warmly.”

The example of the RP Church gave direction. He came to western Pennsylvania for higher education, earning his M.Div. from the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in 1982 and then an M.A. in linguistics in 1987 and a Ph.D. in linguistics in 1995, both from the University of Pittsburgh. While serving as a pastor, he started teaching at Geneva College in 1994. In 2000 he started teaching at Geneva full time.

While he loves teaching, it was a tough decision to go into education full time because he also loved pastoring. “But I guess education is in my blood,” he explains. “My father was a professor for 60 years. My mom was a preschool teacher for 30 years. We are an educational institution kind of family.” His father, Trevor Watt, retired just a couple of years ago from teaching religion at Canisius College in Buffalo, N.Y.

If the Jonathan Watt of 1974 met the Jonathan Watt of today, he would not be totally surprised. Dr. Watt thinks the younger man would say, “He’s a lot like his dad.”
Students often talk about the impact that Dr. Watt has had on them. He comments, “It may sound cliché, but I feel like I’m privileged to have a kind of back-and-forth dialogue with them. I enjoy seeing the light go on, seeing them make connections. The fact that they are willing to listen to what I’m saying means a lot. We respect and consider each other’s perspectives.”

The impact is long term, with many alumni reporting that he has influenced them well beyond their college years. Laura (Capper ’07) DePietro, who now works in the Institutional Advancement Office of Geneva, says, “Having Dr. Watt as my Bible professor while a student at Geneva was a great experience. The way he taught made the stories of the Old Testament come alive, and had a big impact on my understanding and appreciation for them which I have carried with me beyond the classroom and into life.”

Dr. Watt, a cosmopolitan and well-traveled man, made his home with his wife, June, on College Hill. His four adult children and his granddaughter, who will soon be two years old, all live in the greater Pittsburgh area.

The Geneva students are special, he says. “I once heard someone describe them as having a certain sweetness. This isn’t true in all cases, of course, but in most there is an approachability, an honesty, and a sweetness that I really enjoy.”

From all indications, the students know that Dr. Watt enjoys them, cares about them, and cares what is happening in their lives. That’s why he is the professor whose story shares the impact of a Geneva education in two new Geneva College commercials (geneva.edu/impact).

Author Cheryl Johnston is director of marketing and public relations at Geneva College. Dr. Jonathan Watt is pastor at Tusca Area (Beaver, Pa.) RPC.