Dr. Christina M. Schnyders
The Warner Pacific University (WPU) Board of Trustees announces the appointment of its ninth President, Dr. Christina M. Schnyders, effective August 1, 2026. Dr. Schnyders currently serves as Provost at Malone University, in Canton, Ohio, where she has spent the past 19 years advancing Christ-centered higher education through servant leadership, academic innovation, and deep investment in student success.
A Professor of Counseling and Human Development and a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with Supervisory Designation (LPCC-S), Dr. Schnyders brings a distinctive combination of relational insight, strategic leadership, and mission-driven vision to her work.
Throughout her career at Malone, Dr. Schnyders has served in a variety of leadership roles, including Resident Director, Program Director, Faculty Chair, and Provost. Across each of these positions, she has remained committed to fostering academic excellence, cultivating a vibrant campus community, and supporting the holistic development of students as they discern their calling and vocation.
Dr. Schnyders is an active scholar whose work focuses on emerging adult counseling, counseling termination, and clinical supervision. In 2020, she received the Counselor Educator of the Year award from the Ohio Association for Counselor Education and Supervision. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the Chief Academic Officers group for the Christian College Consortium.
When describing her sense of calling to lead and serve at Warner Pacific University, Dr. Schnyders shared, “Throughout this process, I was drawn to Warner Pacific’s authentic commitment to Christ-centered education, its emphasis on belonging and student transformation, and its unique ability to bring together faith, diversity, and community.”
She explained that she was especially inspired by the Church of God (Anderson) heritage, “which shapes the university’s commitment to unity, service, and seeing Christ as the center of all we do. I am honored by the opportunity to join a university whose mission aligns so deeply with my own conviction that higher education should help students discover their calling and prepare them to serve others with wisdom, humility, and purpose.”
Dr. Schnyders earned a Ph.D. in Counseling and Human Development Services from Kent State University in 2012. She earned a MA in Clinical and Pastoral Counseling from Ashland Theological Seminary in 2005 and a BA in Psychology from Simpson College (now Simpson University) in 2000.
Dr. Schnyders is married to Scott Schnyders, CEO at Refuge of Hope Ministries, a Christian non-profit organization committed to providing food and shelter to individuals in Stark County, Ohio. Together, they are the parents of two children, Caiden and Madison.
Dr. Schnyders succeeds Interim President Douglas S. Wade, who serves as the university’s Chief Financial Officer.
View Dr. Schnyders’ Curriculum Vitae (PDF)