Cancer researcher and vocational mentor Austin Shull, Ph.D., routinely tackles novel approaches to combating the spread of cancer – but it was his offhand kindness to a student that caused him to go viral.

Shull serves as associate professor of Biology at Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina, where he specializes in the field of cancer research. He’s also a strong advocate of helping students succeed and find their educational calling, a belief that entered the spotlight in late 2022 when he received a request from a student to hold her place in line for tickets to see Taylor Swift.

“You have to serve many roles when you’re a mentor and advisor,” he tweeted, and agreed to help out. That allowed his student to focus on and tackle a required practicum for a class, and his generosity of heart soon drove a number of national news stories celebrating his approach.

On Monday, Feb. 27, he joins King University as the presenter of the Institute for Faith & Culture’s (IFC) annual Medical Lecture.

Shull will present “Stumbling Toward Less Uncertainty: Scientific Discernment as a Mirror for Vocational Discernment” at 9:15 a.m. in the Memorial Chapel on King’s main campus. At 7 p.m. he will present “The Fight Against Cancer: A War with Many Fronts” at Central Presbyterian Church in Bristol, Virginia.

Both events are open to the public and free of charge.

“Austin is not only a skilled teacher, but a great mentor for students at his alma mater,” said Martin Dotterweich, Ph.D., director of the IFC. “Like King University, Presbyterian has been supported by the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Research (NetVUE), and Austin has been particularly attentive to helping students find their calling. He also maintains impressive research activity with regard to breast cancer, and involves his students in that important endeavor.”

A native of South Carolina, Shull earned his bachelor of science in Biology from Presbyterian College and his doctorate in Biochemistry & Cancer Biology from The Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. His work has been published in several peer-reviewed journals including Cancer Research, PLOS ONE, Journal of Biological Chemistry, and Oncogene. He has secured more than $250,000 dollars in research funding for his work in training students to investigate the biological mechanisms that promote the growth and spread of breast cancer.

More information on the current IFC season is available at www.king.edu/faithandculture.