Fr. Vincent Bernhard serves as the Associate Director of the Catholic Center at NYU. He earned both his Baccalaureate and Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC, where he focused his thesis on Thomistic principles of mysticism. Since his ordination, Fr. Vincent has traveled to speak at college retreats, led student pilgrimages abroad, and worked to strengthen the Catholic community at NYU. He has appeared on EWTN and collaborated with Our Sunday Visitor on various media and evangelization projects.

Fr. Cassian Derbes is the director of The Catholic Center at NYU. He is an alumnus of NYU and has a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome. Fr. Cassian has held various pastoral, academic, and administrative positions, including as director of an initiative at the Vatican under Pope Francis to design, implement, and teach an executive leadership development program for the Cardinals, Bishops, and senior lay officials of the Roman Curia. His most recent position was as visiting professor at the University of Notre Dame in the Mendoza College of Business.

Landon McDermott is originally from Saint Paul, Minnesota, and also calls Boca Raton, Florida home. He earned his BFA in Musical Theatre from Montclair State University in 2023 and has since served as a FOCUS missionary—first at Doane University and then at the University of Virginia. Passionate about his Catholic faith, Landon especially enjoys Catholic apologetics and walking with others in their spiritual journeys. Outside of ministry, he loves weightlifting, watching sports, and spending quality time with friends. He’s excited to serve the NYU community and help students grow in faith, friendship, and their relationship with Christ.

George Murphy was born in Brooklyn but grew up in Fairfax, Virginia. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of South Carolina in 2024 and joined FOCUS immediately upon graduating. He spent his first two years on staff serving as a missionary at Tulane University in New Orleans before moving to New York to become the Team Director at NYU. When it comes to the faith, George loves talking about aesthetics and beauty, and if you get him started on theology, he won’t stop anytime soon. Outside of his work as a missionary, he enjoys surfing the South Jersey Shore, watching the
Giants lose, and going on adventures with friends. George is excited to help spread the Gospel in the greatest city in the world.

Emily-Anne Santiago is originally from Broward County, Florida, but now calls Atlanta, Georgia home. She earned her BA in Political Science from George Washington University and is beginning her first year of
service as a FOCUS missionary. Emily-Anne has a deep love for her Catholic faith, which she nurtures through reading books on the saints, engaging in rich conversations about theology, and praying novenas. Outside of her ministry, she enjoys staying active by running, challenging herself to learn new languages,
baking sourdough bread from scratch, and volunteering her time with animals. Emily-Anne is excited to bring her joy and passion for the faith to NYU, where she looks forward to serving the students in any way she can and walking alongside them in their journey of faith.

Sophie Stewart is originally from Mountain Lakes, New Jersey and recently graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.S. In Behavioral Neuroscience. She first encountered FOCUS as a student at UVA, where missionaries played a pivotal role in helping her develop a personal relationship with Jesus and deepen her love for the Catholic faith. Now serving as a FOCUS missionary herself, Sophie is passionate about accompanying students as they encounter Christ and grow as His disciples. In her free time, she enjoys trying new coffee shops, listening to country music, going to the beach, and cheering on the Cavaliers! She is excited to serve the students at NYU and walk with them as they grow in faith, friendship, and their relationship with Christ.