Building a culture of life, one student at a time
The CLSP Panel of Experts is made up of the leaders we work with to provide you the most accurate and up-to-date information possible.
All of the experts below have contributed to and reviewed our lessons, unit studies, and other content.
Judie Brown
President of American Life League
Judie Brown is president and cofounder of American Life League, the nation’s oldest grassroots pro-life educational and advocacy organization. Judie has distinguished herself as an unapologetic pro-life leader. She served three five-year terms (1996-2011) as a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life in Rome. Daily Catholic cited her as one of the top 100 Catholics of the 20th century. She has written 12 books, including the most recent The Broken Path: How Catholic Bishops Got Lost in the Weeds of American Politics (2011) and Saving Those Damned Catholics: A Defense of Catholic Teaching (2007).
Dr. Dianne Irving
Former biochemist and biologist at the National Institutes of Health
Dr. Dianne Irving did extensive graduate work in biology at Georgetown University, where she earned her doctorate. Dr. Irving has taught biology, biochemistry, the history of philosophy, natural law ethics, and medical ethics at the collegiate level. She has also published, lectured, and debated widely in academia on bioethics, medical and research ethics concerning human embryo research, human cloning, and human embryonic stem cell research.
Fr. William Kuchinsky
Fr. William Joseph Kuchinsky has been a priest of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston in West Virginia for almost 22 years. Father has a BA in business management and a master’s of divinity. He has long proclaimed the gospel of life in his homilies and throughout his ministry. In his parish assignments he has led various local efforts in support of life, including Life Chain, the Gabriel Project, sponsorship of food distribution to the poor, visitation to the elderly, and the support of a home for the mentally handicapped. For years, Father Kuchinsky has helped edit and research articles for national pro-life leaders and has written articles for various publications.
Dr. Francis J. Beckwith
Philosopher who publishes and teaches in the areas of religion, jurisprudence, politics, and ethics
Dr. Francis J. Beckwith has been active in the pro-life movement for over 30 years and was the chairman of the board of the Wisconsin Right to Life Political Action Committee when he practiced law in Milwaukee. He has served on numerous other nonprofit and for-profit boards and is a member of the Heritage Foundation and the Federalist Society. Prior to joining the Thomas More Society, he served as executive vice president and general counsel with Boys Town, the world-famous organization founded by Fr. Edward J. Flanagan to help at-risk youth.
Dr. Coleen Kelly Mast
Author of ‘Sex Respect,’ the only public school abstinence education program
Dr. Coleen Kelly Mast, author, speaker and radio personality, currently speaks on family life issues throughout the world and hosts a syndicated call-in radio advice show on more than 500 Catholic radio stations via the EWTN network as well as on Sirius Satellite Radio 130. Her written programs for parents, teens, and teachers include Sex Respect ® – The World’s Leading Abstinence Program and Love & Life: A Christian Sexual Morality Guide for Teens
William Beckman
Retired Executive Director of Illinois Right to Life Committee in Chicago
William Beckman is the retired executive director of the Illinois Right to Life Committee in Chicago. In that role, he covered and researched topics including abortion, contraception, stem cell research, in vitro fertilization, assisted suicide, euthanasia, brain death, and other end-of-life issues. He has maintained an extensive website to make that information available to the public. In addition, he has been involved in the pro-life movement since 1974, leading pro-life activities in his own community, including annual Life Chains and monthly vigils at Planned Parenthood.
Jo Tolck
Vice President of the Healthcare Advocacy and Leadership Organization
Julie Grimstad
President of the Healthcare Advocacy and Leadership Organization and Executive Director of Life Is Worth Living, Inc.
Julie Grimstad is the president of the Healthcare Advocacy and Leadership Organization and the executive director of Life Is Worth Living, Inc. In addition, she is a founder and coordinator of St. John’s Befrienders, a parish outreach ministry to nursing home residents and homebound elderly. A nationally-known speaker and writer, Julie addresses all aspects of medical decision-making and patient advocacy and has served as a volunteer patient advocate since 1985.
Cheryl Sullenger
Senior Vice President of Operation Rescue
Cheryl Sullenger is the senior vice president of Operation Rescue. Her extensive research on abortion abuses has been used to bring national attention to the dangers of abortion. In addition, her work has been used to support pro-life legislation and close abortion clinics. In 2013, she attended the Kermit Gosnell murder trial in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was the first to report on it nationally on a daily basis. She is the primary author of Their Blood Cries Out; Abortion Free: Your Manual for Building a Pro-Life America One Community at a Time; and The Trial of Kermit Gosnell.
Bobby Schindler
President of the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network
Bobby Schindler is president of the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network, which works to protect the lives of people with disabilities and the medically vulnerable from the threat of euthanasia. Bobby’s life took a dramatic and unexpected turn in February 1990 when his older sister Terri collapsed and was left with a profound cognitive disability. When Terri’s estranged husband sought court permission to starve and dehydrate her to death, Bobby was propelled into a life he’d never imagined. Following Terri’s tragic death in 2005, Bobby became a full-time pro-life and disability rights advocate. Today, Bobby assists families in need of legal action to prevent their loved ones from healthcare rationing and food and water removal.
Mark Davis Pickup
Pro-Life Speaker and Advocate
Mark Davis Pickup has been living with aggressive Multiple Sclerosis for nearly 40 years. Mark has spoken across the United States and Canada promoting the sanctity, dignity, and equality of all human beings. He has addressed politicians and legislative committees (both Canadian and American), university forums, hospital medical staffs, religious and denominational leaders, community groups, and organizations about the critical importance of protecting all human beings from biological beginning until death. He has received numerous awards, including the Monsignor Bill Irwin Award for Ethical Excellence, the William Kurelek Award for fostering respect and appreciation for the dignity of human life (Canada), and a Governor General’s Medal for Community Service.
Ann McElhinney
Director of ‘Gosnell: The Trial of America’s Biggest Serial Killer’
Ann McElhinney is a NYT best-selling author, journalist, film producer, and director of one of the most successful crowdfunders in the world. She produced and cowrote the movie Gosnell: The Trial of America’s Biggest Serial Killer. She and her husband, journalist Phelim McAleer, wrote the NYT best-seller Gosnell – The Untold Story of America’s Most Prolific Serial Killer. The book debuted at #3 on Amazon and sold out three days after publication.
Rita Diller
Pro-Life Consultant, Speaker, and Investigative Journalist
Rita Diller has decades of experience confronting and stopping Planned Parenthood. She is past national director of ALL’s Stop Planned Parenthood International (STOPP) and served as the respect life director of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Amarillo, Texas, for 12 years.