Institute Fellows

Our Institute Fellows are distinguished experts in their fields and integral to the ICT’s support of local theology and catechetics students.

ICT Fellow Nicole Delaney, JCL

Nicole Delaney, JCL, is a native of Minnesota and attended the University of St. Thomas, receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and Catholic Studies, with a minor in Theology. She spent two years working in the corporate sector before returning to school to study Theology at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome. After completing her studies in Theology, she continued her education in Canon Law at the Catholic University of America, in Washington, D.C. Upon graduation with her Licentiate, Nicole moved to Arizona to begin working for the Tribunal of the Diocese of Phoenix. Nicole is currently the Sr. Director of the Office of Canonical Services. Nicole deals with any matter of Canon Law, most especially Sacramental Law, Religious Law, Eastern Canon Law, and General Norms. She also manages the day-to-day operations of the Tribunal and assists in the training of clergy and parish ministers. Nicole lives in Phoenix with her husband and children.

ICT Fellow Ryan Hanning, PhD

Ryan Hanning PhD is a Professor of Theology and Catholic Studies and teaches for the University of Mary as well as serves as an instructor and mentor for the Franciscan University of Steubenville’s Catechetical Institute. He is a Fellow at the Institute of Catholic Theology, the Havard Virtuous Leadership Institute, and founding Fellow of the San Juan Diego Institute which assists several Universities, non-profits and religious apostolates. He is also a board member and officer for Fraternus US. In addition to teaching and consulting, Ryan also serves as Asst. Editor at Hearth & Field a Christian Agrarian Journal and writes and speaks internationally on education, theology, ecological ethics and virtuous leadership. He earned a PhD in Theology from Maryvale Institute Liverpool Hope University in England, a Masters in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University, a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies at ASU and has studied at University of Dallas, Cambridge, and the Jagiellonian. He is a member of the Royal Historic Society, American Catholic Historical Association and Fellowship of Catholic Scholars. Ryan currently homesteads in Tennessee with his beautiful wife Rebecca, and their ten well socialized homeschooled children.

ICT Fellow Simone Rizkallah, MA

Simone Rizkallah is the Director of Philos Catholic, an initiative of the Philos Project dedicated to renewing Catholic understanding of the Church’s relationship with the Hebraic and Near Eastern foundations of the Faith through education, media, and community-building. In October 2023, Philos Catholic launched the Coalition of Catholics Against Antisemitism (CCAA)—a growing network of Catholic leaders committed to rejecting antisemitism and affirming the Church’s teaching on the irrevocable covenant with the Jewish people. You can add your name to the CCAA statement by visiting www.catholicsagainstantisemitism.org. A first-generation American of Egyptian-Armenian descent, Simone describes herself as a “cultural gypsy”—Western-born and educated yet formed within an Eastern ethnic and cultural context. This unique background, combined with her experience in marketing, communications, media, radio, and theatre, gives her a distinctive lens on the universal longing for identity, belonging, and spiritual depth. She holds a graduate degree in Theological Studies with an emphasis in Systematic Theology from Christendom College. Simone has served in youth and adult formation at St. Ambrose Parish in Annandale, Virginia, and taught moral theology and Church history as Chair of the Theology Department at St. Mary’s Catholic High School in Phoenix, Arizona. She also worked for Endow, a Catholic women’s apostolate inspired by Pope St. John Paul II, and hosted The Endow Podcast from 2020–2023. You can view her talks, publications and the Beyond Rome podcast at simonerizkallah.com.

ICT Fellow Will Wright, MA, ThD Candidate

Will Wright lives in Phoenix with his wife and sons and is a History and Religion Teacher at St. John Paul II Catholic High School. He is an adjunct instructor and Institute Fellow with the Institute of Catholic Theology in Phoenix and an instructor at the Kino Catechetical Institute. He is also a regular author and has been published with Adoremus Bulletin, SpiritualDirection.com, and Catholic-Link English. Will earned a Bachelor’s Degree in History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also holds a dual course of study Master’s Degree in Catechetics & Evangelization and Theology & Christian Ministry from Franciscan University of Steubenville. He is currently enrolled with Pontifex University and working towards a Doctorate in Theology (ThD).