The Pluralism Project at Harvard University

Senior Staff

Professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Studies, Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Director, The Pluralism Project

Bio

Full-size Photo

Articles and Talks

Curriculum Vitae [PDF]

Senior Researcher

Elinor began working for the Pluralism Project as a student field researcher in San Francisco; she was a section editor for the CD-ROM On Common Ground: World Religions in America and co-editor of World Religions in Boston: A Guide to Communities and Resources. She has been involved in "Religious Diversity News" since its inception in 1997. She developed the Women's Networks Initiative, and was a content advisor for Acting on Faith: Women's New Religious Activism in America. Her current writing and research includes a case study of Palos Heights, Illinois and a film project on Fremont, California. Elinor completed her B.A. in anthropology and international studies, with a core in religious studies, from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota (1988). She earned her Master of Theological Studies degree from the Harvard Divinity School (1996).

Assistant Director

Kathryn began her work with the Pluralism Project as a student researcher on the Women's Networks in 2000. She has been involved in each of the Pluralism Project's four women's consultations; a press event on women, religion, and politics; and the premiere of the documentary film, Acting on Faith: Women's New Religious Activism in America. Kathryn received her B.A. in psychology, religion, and women's studies from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota (1999) and her Master of Divinity degree from Harvard Divinity School (2003). She is currently serving on the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches. As assistant director of the Pluralism Project she is responsible for managing student research, Religious Diversity News, and shaping the future of the Women's Networks.

Research Coordinator

Deonnie recently graduated from Harvard Divinity School with a Master of Divinity degree and a focus on Hinduism. Originally from Naperville, Illinois she earned a B.A. from Hope College where she majored in both international studies and German, with a minor in religion. While at Hope, she studied in Austria, Germany and India. She has since spent a collective six months in India. Deonnie has been working with the Pluralism Project for three years on various projects including Religious Diversity News, World Religions in Boston, and the StoryCorps project (in conjunction with NPR and the Library of Congress). She has also conducted research on Hinduism in the United States and coordinated numerous events and conferences hosted by the Pluralism Project. She will continue these projects moving forward, as well as coordinating staff research.

Webmaster

Alan is currently a Ph.D. student in the Committee on the Study of Religion at Harvard, focusing on Chinese Buddhism. He received his B.A. in philosophy from Pomona College (1992), and his master of theological studies from Harvard Divinity School (1998). Alan has been working for the Pluralism Project for since 1998, and over the years has implemented a complete site redesign, several searchable databases, an online research submission process, and many other interactive features. He is also the webmaster of the Harvard Buddhist Community and Lowell House, and does freelance web development as well. Alan eschews the use of web design software, preferring to write all his code by hand.

Web Assistant

Ryan is a doctoral student in the Committee on the Study of Religion at Harvard. He graduated from Brown University in 2001 with an A.B. in Greek & Sanskrit and Religious Studies. He is currently working on a dissertation on The Great Dharma-Lamp Dhāraṇī Scripture, a sixth-century Chinese Buddhist spell. Ryan is also directing the Harvard Buddhist Studies Forum. In addition to content updating for the Pluralism Project site, Ryan is assisting with a major redesign involving XHTML/CSS and PHP/MySQL.

Current Research Associates

Research Associate

Emilia is a Master of Theological Studies student at Harvard Divinity School focusing on religion in South Asia. As an undergraduate at Smith College, she studied abroad in India. She has returned to India subsequently to study Hindu-Vaishnava devotional traditions in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Emilia's intellectual interests include ritual and performance theory, women's ritual practice, and Hindu devotional poetry and performance. At the Pluralism Project Emilia will be supporting the Jain Summer Studies Program, acting as a liaison between the Jain community and the academy.

Research Associate

Geoff is a Master of Theological Studies student at Harvard Divinity School, focusing on Tibetan Buddhism. Raised in Texas, he received a B.A. in Buddhist studies from Hampshire College. Prior to his arrival at Harvard, he studied for several years at a Tibetan Monastery in Nepal. Geoff's interests in Buddhism vary widely, but he has developed a particular affection for recent Tibetan religious history. At the Pluralism Project, Geoff's work includes researching Buddhism and writing international portraits.

Research Associate

Will graduated with a B.A. from Kenyon College, where he majored in Philosophy and minored in Religious Studies. He also spent a year abroad studying different forms of Buddhism in Japan. After graduation, Will lived in Thailand for almost two years, teaching in the English Department of Chiang Mai University and pursuing his interest in Buddhism. Upon returning to the U.S., he began to work as a grant writer and development associate for Thanks-Giving Square, a non-profit organization in Dallas, Texas dedicated to programs of interfaith education and cooperation. At the Pluralism Project, Will will assist with general research, focusing especially on the case studies initiative and Buddhism in Boston.

Research Associate

Mariah is a Master of Divinity Student at Harvard Divinity School, and is a candidate for ordination in the United Methodist Church. Originally from Owatonna, Minnesota, she eared a B.A. from the University of Minnesota (2003) with majors in Journalism, Spanish and Political Science. Before coming to Harvard, she worked for the Council for Worker Education in Queens, New York and as the Cultural Liaison for Columbia Heights Public Schools in Minnesota. Her research interests include diaspora and migration studies as well as helping Christian religious leaders learn to talk about pluralism within their congregations and in their greater communities. At the Pluralism Project, Mariah will contribute to the case studies and women's initiatives.

Research Associate

Kendra is a Master of Divinity student at Harvard Divinity School focusing on Christianity. Kendra grew up in North Carolina where she also attended Wake Forest University, where she earned a B.A. in Biology and Religion (2007). While at Wake Forest, she conducted a summer of research in Italy focusing on the art produced by medieval monasticism and also had the opportunity to travel to India and work with the Missionaries of Charity (Mother Teresa's group) in hospices throughout Calcutta. This experience, and her work with the Interfaith Council at Wake Forest, made religious pluralism a personal and important issue to Kendra. At the Pluralism Project, Kendra will provide assistance with staff email and World Religions in Boston.

Research Associate

Nathaniel Katz is a Master of Divinity student at Harvard Divinity School. Nathaniel is originally from New Jersey and received his bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California School of International Relations in 2002. Prior to his studies at HDS, Nathaniel spent three years on the staff of Southern California Public Radio, which operates 89.3 KPCC-FM, Southern California's only 24-hour public radio news and information service. He hopes to pursue a ministry of interfaith conflict resolution and post-conflict reconciliation. At the Pluralism Project, Nathaniel will contribute to the case studies initiative and provide assistance with press outreach.

Research Associate

Erin is a Master of Theological Studies student interested in the relationship between art, text and theology. Originally from Los Angeles, she received her B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley with a double major in English and Art History (2004). After studying abroad in Rome, she returned to San Francisco and worked as a graphic designer for UC Berkeley's School of Public Health. At the Pluralism Project, Erin works on Religious Diversity News and profiles organizations that work on issues of arts and activism.

Research Associate

Chris is a Master of Theological Studies student at Harvard Divinity School focusing on ethics and public policy. He received a B.A. in Religious Studies from California State University, Long Beach. Besides studying the diverse religious communities of Los Angeles, he was employed by the Department of Health and Human Services, where he conducted ethnographic research on localized sexual trends related to the spread of HIV. His current research interests include cultural analysis and cosmopolitan ethics. At the Pluralism Project, Chris works on Religious Diversity News and will contribute to the case studies initiative.

Research Associate

Kimberly is a Master of Theological Studies student at Harvard Divinity School, focusing on Religion, Ethics and Politics. Originally from Connecticut, she received her B.A. from Connecticut College with a double major in Religious Studies and Government. She is particularly interested in the intersection of religion, law and politics. At the Pluralism Project, she will focus on the case studies and city hall initiatives.

Research Associate

Derek is a Master of Theological Studies student at Harvard Divinity School, focusing on Theravada Buddhism. He received a B.A. in Political Science from Washington State University. Before coming to work at the Pluralism Project, he served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ratchaburi, Thailand working in the education sector. Derek's interests in Buddhism are primarily with the practice of meditation, Buddhist social movements, and the role of ritual in the Theravada tradition. At the Pluralism Project, he will assist in documenting the changing landscape of Buddhism in America and developing international portraits of pluralism.

Research Associate

Sabrina is a junior at Harvard College, where she is earning her B.A. in Social Anthropology with a focus on the anthropology of contemporary American religion. She is originally from Pullman, Washington. At the Pluralism Project, Sabrina will provide web assistance and profile interfaith student organizations.

Intern

Amy is a Master of Divinity student at Harvard Divinity School, where she studies in the Program for Religion in Secondary Education. Originally from Morrisville, Pennsylvania, she earned a B.A. in Religion and Psychology at the University of Rochester (2000). Before attending HDS, she worked at The Fellowship of Reconciliation, the Women’s Peacemaker Project, and Darrow School. At the Pluralism Project she will be updating our resources on interfaith groups in Boston and looking at the overall pedagogy of the World Religions in Boston resource.

Intern

Kate is a recent graduate from Mount Holyoke College, where she earned a degree in Religion and Buddhist Studies. While at Mount Holyoke she traveled abroad to India to study Tibetan Buddhism and the Tibetan Diaspora. Her current academic interests include inter- and intra-religious dialogue for social change, and engaged Buddhism. At the Pluralism Project, Kate is researching Buddhist and interfaith activities in the Greater Boston area, as well as working on Religious Diversity News.

Intern

Alexis is a Master of Theological Studies student at Harvard Divinity School where she focuses her studies on Judaism, Islam, and religion in education; she is also enrolled in the Program in Religion and Secondary Education. Raised in Chicago, she attended Colgate University in upstate New York and graduated with a degree in Philosophy and Religion and a minor in Spanish literature. At the Pluralism Project, she will be researching Jewish communities in Boston and assisting with research on Islam.

Intern

Nour is a rising senior at Connecticut College, where she is majoring in English and minoring in religious studies. At the Pluralism Project, Nour will be updating research on Islam and Christianity in Boston, partaking in site visits and mapping work.

Intern

Julia is a rising senior at Colgate University where she is a Spanish and Asian Studies major with a focus on China and Religion. At the Pluralism Project, Julia will research and profile Buddhist and Hindu centers in the Greater Boston area.

Intern

Sarah is a rising senior at Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky, where she is double majoring in Religion and Elementary Education. At the Pluralism Project, she will work on the Hinduism section of World Religions in Boston, and the Sharon Interfaith Youth Conference. She will also be examining the ways teachers use the Pluralism Project resources.

Intern

Claire-Marie Hefner is a senior majoring in Anthropology and Southeast Asian Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She recently returned from a semester abroad at the American University in Cairo, Egypt where she was studying Arabic and Islam. At the Pluralism Project, Claire will focus her energy on expanding the Pluralism Project's Boston Buddhism resources, and assisting with updating resources on Hinduism and Sikhism.

Intern

Katie is a rising senior at Vassar College, where she is a Religion major and an active participant in interfaith events on campus, as the leader of the Buddhist Sangha. After returning from a semester in Egypt, Katie’s work at The Pluralism Project will be focused on creating and updating profiles of Muslim communities in Boston a well as contributing to case studies that analyze the relationship between Muslims and the greater Boston community.

Intern

Kayla is a rising junior pursuing a double major in Religion and International Affairs at The George Washington University. This summer at The Pluralism Project she is working on updating resources on Sikhism in the “World Religions in Boston” resource, and contributing to the Islam section. She will also be working on Religious Diversity News.

Intern

Carissa Sharp is originally from Portland, Oregon. She received her B.A. in Psychology and Religious Studies from the University of Oregon and will start the second year of her Masters of Theological Studies at Harvard Divinity School in the fall. At the Pluralism Project, Carissa will be working on updating the information on Sikh and interfaith communities in the Boston area.

Intern

Kate grew up in New Hampshire and is currently a rising senior at Connecticut College, where she is double majoring in English and religious studies. During her junior year, Kate studied abroad in Rome and she is currently working on a senior honors thesis related to religion in prison. At the Pluralism Project, she will be working on the Hinduism and interfaith sections of “World Religions in Boston.”