TABLE OF CONTENTS
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Our name is our mission.
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Writer & Editor Writer/Editor Susan Schoenberger Susan Schoenberger Design Steven Havira 2Steven Havira
NEW STAFF/FACULTY & PUBLICATIONS Our staff has grown and our faculty has been prolific.
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HONOR ROLL OF DONORS A roster of donors from July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021.
MEET THE MAP STUDENTS Ten amazing individuals from around the world make up our inaugural class of peacebuilders.
Design
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LILLY ENDOWMENT FUNDING Two significant grants will drive research and a new center.
DISTINGUISHED FACULTY Meet the internationally renowned professors joining our team.
INTRODUCING... Hartford International University for Religion and Peace.
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TRUSTEES & STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES
A POWERFUL MOMENT Welcome to a landmark edition of Praxis, the first since changing our name to Hartford International University for Religion and Peace. As I share later in the cover story, we are in an aspirational moment, one of hope and ingenuity. Our new name is not just a brand or reference point, it captures important elements of our history and aspirations, sharing a message that we are local and global, universal and particular, about research and higher education, and working for religion and peace in our world. It’s not just a brand. Our name is our mission. The logo you see on the cover is an inspiring representation of our new name and identity. We call it the “ascending dove,” and we think it combines a sense of confidence and hope – two things that don’t always go hand in hand. But it’s more than that. With its bright colors inspired by the flags of the world, it captures the international aspects of our mission. With its simple but powerful shapes, it references how we rise toward the ambitious goal of bringing religion and peace together. To faculty, staff, and Trustees, it also represents two years of intense work – all during a pandemic – that brought us to a place of momentum and potential. As you’ll see in the coming pages, change and potential are the operative words in 2022.
There is so much happening here at HIU that attempting to name it all would turn this welcome message into an article. Even then, I would inevitably leave something out. We are hiring amazing new staff and leading faculty. Starting new centers and securing multimillion dollar grants. We are engaging professionals and executives from around the country, and engaging in cutting-edge research. And that doesn’t even mention the groundbreaking degree programs we’ve rolled out that have attracted international interest and attention. It is a powerful moment, and we could not do any of this without your support. For that, I say thank you. It is a gift to partner with you in our continued mission of “exploring differences, deepening faith.” For religion and peace,
Joel N. Lohr, Ph.D. President 3
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In the fall of 2019, a consultant
named Rick Staisloff arrived on campus to help us begin the process of launching a new strategic plan. It almost seems quaint now – the handshakes, the conversations less than six feet away, dozens of people in what we call our Meeting Room at 77 Sherman Street.
Staisloff and a few colleagues from his firm rpk GROUP met that morning with staff, faculty, and Trustees to introduce themselves and to talk about how strategic planning works. Then everyone fanned out around the building in small groups to discuss where we thought the institution needed to go. The conversations were animated, even passionate. As we returned to the Meeting Room to report back on our ideas, there was a sense of excitement mixed with the knowledge that the road ahead would require an immense amount of time and energy. At the time, no one could imagine what was actually in store over the next few years – a complete overhaul of our degree programs, a new division for executive and professional education, a brand new name and logo, and a pandemic that would turn the entire world inside out. As Staisloff looks back on that time, he remembers wondering that day if all the talk was just that – talk.
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“There’s always a question when you begin a strategic platform project around how far an institution is willing and able to go,” he said. “Do they want to just do what they’re doing now, but better? Or is this an inflection point, a moment when the institution is ready to reinvent itself? Clearly, HIU went beyond just optimizing the current model and made a choice to transform.” Over the next six months, working groups met frequently to sort through how the institution should be organized, what programs should be offered, and whether or not the name Hartford Seminary was serving us well. The recommendations made during that time went way beyond tinkering around the edges. “Language matters,” Staisloff said. “In talking about being ‘bold,’ leadership was signaling that they were ready to move beyond the typical strategic planning approach. That said, I believe that where HIU eventually landed was likely several steps beyond what leadership initially thought was possible.” Fast forward to March 2020. The U.S. was in shock and in lockdown. A Board of Trustees meeting scheduled to be held on campus was moved to Zoom, a platform we had no idea would soon become an everyday part of our lives. During that meeting, the Board voted unanimously
to endorse the proposed strategic plan, which called for radical change in our programs as well as a commitment to re-examine our logo and the name Hartford Seminary. “I remember that day so clearly,” said President Joel N. Lohr, looking back. “We were acutely aware of a coming health crisis, and we also knew that the day itself was a milestone moment for us as a Board of Trustees and institution. Though I felt humbled in that moment to be shepherding the process, there was clearly something bigger at work, something much bigger than ourselves. We all felt “We all felt a deep a deep sense of resense of responsibility sponsibility to continue to blaze new to continue to blaze paths in higher new paths in higher education and to education and to be good stewards of this amazing be good stewards of gift from God we this amazing gift from knew as Hartford God we knew as Seminary.”
Hartford Seminary.” President Lohr
As the COVID-19 upheaval continued, and courses and educational outreach programs moved online, we began the process of hiring a firm to guide our rebranding, and possible renaming. We interviewed three firms and vetted them carefully over the turbulent summer of 2020, finally choosing Pittsburgh-based Elliance Inc., which specializes in digital marketing and rebranding for higher education institutions.
The company’s CEO Abu Noaman seemed to “get” us in a way that other firms did not. Not only did he have extensive experience in higher education, he was a Muslim with an interest in interfaith activities. Our mission resonated with him, as did our building, which he had visited in 2015 on a visit to discuss digital marketing. “Back in 2015, when I first visited then Hartford Seminary, I was instantly struck by a modernist home, designed by one of my favorite architects Richard Meier, for an institution that educates leaders of communities who adhere to ancient Scriptures,” he said. “Hartford, too, was creating community leaders who inspired their members to reconcile modernity with ancient Scriptures. Modernity to me has come to mean finding peace within me and with my neighbors who practice faith differently, dress differently, eat differently, and live differently.” As Elliance began working on its proposal for a new branded identity, the faculty was taking apart our degree programs and putting them back together in the form of three new MA programs – Interreligious Studies; Chaplaincy; and International Peacebuilding – as well as a Ph.D. in Interreligious Studies. Plans also progressed for a Center for Transformative Spirituality, which would oversee the Women’s Leadership Institute, and a center to host the Black Ministries Program and expand its mission, later named the Howard Thurman Center for Justice and Transformational Ministry. Over the next year, mostly via Zoom, we held countless meetings, surveyed stakeholders, and hashed out proposals. Elliance ultimately recommended that we change our name, saying: “Expanding the perceived scope of Hartford Seminary’s work from graduating religious leaders to creating peacebuilders in com7
munities of conflict opens the school to a broader universe of prospective students.” For this reason, Elliance believed that the word ‘Seminary’ was holding us back, indeed was a liability. Discussions around the word “Seminary” had been going on internally for decades, but it took an outside assessment to solidify the idea that a new name would open us up to new possibilities and new prospective students. On Jan. 6, 2021, Elliance offered its first naming options to a small group. None of those options survived, but ultimately, the name Hartford International University for Religion and Peace emerged as the winner. President Lohr supported using the term “university” as a way for us to grow into a bigger vision of what we could become. “There was never any doubt for me that the word ‘university’ would be aspirational,” he said recently. “But I kept coming back to our international students and alumni, especially those I met in Indonesia, Singapore, and Europe, and from Africa and beyond, who did not associate words like ‘school,’ ‘institute,’ ‘academy,’ ‘center,’ or even ‘college’ with higher education. And I also learned that for them the word ‘seminary’ was solidly located in a narrow industry of training Christian priests. Our new name needed to capture the local and the global, the universal and the particular, our research and higher education, as well as religion and peace. I knew then, and now know more than ever, that our future is bright as Hartford International University for Religion and Peace. Our name is not only our brand. It is our mission.” The board voted unanimously to approve the new name in May 2021. Soon after, work began at a furious pace on a new website, a new logo, and planning around how to launch the new identity in fall 2021. In a scant five months, just about every aspect of “Hartford Seminary” had to be rethought, reconfigured, and reworked, all under the shadow of the pandemic. Luckily, the logo discussion was a quick one. Elliance showed us four options, and one immediately stood out: a colorful origami-like bird with bright international colors. In keeping with the emphasis on peace in our name, we chose to call this the “ascending dove.” After decades of using our beautiful building in our logo, this colorful creation adds a new dimension to our brand. It’s aspirational and contemporary, confident yet hopeful, and it uses bold colors inspired by flags around the world. The new logo was created to evoke a universal response: One of hope, peace, and unity. The ascending dove logo also symbolizes our students journeying out into the world and back to their communities. They become messengers of peace and respect, helping people lean into differences while deepening their faith. It’s everything we hoped a logo would be. 8
COMMENTS FROM OUR
“I am confident that the new name will be well received among Hartford Seminary’s alumni community.”
ALUMS
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“Very impressed with the effort – love the name and logo.”
It’s not a stretch to say that Hartford Seminary gave my Christian faith an international flavor, which I cherish. Hartford International University captures much of what is “I agree with and precious in my applaud experience of the the change.” institution. Well done. Thank What a fitting name you.” for this outstanding
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university! The dove adds to this new name.”
“THE NEW NAME AND LOGO REALLY REFLECT THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING RELIGION AND FOCUS ON PEACE WITH A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE.”
“I was prepared to not like it. But I like it– it makes sense. I’m in!”
“You’ve built a name – constructed it. … Like a potter working the wheel, you’ve molded and shaped it, ready it for the kiln to fire and glaze it.”
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Launching a new name In September of 2021, intensive planning began for an event to release the new name to the public. We brought a leading media expert on board to help us promote the event and pull in speakers who would give it high visibility. We also planned a major digital advertising campaign to spread the word about the new name and logo. Before the launch event, we held a number of information sessions online with students, corporators, and alumni to reveal the name in advance and give people time to absorb the change. We anticipated that some alumni might resist losing the word “seminary” as part of our name. But the reception to the new name was overwhelmingly positive, including with older alums. Here is some of what we heard: “Very impressed with the effort – love the name and logo.” “I agree with and applaud the change!” “I am confident that the new name will be well received among Hartford Seminary’s alumni community.” “It’s not a stretch to say that Hartford Seminary gave my Christian faith an international flavor, which I cherish. Hartford International University captures much of what is precious in my experience of the institution. Well done. Thank you.” “What a fitting name for this outstanding university! The dove adds to this new name.” “I was prepared to not like it. But I like it – it makes sense. I’m in!” “The new name and logo really reflect the importance of understanding religion and focus on peace with a global perspective.” “You’ve built a name – constructed it. … Like a potter working the wheel, you’ve molded and shaped it, ready it for the kiln to fire and glaze it.” The response from our students and alums helped us go into the public phase of launching our new name with a blend of “hope and confidence,” as President Lohr has described the feeling behind our new name and logo.
October 13 | The Day of the Launch An outbreak of the Delta variant in the early fall scuttled plans to hold the event inside. Instead, we rented a large tent for the front lawn, finding perfect weather a serendipity. Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin and Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont both attended and celebrated the renaming with us. Chaplain Dr. Joshua Salaam, a two-time alum, served as the master of ceremonies in a powerful event that was attended by about 120 people and a dozen media outlets. 10
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Board of Trustees Chair Clare Feldman spoke about the Board’s unanimous support for the changes initiated by the strategic planning process we started in 2019. “We are an island of peace, reason, and calm in a world that has too much vitriol, anger, and frustration,” she said. “Some of that – much of that – is fueled by misunderstanding, ignorance, and lack of personal interaction with people unlike ourselves. And that is what we hope to change.” President Lohr then introduced a four-minute video that revealed our new name at the very end. Following the reveal, President Lohr empahsized the importance of the word “for” in the name. “We are a place that is active for religion and peace.” Mayor Luke Bronin spoke about the importance of having the word “Hartford” in the final name and what that meant for the capital city. “Thank you for what you are doing and what you have done to place Hartford at the center of this work to promote interreligious dialogue through faith and through the mutual understanding of different faiths,” he said. State Sen. Saud Anwar, a Corporator, spoke about the significant presence that Hartford International University has globally. 12
“It was fascinating for me to learn of the many instances where people know about Connecticut and Hartford because of Hartford Seminary, now Hartford International University. HIU is what the U.S. needs. It’s what the world needs.” The Rev. Dr. Ralph Ahlberg, another two-time alumnus and Corporator, introduced Governor Lamont, his former parishioner when he served Round Hill Community Church in Greenwich. “I’ve seen a lot of changes since graduating, but one thing remains the same: our commitment to raise the level of discourse and to learn from one another,” the Rev. Dr. Ahlberg said. Governor Lamont spoke about the welcoming nature of the new name and congratulated the institution on its work. “You’re on this earth to make a difference. That’s the “for” in your title there,” he said. “You represent the very best of what it means to bring people together and bring people of different faiths together. I hope you take that message far and wide because that’s how we make a difference in this world.” While all this was going on, our new website launched on the same day, offering a rich online experience for those
interested in the newly named Hartford International University for Religion and Peace. All in all, it was an extraordinary day filled with promise for the future.
Media Response In the months following, Hartford International University received a deluge of press coverage around the decision to change our name and logo. Three outlets – The Hartford Courant, Sojourners magazine, and Fox 61 News – covered the name change before it was even revealed. After the reveal, news organizations from around the Northeast and throughout the country announced the new name and disseminated the news through social media. A digital advertising campaign that included ads in The New York Times brought the news to an even wider audience. Another round of media emphasized a new area developed in the strategic plan – Executive and Professional Education. Interest remains high in a new division of the institution that offers training and consulting in religious education and around religious diversity as an important component of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) conversation.
What happens next The winter of 2021-22 has been a time of living into our new identity and promoting programs to a variety of new audiences. We are hiring new employees, acquiring new equipment, building out our new programs, and emerging from a pandemic that has stretched on for an unimaginable two years. Looking back, Rick Staisloff of rpk GROUP says HIU’s outcome was a rare one. “Strategic planning has a bad name in higher education,” he said. “Normally, strategic plans are all planning, and tactical planning at that, with very little strategy. HIU showed how a good planning process, with the right partner, can truly get at strategies that move an institution toward a new shared future vision.”
Susan Schoenberger is Director of Communications and Educational Outreach at HIU.
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Studying the Impact of the Pandemic on Congregations
$1 Million Lilly Endowment Grant Creates National Training Program for Black Church Leaders
$5 Million Lilly Endowment Grant Paves the Way
Principal Investigator of the project and Director of HIRR, Dr. Scott Thumma
Bishop Dr. BenjaminWatts will direct the Howard Thurman Center as he continues directing the Black Ministries Program and serving as Faculty Associate in Religion and Community Life.
“This moment is such a critical time for congregations...” The Hartford Institute for Religion Research at HIU is diving into a five-year study of how the pandemic is affecting congregations around the U.S. with the help of a $5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. awarded in July 2021. The research focuses on how congregations are changing, innovating, and establishing new ministry practices as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. “Not only is the grant award substantial, but the research it will support is incredibly important, building upon the outstanding 40-year history of the HIRR. I could not be more proud,” President Joel N. Lohr said when the grant was awarded. Principal Investigator of the project and Director of HIRR, Dr. Scott Thumma, explained that the study – titled Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations: Innovation Amidst and Beyond COVID-19, or EPIC for short – explores how Christian faith communities across the nation are adapting to a changed reality due to the challenging dynamics of the pandemic.
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In 2020, a nearly $300,000 Lilly Endowment planning grant helped HIRR design the research project. The grant awarded
in 2021 enabled the HIRR team to begin collaborating with a network of scholars and organizations working around the nation to research the health and vitality of congregations that are representative of the diversity of Christianity in America. These researchers will assist the Faith Communities Today project as it tracks the pandemic’s effects on churches. Additional funding is being sought to include other faith communities in the research. “This moment is such a critical time for congregations. If churches can leverage the creative adaptations in response to the pandemic, the struggles of the last two years might lead to the revitalization of spiritual and worship practices,” Dr. Thumma said. “Our team is thrilled to be given this opportunity to take an active role in tracking that unfolding reality across the United States. We deeply appreciate Lilly Endowment’s faith in our project and our team’s ability to undertake this vital exploration.” Because of Lilly Endowment’s generous support, HIRR will be able to gather data and engage religious leaders during the next five years to develop beneficial lessons and pathways for congregations in a post-Covid era.
Clare R. Feldman, chair of HIU’s Board of Trustees, said the benefits of this grant are numerous. “Most noteworthy is that it will enable Hartford International University to study the impact of Covid-19 on congregational life and to make those findings available to religious leaders as they go forward,” she said. For more information on the Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations project, visit www.covidreligionresearch.org.
HIU’s Black Ministries Program is on a path to transform into a national initiative, preparing a new generation of pastors for the Black Church. Expanding the twoyear certificate course to a wider audience is made possible by a $1 million grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc. The grant arrived as HIU announced the establishment of the Howard Thurman Center for Justice and Transformational Ministry to bolster Black Church leaders as they confront racial, social, and economic injustice in their communities. An outgrowth of HIU’s Black Ministries Program, a model for training urban church leaders founded in 1982, the Howard Thurman Center launched in January 2022. “I can’t overstate just how important this grant is,” said HIU President Joel N. Lohr. “It is a boon, or in New Testament language, a ‘kairos’ moment. Not only does it set us on a solid path to grow HIU’s Black Ministries Program and our new Center, but it confirms the incredible work and talent of BMP Director, Bishop Dr. Benjamin Watts, and it celebrates our
BMP graduates, who are making such a difference in our world. What a blessing!” HIU was one of 84 theological schools in the U.S. and Canada that received grants made through the second phase of Lilly Endowment’s Pathways for Tomorrow Initiative. Lilly Endowment launched the three-phase initiative in January 2021 to help theological schools prioritize and respond to the most pressing challenges they face in preparing pastoral leaders for Christian congregations. The Howard Thurman Center, a $2 million initiative, recognizes the enduring legacy of Howard Thurman, the famed 20th century mystic, prophet, poet, philosopher, activist, and theologian. The HTC will be guided by Thurman’s insistence on social justice and responsibility within a spiritual framework. Bishop Dr. Watts will direct the Howard Thurman Center as he continues directing the Black Ministries Program and serving as Faculty Associate in Religion and Community Life. “The Center will embody a head and heart approach that enriches the spirit while developing
theological expertise in the service of both the church and community,” Bishop Dr. Watts said. The Lilly grant will enable HTC’s Black Ministries Program to: •
expand into a national training program for pastors and ministers. The two-year hybrid certificate course combines in-person intensives with online instruction.
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establish a Pastoral and Academic Resource Center to help students with research, writing, and presentation skills and to support their church ministries with resources on the administration, finances, programming, and leadership of the urban church.
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bring a Black Church scholar to Hartford International University whose joint roles will include teaching and working in the Black Ministries Program.
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ensure that no student is excluded because of inability to pay. 15
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Dr. Amy-Jill Levine Joins Faculty as Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies Dr. Amy-Jill Levine, one of the world’s foremost scholars of religion and a leader in the study of Judaism, the Tanakh, and the New Testament, has joined Hartford International University as the Rabbi Stanley M. Kessler Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies. Recently named University Professor of New Testament and Jewish Studies Emerita and Mary Jane Werthan Professor of Jewish Studies Emerita at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, Dr. Levine’s appointment at HIU began in August 2021. This distinguished professorship is named after Rabbi Stanley M. Kessler (1923-2019), who served on HIU’s Board of Trustees from 1994 to 1997. The founding spiritual leader and rabbi for 38 years at Beth El Temple of West Hartford, Rabbi Kessler was also a civil rights advocate who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the 1960s, an activist who spoke against the Vietnam War, and a founder of Rabbis for Human Rights. The memory of his life is a blessing to many in the Hartford area and beyond. President Joel N. Lohr said, “Whether in the realm of Biblical Studies or Jewish-Christian Dialogue, it’s hard to think of a more important or respected scholar and teacher than AJ Levine. If ever there was a ‘rock star’ in this realm, Professor Levine is it. To name her professorship in honor of Rabbi Kessler is a double blessing. What a boon for Hartford.” Internationally renowned and a sought-after speaker, Dr. Levine has published over 30 books, including The Misunderstood Jew, Short Stories by Jesus, six children’s books (with Sandy Eisenberg Sasso), and The Bible With and Without Jesus (with Marc Z. Brettler). With Brettler, she also edited the celebrated Jewish Annotated New Testament. Dr. Levine is a prominent and prolific scholar of Christian-Jewish relations, early Christianity, and feminist biblical interpretation. A once self-described “Yankee Jewish feminist who teaches in a Christian divinity school in the buckle of the Bible Belt,” Dr. Levine was raised in a predominantly Catholic neighborhood in North Dartmouth, MA. She grew up knowing and loving many aspects of the Christian tradition, even while she herself remains a committed Jew. 24
Take a Course with AJ Levine! Dr. Levine is teaching a course this summer called The Parables of Jesus. Auditors are welcome! The course runs face to face from June 1-29, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings from 9 a.m. to noon ET. You can also tune in online via Zoom. Sign up before the class is full! For more information, contact registrar@hartfordinternational.edu
In 2019, she became the first Jew to teach a New Testament course at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome. In 2021, she was elected to membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Levine’s expertise, stature, and unique approach to Jewish studies, Jewish-Christian relations, and Biblical Studies make her an exceptionally good fit for the position and a perfect addition to HIU’s already historically renowned faculty. “The appointment of Dr. Levine allows us to deepen our commitment to interreligious engagement, in this case by drawing from her commitment to understanding Jesus, Paul, and the New Testament in their Jewish contexts. Dr. Levine’s expertise – and her engaging personal style – will provide people in a variety of venues new opportunities for learning, especially in the fields of Jewish-Christian relations and Biblical Studies,” said Dean David D. Grafton. Dr. Levine will reside in Hartford each year during the late spring for a summer session course. She will teach, give public lectures, engage in talks and presentations at local places of worship, and work with MA and Ph.D. students. An inaugural public lecture will take place at Beth El Temple on June 9, 2022, to recognize the appointment and honor Rabbi Kessler’s legacy. Her first course, The Parables of Jesus, will run from June 1-29, 2022. Contact the registrar at registrar@hartfordinternational.edu if you would like more information about signing up for this course. This position is made possible through the kind and generous support of numerous donors, including a lead gift from Abigail Kessler-Hanna, M.D., Rabbi Kessler’s daughter. Commenting on the appointment, Dr. Kessler-Hanna remarked, “My father dedicated his life to valuing human beings as individuals and collectively as members of diverse groups, which required a knowledge of self-purpose,
respect for others, and an unwavering quest for a universal truth. Dr. Levine’s professorship at Hartford International University, named in his honor, is a timely appointment that will build upon his work and Dr. Levine’s own seminal work in Jewish Studies and Jewish-Christian relations. I look forward to attending her lectures, especially the inaugural lecture at Beth El Temple.” We are grateful to other donors, including David and Ann Brandwein; Marty and Aviva Budd; Michael and Shari Cantor; Michael and Naomi Cohen; Arnold and Beverly Greenberg; Jeffrey Hoffman; Frank and Judy Resnick; Rabbi Arthur Rulnick; Marshall and Sandra Rulnick; David Waren; Eric Zachs (Zachs Family Fund); and The Kleinman Family Fund at Temple Beth El of West Hartford. To help support this position and other Jewish studies initiatives into the future, please contact the Development Office at development@hartfordinternational.edu. 25
Dr. Mona Siddiqui Joins Faculty as Distinguished Professor of Islamic and Interreligious Studies An internationally known scholar and sought-after speaker on religion, ethics, and public life, Dr. Mona Siddiqui joined Hartford International University in fall 2021 as Distinguished Professor of Islamic and Interreligious Studies. “I am delighted that Professor Siddiqui joins us to teach, give public lectures and talks, and to enable us to make further connections with our students and community members,” said President Joel N. Lohr. “Her approach to Islamic Studies, as well as Interreligious Studies and Dialogue, is the gold standard. I’m confident she will bless our community through her unique contributions to religious life and academics.” Dr. Siddiqui is Professor of Islamic and Interreligious Studies, Assistant Principal for Religion and Society, and Dean International for the Middle-East at the University of Edinburgh. Appointed in 2011, she was the University’s first Muslim to hold a chair in Islamic and Interreligious Studies. Her research is mainly in the fields of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), ethics, and Christian-Muslim relations. A prolific and celebrated author, Dr. Siddiqui’s more recent publications include Human Struggle: Christian and Muslim Perspectives; 50 Ideas in Islam; Hospitality in Islam: Welcoming in God’s Name; Christians, Muslims and Jesus; My Way: A Muslim Woman’s Journey; and The Good Muslim: Reflections on Classical Islamic Law and Theology. She is a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and holds six honorary doctorates. In response to her appointment, Dr. Siddiqui said, “I am delighted and honored to be part of the academic environment here. This opportunity has been made possible through the generosity of members of the local Muslim community, and I am grateful for their support.” As part of the visiting professorship, Dr. Siddiqui will reside in Hartford for a month each year and teach one course. Her first course was in the fall of 2022, titled Islam: Gender, Ethics, and Pluralism 2021, which covered “a broad range of 26
topics reflecting some of the most relevant issues in scholarly and popular discourse.” She will also give public lectures in the Hartford area and participate in smaller gatherings on behalf of HIU. The first of these was a public lecture in February 2022 in collaboration with the University of Connecticut School of Law on the topic “Does Shari’a Really Have No Place in the West?” Academic Dean David D. Grafton commented, “Dr. Siddiqui joins a distinguished list of professors who have contributed to the study of Islam and Christian-Muslim relations at HIU. I am delighted that we continue to provide opportunities for students to engage with scholars from around the world.” This position is made possible through the kind and generous support of local Muslim community members. In particular, the following families have made significant contributions: Fatma and Ali Antar, Noora Brown and Khamis Abu-Hasaballah, Aida and Reza Mansoor, Mary and Naeem Khalid, and Ramla and Naseem Shaikh. To help support this position and Islamic studies initiatives into the future, please contact the Development Office at development@hartfordinternational.edu.
Take a course with Mona Siddiqui! Dr. Siddiqui will be teaching The Literary Legacy of the Islamic World in the fall. Auditors welcome! The course explores a wide variety of literature from the Islamic world from both the classical and modern periods. It runs from October 4-27, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 4 p.m. to 6:50 p.m. ET. We welcome face-to-face students, but the course is also available via Zoom in the same time frame. Email registrar@ hartfordinternational. edu to register or learn more.
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HIU WELCOMES NEW FACULTY & STAFF
NEW FACULTY
PUBLICATIONS Mitka’s Secret: A True Story of Child Slavery and Surviving the Holocaust
President Joel N. Lohr is a co-author of this moving book. It is described as “the remarkable life story of Mitka Kalinski, who survived seven years of enslavement—while still a child—to a Nazi officer during and after World War II.”
More Than a Cup of Coffee and Tea: A Generation of Lutheran-Muslim Relationships The Rev. Dr. David D. Grafton has a new book showing evidence that “it is possible to witness to the Christian faith and listen to Muslim neighbors for the purpose of understanding.”
Christian-Muslim Relations. A Bibliographical History, Volume 16, North America, SouthEast Asia, China, Japan, and Australasia (1800-1914) The Rev. Dr. David D. Grafton also participated in the creation of this book that encompasses a general history of relations between the Christian and Muslim faiths from the 7th century to the early 20th century.
Remove the Pews: Spiritual Possibilities for Sacred Spaces
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The Rev. Dr. Donna Schaper has a new book that questions who the Church is today, the way it uses its buildings and how these connect to the Church’s past identities and future hopes. It also explores the idea of how the Church could be renewed for the modern age.
Freedom: Christian and Muslim Perspectives Dr. Lucinda Mosher edited this enlightening book that contemplates how communities of Christians and Muslims have addressed many facets of freedom through history. The book provides unique information for deeper understanding of interfaith relations.
A World of Inequalities
The Difficult Words of Jesus: A Beginner’s Guide to His Most Perplexing Teachings Dr. Amy-Jill Levine is the author of this unique book that analyzes Jesus’ difficult teachings, such as when he calls Jews the devil’s children (John 8:44). She explores how these teachings have been understood over the years, from the people who first heard them to the present.
Witnesses at the Cross: A
Dr. Lucinda Mosher also Beginner’s Guide to Holy edited this book which Friday demands and sets a model for interreligious dialogue Dr. Amy-Jill Levine invites in response to the current us to place ourselves as witglobal crisis of inequality. ness of the cross. She shows The essays within explore how Christians how people who witnessed and Muslims can work together to address the cross have distinct roles, images, and this challenging issue. dialogues of Jesus’ death.
The Georgetown Companion to Interreligious Studies
100 Sheep: A Counting Parable
Dr. Amy-Jill Levine and This book, also edited by Dr. Sandy Eisenberg Sasso are Mosher, will be released on co-authors of this picture June 1st. HIU faculty have book that any toddler contributed essays to this would adore. It was created book: Bilal Ansari, David D. Grafton, Hans based on the Parable of Harmakaputra, Hossein Kamaly, the Lost. The book “builds early counting Amy-Jill Levine, and Timur Yuskaev. skills while showing that God’s love finds us wherever we go.”
Human Struggle: Christian and Muslim Perspectives Dr. Mona Siddiqui is the author of this thoughtprovoking book that contemplates how iconic figures found the meaning in life during times of personal and religious struggle. She explores how adversity brings about powerful and prophetic movements for change.
The Pharisees: An Interdisciplinary Study Dr. Joseph Sievers and Dr. Amy-Jill Levine edited this volume. Their purpose was to seek to bridge the gap between the negative stereotypes on Pharisees and their importance as “respected teachers and forward-thinking innovators who helped make the Jewish tradition more adaptable to changing circumstances and more egalitarian in practice.”
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This list includes those who have donated $100 or more between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021. Level based on cumulative total. Every effort has been made to list amounts correctly and names as requested. If yours is in error, please contact development@hartfordinternational.edu
PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE ($10,000+) Anonymous Shakeeb Alam and Aida Arain Martin and Aviva Budd Rev. M. Dosia Carlson* David E. A. and Sara Carson The Church of Nazarene, Inc. E. Rhodes and Leone B. Carpenter Foundation Francis Asbury Palmer Fund John and Lynn Fulkerson Hartford Foundation for Public Giving Lilly Endowment, Inc. The Louisville Institute National Philanthropic Trust Prior Family Foundation
LEADERSHIP CIRCLE ($2,500 - $9,999) Anonymous American Endowment Foundation Dr. Ali A. and Fatma Antar Noora G. Brown and Khamis Abu-Hasaballah C. Richard and Olive J. Brose Hie Hill Foundation David and Janet Ezekiel Arnold and Beverly* Greenberg Jeffrey and Nancy Hoffman Islamic Society of Western Massachusetts Naeem Khalid Joel and Teresa Lohr M. Reza and Aida Mansoor Ann Marino Bill and Linda Mckinney Rev. Joyce B. Myers-Brown
Nancy and Stephen Roberts Golnar Raissi Sadeghi Ted and Ellen See Naseem and Ramla Shaikh Beverly and Travis Tatum The Ruth Conant Trust Fund Margaret and Kenneth Thomas Eliot and Susan Williams Barbara and Joseph Zikmund
VISIONARY ($1,000 - $2,499) Ralph and Beverly Ahlberg Colleen Keyes and Bilal Ansari Robert and Pamela Bazyk Sheryll Bedingfield Linda Beher and Vito Salvato Beth Sholom B’nail Isreal Marilyn and Thomas Breckenridge Harold C. Buckingham, Jr. Shari and Michael Cantor Allison Chisolm and Peter Hansen Sanford and Diane Cloud Naomi and Michael Cohen Community Support Fund, a donor-advised fund Ann and James Crawford William and Ann Cronin Edward and Lynne Duffy Clare and Barry Feldman Fidelity Charitable The First Church of Christ, Congregational Harriet and Phillip Gardner David and Karla Grafton Dr. Heidi Hadsell Thomas C. Hofstetter Peter and Susan Kelly Lynne. S. Kramer Ilona W. Kwiecien Ian and Lesley Markham Caroline Merrick James and JoAnn Robertson Robinson+Cole LLP June C. Roy Scott Schooley and Giuliana Musilli Rev. Linda M. Spiers Tull Charitable Foundation Vanguard Charitable 31
PACESETTER ($500 - $999) Anonymous Assured Partners NE Mohammad and Kaneez Bajwa Sarah C. Barr Courtney and Anne Bourns John Cordani Imran Eba and Hena Kazmi Gwen Haley and Maria Dynia Abigail K. Hanna M.D. Rev. David. S. Hill Samira Hussain Hossein Kamaly Charles Kuchenbrod and Rebecca Sielman Louise Loomis Evan and Leah Odden Judith Perkins Susan Pokorny Frank and Judith Resnick Michael and Nancy Rion Marshall and Sandra Rulnick Susan Sames Terry and Judy Schmitt Evelyn Sealand Ali and Hajar Shakibai St. Paul Lutheran Church Dr. Bruce Stewart The Hartford United Way of Central & Northeastern CT Don and Ellen Williams
INVESTOR ($250 - $499) Anonymous Dean and Jennifer Ahlberg Elizabeth and Kenneth Allen Karen Bailey-Francois John and Laura Berman Katherine Carver Sajjad B. Chawdhry Linda and John Eaton Robert and Jean Ertl Julie Fewster Catherine Field Alyce and David Hild 32
Robert B. Hoffman Sr. Rev. Glendon Charles Jantzi Brianna Janine Johnston Daniel R. Kingman James Kowalski and Anne Brewer Dr. Yehezkel Landau Samual Martin Locke The Rev. Dr. Molly Mazey O’Neill Louden Katy O’Leary and Jim Bannister Martha Rhine Ezra and Christina Ripple Sherie and Keith Roberts Michael Sandner Susan Schoenberger and Kevin Wyman Estate of Philip and Joanne Susag* Joseph M. Tobin Jr. Union Baptist Church United Church Funds Planned Giving Program Edward B. Whittmore
PARTNER ($100 - $249) Anonymous Martha and Robert Adams Rev. Anne Stilson Alvord AmazonSmile Charles and Sandra Baboian Diann and Todd Bailey Martha Monzeglio Baker Shawnee C. Baldwin Thomas and Melanie Barnes Peter and Morven Barwick Elisabeth K. Bazin Anne Beldman Judith A. Benton Elizabeth Barberi Blair Jo Ann B. Bourquard Julian J. Brix Rev. Dr. Shirlee M. Bromley Parvez Bukhari Carole Bull Rev. Hazel Anne Burnett Stephen and Patricia Camp Margaet Capen Mark Caruana and Paula Baggaley Carolyn H. Cary Richard Chun and Thelma Tau Chun
Brian and Amy Clark Shannon Clarkson Cathy Collins Columbia Congregational Church Richard and Judith Crocker Bettina Del Sesto Rev. Michael Drake Shirley Dudley Facebook Donations Karl A. Fransson James and Dianne Friedman Arthur and Alfreda Gaither Richard and Ann Gallion Chantel Gardner Kenneth L. Gentili Walter and May-Wo Giger Andree and Joel Grafstein Peter and Jeanne Grandy Bonnie Bardot and Jan Gregory Anne Hardy Ernest and Millie Harris Paul John Hartung Angela and Frank Hauzeur Paul and Wendy Hayes Miriam Hostetter Georgette Huiw James and Faye Humphrey Shadia Igram Jean Isteero Molly and Reade James Edward and Michael Jeter Dorothea Kähler-Schmitt Dr. Muhammed Zubair Kareem Dr. Faroque Ahmad Khan MD Gail Kinney Mary and David Larson Gary and Elizabeth Lewis Rev. Dr. Robert Kendrick Loesch Adair Lummis John and Elizabeth Martiner William and Mary McGurk Robert and Joanne McWaid Merill Lynch Rev. Carolyn Olds Mikels Martha Miller Rosalind and William Moldwin Gary and Lori Mongillo Rev. Msgr. Michael J. Motta Rev. Sara Jane Munshower
James and Sharon Nelson Ann Gail B. Nichols Noank Baptist Church Dr. Douglas R. Norell Rev. Dr. Marjorie E. Nunes Deane and Judith Olson John J. O’Neill, Jr. Rev. Joseph L. Pace The Rev. Dr. Anna Pearson Justin L. Peyton Shyamala and Krishnan Raman Winona Lotz Ramsay Arthur Riihimaki Robert and Susan Rock Peter and Pamela Rosa Valiyaveetil and Susie Samuel Jennifer Sanborn and Matthew Burch Robert and Anne Schmalz Guat Kwee See John and Mhairi Sheperd Jean and Paul Simpson Robert and Sharon Smith Shanell and Clinton Smith St. Mark’s Episcopal Church E. Bevan and Alinda Stanley Karen and Andrew Stockton Robert and Elizabeth Sweet Andrew and Mary Taylor Alvin Thompson and Lesley Morgan-Thompson Scott L. Thumma William C. Tubbs Rev. Dr. Ann Van Cleef John and Michelle Van Epps Joanne Varga Richard and Shirley Waddell Jon and Marilyn Webber Gregory and Amy Welin Rev. Charles E. West Joanne Whitehead Kathryn Winter Nancy A. Wood Patricia and Cecil Yates Rev. Dr. Terri L. Young Andrew and Joyce Zeman *Deceased
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STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES OPERATING REVENUE
HIU BOARD OF TRUSTEES
2020
Student Revenues
1,137,621
Investment Return Utilized for Operations Private Gifts, Bequests, and Grants Auxiliary Activities
2,182,759
100,003
5,842,275
138,166
118,204
83,995
Other Revenue
Investment Income, Beneficial Interest in Perpetual Trusts
Total Operating Revenue
The Rev. Dr. Dean Ahlberg
Senior Minister, First Church of Christ, Congregational, Redding, CT
Mr. Shakeeb Alam
Co-Founder and President of East Bridge Capital Management, L.P.
The Rev. Dr. Karen Bailey-Francois
Minister, Second Congregational Church of Cohasset, MA
Ms. Noora Brown
Chairwoman of Interfaith and Outreach, Farmington Valley American Muslim Center Inc.; Coldwell Banker Realty
Mr. Martin L. Budd, Esq., Treasurer Retired Partner, Day Pitney, Stamford, CT
Rabbi Debra Cantor
Congregation B’nai Tikvoh-Sholom, Bloomfield, CT
Mr. John Cordani
Intellectual property attorney, Robinson & Cole, Hartford, CT
Mr. Imran Eba
Partner at Action Potential Venture Capital in Cambridge, MA; Principal of Ahlulbayt School for Knowledge
Ms. Clare R. Feldman, Chair
Retired Senior Vice President Citizens Bank; Congregation Beth Israel, West Hartford, CT
493,146
$4,642,721
$10,905,229
2,669,022
Management & General
Mr. Thomas C. Hofstetter
Dr. Hossein Kamaly (Faculty Trustee) Associate Professor of Islamic Studies
2,259,632
$4,809,172
$4,753,741
350,768
($166,451)
Private Gifts and Pledges
18,035
Investment Return, Net
1,579,789
Investment Return Utilized for Operations
Other Expenses (Income)
President, Hartford International University
The Rev. Jean Amos Lys Alumni representative; Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Ms. Gertrude “Trudie” Prior President and General Manager, Coral World Ocean Park; Member of the Board, Hebrew Congregation of St. Thomas USVI
Mr. Frank R.A. Resnick, Secretary
Ms. Nancy P. Roberts, 2nd Vice Chair
Retired President, Connecticut Retired Chief Financial Officer, Mandell Greater Hartford Jewish Council for Philanthropy, Hartford, Community Center Beth El Temple, CT; St. John’s Episcopal Church, West Hartford, CT West Hartford, CT
(174,627)
($1,398,753)
Net Assets, Beginning of Year
$61,626,796
Net Assets, End of Year
15,429,874
(173,117)
($1,232,302)
Change in Net Assets
2
10,115
(2,173,270)
(23,628)
Total Other Changes
Dr. Joel N. Lohr
$6,151,488
(2,357,747)
(275,634)
Depreciation
Mr. Peter Kelly
318,731
OTHER CHANGES
Change in Value of Split Interest Agreement
Senior Principal, Updike, Kelly & Spellacy, PC
2,175,378
1,789,382
Fundraising
Managing Director – Investments at Wells Fargo Advisors
84,943
495,250
Educational & Institutional Support
Change in Net Assets, Operations
Ms. Allison Chisolm
1,514,702
OPERATING EXPENSES
Total Operating Expenses
Principal, Choice Words/Chisolm & Co.; Wesley United Methodist Church, Worcester, MA
669,200
2,357,747
329,939
Research and Grants
2021
$60,228,043
2,558,892 4,675
$15,655,659 $21,807,147 $60,228,043 $82,035,190
PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL OPERATING REVENUE 6.14% STUDENT REVENUES
Mr. James K. Robertson Jr., Esq., Chair Emeritus Alumnus and Partner, Carmody & Torrance, Waterbury, CT; First Congregational Church of Watertown, Watertown, CT
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Mr. Edmund (Ted) See
Retired Partner, Day Pitney LLP; St. Patrick-St. Anthony Church, Hartford, CT
Mr. Naseem Shaikh, 1st Vice Chair
Retired Vice President and CFO for a division of United Technologies; The Islamic Association of Greater Hartford, Berlin, CT
Dr. Ali Shakibai Cardiologist
Dr. Timur Yuskaev (Faculty Trustee) Associate Professor of Contemporary Islam
1.08% OTHER INCOME
4.52%
20.02% ENDOWMENT DRAW
0.78% AUXILIARY INCOME
TRUST INCOME
53.57% RESEARCH/PROGRAM GRANT INCOME
13.89% CONTRIBUTED INCOME
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