The Pluralism Project at Harvard University

Research Associate

Cemelli hails from El Paso, Texas and received her B.A. in religious studies and English at Concordia University in Austin, Texas. As a Master of Divinity student at Harvard Divinity School, Cemell hopes to continue her passion for social justice along the U.S. and Mexico Border. At the Pluralism Project she will be updating our resources on both Christianity and Native Peoples, as well as providing administrative support.

Research Associate

Geoff is beginning the Master of Theological Studies program at the Harvard Divinity School, focusing on Tibetan Buddhism. Raised in Texas, he received a B.A. in Buddhist studies from Hampshire College. More recently he has studied at a Tibetan Monastery in Nepal, where he also received a B.A. from Kathmandu University. Geoff's interests in Buddhism vary widely, but for the moment he is particularly fascinated by the way Buddhist philosophy influences individual practice and social conventions. Buddhism will be Geoff's focus at the Pluralism Project as well.

Research Associate

Caitlin is a first year Master of Theological Studies student at Harvard Divinity School concentrating on Islamic Studies. She recently completed a B.A. in religion at Northwestern University, and will spend the next academic year in Sri Lanka as a Fulbright scholar. Her academic interests include Muslim-American converts, Malcolm X, the Progressive Muslim movement, and spiritual autobiographies. She will serve as the Islam point person for the Pluralism Project.

Research Associate

Chris is a Master of Theological Studies student focusing on religious pluralism and Islam. For the past few years Chris has been doing interfaith dialogue work and continues to cultivate this passion through the Dialogue Forum – an organization that explores new models for dialogue and encourages the use of both conventional and unconventional mediums. He has a B.A. in both physics and religion from Denison University (2004). At the Pluralism Project Chris is working on Religious Diversity News and serves as the point person for the Sikh community.

Research Associate

Anjuli Dhindhwal is a Master of Divinity student at Harvard Divinity School. She has recently finished her Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Columbia University. Prior to that she completed a B.A. at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Her primary focus with the Pluralism Project is on new expressions of arts and activism, specifically that of second and third generation South Asian-Americans. She is also our Hinduism point person.

Research Associate

Kate is in her second year of the Master of Theological Studies program at Harvard Divinity School, where she is studying ethics. Originally from South Dakota, Kate graduated with majors in peace studies and theology from the College of St. Benedict. Before coming to Harvard Divinity School, Kate worked with women’s affordable housing groups in North Carolina. She also worked in economic development and marketing for a small wine region in Oregon and Washington. Kate’s work at the Pluralism Project focuses on Women's Networks and she assists with Religious Diversity News.

Research Associate

Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Rahim completed his B.A. in philosophy with a focus on ethics at the University of Western Ontario (2006). As a summer intern in 2006, Rahim researched various initiatives that law enforcement agencies have enacted to educate their officers regarding religious diversity. He also participated in The Young Global Leaders Summit on the Future of U.S.-Muslim Relations in New York. Currently, Rahim provides technology consulting to the Pluralism Project and is a Research Associate under the National Security and Human Rights Program at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.

Research Associate

Erin is a first-year 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 is involved with the Women's Networks initiative and the Arts and Activism initiative. and provides administrative support.

Research Associate

Deonnie is a third year Master of Divinity student at Harvard Divinity School, focusing 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. At the Pluralism Project, Deonnie assists Dr. Eck with her seminar, World Religions in Boston (WRB), as well as making updates to the online WRB publication, and managing various related field projects.

Research Associate

Chris is a Master of Theological Studies student at Harvard Divinity School focusing on theology and public policy. He received a B.A. in Religious Studies from California State University, Long Beach. Besides studying and working with a wide range of religions in Long Beach, he was employed as an HIV prevention health educator with the Department of Health. His interests focus on systematic theology and contemporary philosophies. Chris will be providing technical and administrative support to the Pluralism Project.

Research Associate

Christina is a first year Master of Divinity student at Harvard Divinity School where she hopes to explore her interests in interreligious dialogue, particularly between Christian and Buddhist communities. Originally from San Diego, California, she received a B.A. in religious studies from Stanford University. While attending Stanford she spent a year abroad in Kyoto and Oxford, as well as completing a senior honors thesis on Buddhist-Christian dialogue. At the Pluralism Project she will be focusing on American Buddhist communities and networks.

Research Associate

Emily is in the second year of her program towards a Mater of Theological Studies degree at Harvard Divinity School, concentrating on the intersection of religion, ethics, and narrative. She has worked as a volunteer, a costume stitcher, a Dean's assistant, a janitor, and a milliner, as well as at several other occupations, before becoming a Research Associate. At the Pluralism Project she researches new forms of interfaith cooperation and dialogue, besides managing staff email.

Research Associate

Laine is a second year Master of Theological Studies student who studies American society and Christianity, but more specifically the types of public and private decisions we make about resources and relationships (also known as ethics). This is her second year working as a research associate for the Pluralism Project where she has pondered how to bridge the seeming divide between local government and immigrant faith communities. She currently works on Religious Diversity News and enjoys her weekly eagle's-eye-view of how religion in America is challenged and supported by various faith traditions. She also greatly enjoys conversations with her co-workers.

Research Associate

Aaron is a third year Master of Divinity student at Harvard Divinity School. His area of academic interest is comparative religious ethics, with a focus on performance and narrative. He is preparing for future graduate study in religious ethics as well as ordination in the Unitarian Universalist church. With the Pluralism Project this year, Aaron will be assisting with content updates for various religious traditions and providing administrative support.

Research Associate

Christopher Rodney Yeoh is a first year Master of Theological Studies student at Harvard Divinity School, focusing on the rise of fundamentalism in Southeast Asia. Rodney is interested in exploring indigenous religion as well as religious violence. Rodney is an international student from Malaysia, having completed his high school education at the Mahindra United World College of India. Rodney is a graduate of Colby College, with a double major in biochemistry and religious studies (2005). He spent a semester abroad in Australia studying about the religious system of the Australian Aboriginals. Rodney's work with the Pluralism Project will focus on Jain, Shinto, Taoist, and Zoroastrian communities in the United States.

Research Associate

James is a second year Master of Divinity student at Harvard Divinity School with an interest in American religious cultures and the New Testament. Originally from Epsom, New Hampshire, he received his B.A. from Dartmouth College in 2005 where he double majored in religion and economics. James served as an intern with the Pluralism Project during the summer of 2004, when he conducted research on atheism and non-religious philosophies and also performed a variety of office tasks. James currently provides support services to the Managing Director.