Amina Chaudary Nabs Exclusive Interview
DRTS PhD student Amina Chaudary is the Editor-in-Chief and publisher of the online magazine The Islamic Monthly. She recently did an exclusive interview for the magazine with the Saudi man who was the initial suspect in the Boston Marathon Bombing. Amina’s article grabbed the attention of the news media, including CNN. During her interview with CNN, she dispelled rumors about what happened to this man in the aftermath of the bombing and called for an inquiry into how his personal information was leaked to the press just hours after the bombing. Great job Amina!
PhD Candidate Awarded Phillips Exeter Dissertation Fellowship
Psychology of Religion Student Onaje X. Woodbine will spend his next year finishing his dissertation while in residence at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. The Phillips Exeter Dissertation Fellowship supports PhD students who are nearing the end of their dissertation for one year and invites them to share in the stimulating academic environment of the Academy. Congratulations and Good Luck Onaje!
8 PhD, 4 MA Graduates Honored at Division Reception
On Friday, May 17, the Division honored its Class of 2012-13 with a reception prior to the PhD hooding ceremony. Five of the new PhDs (Micki Bellamy, Emily Ronald, Anneke Stasson, Doug Tzan, Regina Walton) and one of the new MAs (Najah Amad) as well as friends, family, faculty and graduate students attended the event.
- Regina Walton with her parents, Prof John Berthrong and Prof Karen Westerfield Tucker
- A Toast to the New Graduates
Congratulations to all of of new graduates and good luck on your future endeavors!
Graduate David Scott honored with Chair at Ripon College
2013 DRTS graduate David Scott has recently been named the first Pieper Chair in Religion and Servant Leadership at Ripon College in Ripon Wisconsin. David believes that this new endowed Chair will “…offer new initiatives in community engagement that increase our students’ chances to exercise servant leadership.” Congratulations David!
DRTS Student wins Center for the Humanities Award
Yair Lior, a PhD candidate specializing in Chinese and Jewish spirituality, was recently honored with an award from the BU Center for the Humanities. His award will be presented at a ceremony on May 14 and will help support his dissertation work. Congratulations Yair!
Alum Joe Laycock Writes and Teaches while Sailing the Globe
DRTS Director Jonathan Klawans was pleasantly surprised when he came across an article by DRTS Alum Joe Laycock in last month’s edition of the Journal of the American Academy of Religion.* Dr. Klawans wrote Joe to congratulate him and received the following reply from Joe updating us on his current teaching position.
Hi Dr. Klawans,
I really have to thank my advisor, Stephen Prothero, for my recent accomplishments. Steve encouraged his doctoral students to write term papers that would be publishable. Eight of my peer-reviewed journal articles began as term papers … I am currently teaching for Semester at Sea, which is essentially a cruise ship that has been converted into a floating college. The current voyage travels to Japan, China, Vietnam, Singapore, India, Myanmar, Mauritius, South Africa, Ghana, Morocco, and Spain. I am teaching a class on world religion as we literally sail around the world. The course is based on the pedagogical theories I studied under Diana Lobel and Christopher Lehrich and the primary reading is God Is Not One by Stephen Prothero. Everyone seems to be enjoying the course and says that it has enhanced their experience of other cultures.
Congratulations and Safe Travels to Joe!
*Please note that only subscribers to the Journal will be able to access to the full article.
Recent PhD recipient earns acclaim, tenure track position at Centre College
The year 2013 is turning out to be a good one for soon to be DRTS alumni Matthew Pierce. In February, he successfully defended his dissertation “Remembering the Infallible Imams: Narrative and Memory in Medieval Twelver Shi’ism.” However, even before he was officially bestowed the title of Doctor of Philosophy, Pierce had made a name for himself at Centre College in Kentucky where he currently serves as a Visiting Instructor of Religion. The college spotlighted his unique January term class “Rap, Rock and Religion in America” in a news story on its home page. Pierce describes this course as challenging students to think about the “… process of constructing meaning in our own lives is often done outside the parameters of conventional, institutional religions.” In May, Pierce will officially graduate from Boston University and in the fall will be back teaching at Centre in his new tenure-track position as Assistant Professor of Religion.
Jenn Lindsay checks in from the Vatican
“When Pope Benedict’s resignation and the subsequent conclave to replace him irrupted into my long-planned March 2013 trip to Rome, I knew I wanted to travel to the center of the city during the conclave.”
And so PMPhD student Jenn Lindsay serendipitously found herself in St. Peter’s Square the night the election of Pope Francis I was announced. She was kind enough to share her pictures from that historic night with us, including this one showing the white smoke that announced that a decision had been made.
Student receives award from the American Society of Church History
Congratulations to DRTS student Anneke Stassson, on winning a prestigious Graduate Award from the American Society of Church History.
Prof. Jonathan Klawans appears on “This American Life,” Show #480: Animal Sacrifice
Prof. Jonathan Klawans appeared on “This American Life,” Show #480: Animal Sacrifice, which debuted on November 30, 2012.
Listen to Prof. Klawans on Public Radio’s “This American Life” http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/480/animal-sacrifice
