Jessica A. H. Chicka

Reverend Dr. Jessica Chicka serves as University Chaplain for International Students at Boston University. She is an ordained minister of Word and Sacrament in the New England Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and a clergy representative to the New England Synod Council. In her role as University Chaplain, Jessica walks alongside students during their time at the university, helping them to discover religious and spiritual resources. She helps lead weekly Interdenominational Protestant Worship at Marsh Chapel and mentors undergraduate and graduate students on a one-on-one basis. In addition to working with international students, she also oversees the non-Christian religious student organizations on campus, advocating for them within the university and making sure they have the support they need. Jessica is also a sustainability liaison for BU Sustainability, connecting her passion for environmental justice – the topic of her dissertation, God, Self, Humanity, Earth: Christian Ecological Ethics in Local Contexts – with her work at BU. Jessica earned three degrees from BU School of Theology – MTS (’07), STM (’11), and PhD (’19) and has the distinction of being the first recorded ordination at Marsh Chapel.

In the Media

First Marsh Chapel Ordination: Jessica Chicka (STH ’07, ’11, ’19)

One Year Later: Lessons from the Pandemic