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 Vitæ [PDF]

Research Director

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. Elinor co-produced and co-directed the documentary film Fremont, U.S.A., together with Rachel Antell. She 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). Elinor currently leads the case study initiative.

Assistant Director

Kathryn began her work with the Pluralism Project as a student researcher on the Women’s Networks initiative in 2000. Her own research for the Project has been focused on women’s interfaith organizing, which formed the basis for our 2007 Radcliffe Seminar on “Women’s Interfaith Initiatives After 9/11.” As assistant director, Kathryn manages student research, runs our summer internship program, provides administrative and financial oversight, and participates in a number of local and national initiatives, conferences, and events on behalf of the Project. Kathryn received her BA 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.

Research Coordinator

Erin graduated from Harvard Divinity School with a Master of Theological Studies degree where she primarily focused on the intersection of religious experience, art, and visual culture. Originally from Los Angeles, she received her BA from the University of California, Berkeley with a double major in English and Art History (2004). Erin has been working with the Pluralism Project for two years on various projects including Religious Diversity News and profiling organizations that work at the intersection of arts and activism. She is especially interested in how visual art, song, and dance help to create religious and cultural identity in contemporary faith communities. She will continue these projects moving forward, as well as coordinating Project research and events.

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. 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

World Religions in Greater Boston Research Associate

PJ is a candidate in the Master of Education program at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education where he studies healthy learning environments with a focus on the role of background (spirituality, race and culture) and context (family, school and community). Before his arrival at Harvard, he served the Bahá’í Faith at its World Center in Haifa, Israel. Originally from Newton, Massachusetts, PJ received his BA from Tufts University with a major in American Studies. At the Pluralism Project, PJ researches the Bahá’í Faith for World Religions in Greater Boston.

Case Study Research Associate

Vaughn is a Master of Divinity student at Harvard Divinity School focusing on religion in America and African American religious history. He graduated from Dartmouth College with an AB in Religion. Vaughn is interested in the presentation and popular reception of theological discourse in political movements. At the Pluralism Project, Vaughn focuses on researching and developing theological case studies that concern interreligious conflict.

Film Initiative Research Associate

Josh is currently pursuing a Master of Theological Studies at Harvard Divinity School, where he focuses in comparative theology. Originally from Las Vegas, he received a BA in Philosophy, with minors in Communication Studies and English, from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. During his first year at Harvard, Josh researched the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization, Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries, and the Boston branch of Soka Gakkai International. Josh is now writing an interfaith relations curriculum for implementation in local churches. At the Pluralism Project, Josh is working with film as a medium for advancing pluralism.

Senior Research Associate

Kate received her BA from Connecticut College in 2008 with a double major in Religious Studies and English. She is currently a Master of Theological Studies student at Harvard Divinity School, focusing on Religion, Ethics and Politics. Kate’s interests lie in the intersection of religion and culture, particularly as related to issues of religious accommodation, religion and the media, and sacred space. At the Pluralism Project, Kate manages staff email and assists with Project events and research.

Senior Research Associate

Polly has been active for many years in ecumenical and interfaith dialogue, as a lay leader within the United Church of Christ. She currently serves as Vice-President of the Board of Directors for Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries, and as Chair of the Commission for Ecumenism for the Massachusetts Conference, United Church of Christ. In 2004, she received a Masters in Ecumenical Studies from the University of Geneva for studies at the Bossey Ecumenical Institute. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Religion from Carleton College, in Minnesota, and a Masters of Divinity degree from the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, CA. Her areas of interest include the history of the ecumenical movement, the history of interpretation of the Gospel of John, Jewish-Christian relations, and Boston’s religious history. At the Pluralism Project, Polly conducts research on Christianity for World Religions in Boston, and assists with the Case Study Initiative.

Senior Research Associate

Sarah is a Master of Theological Studies student at Harvard Divinity School focusing on religious studies and education. She graduated from Transylvania University, a small liberal arts college in Lexington, Kentucky, with a degree in Elementary Education and Religion. Sarah is interested in religion as a category of cultural relevance in students’ lives as well as Hindu and Christian religious practices in the United States. At the Pluralism Project, Sarah focuses on the Case Study Initiative and assists with other administrative tasks.

Senior Research Associate

Katie is a Master of Theological Studies student at Harvard Divinity School with a focus on Islamic Studies. She received her BA from Vassar College, with a major in Religion and a minor in Arabic, and studied in Morocco and Egypt. Katie’s academic interests include Muslim identity construction, cultural forms of religious life, and religious orthodoxy in Islam. At the Pluralism Project, Katie will conduct research on other multi-religious societies, provide research assistance to the Director, and will pursue projects on Islam in America.

Senior Research Associate

Kimberly received her Master of Theological Studies degree from Harvard Divinity School in 2009 and her BA in religious studies and political science from Connecticut College in 2007. She is currently working toward her JD at Boston College Law School. Kimberly is interested in the intersection of religion, law, and politics, with a particular focus on the civil rights of religious minority groups. As a senior research associate at the Project, she works primarily on Religious Diversity News.

World Religions in Greater Boston Research Associate

Zachary Ugolnik recently graduated from Harvard Divinity School with a Master of Theological Studies where he focused on Eastern Christian Studies. He received his BA from Syracuse University in Religion and International Relations, and minored in Photojournalism. Zachary is interested in engaging Eastern Christianity in comparative analysis and dialogue with other traditions, especially through the exploration of visual culture. At the Pluralism Project, Zachary will research Eastern Orthodox Christianity for World Religions in Greater Boston.