Meet Our Team

The Rev. Elyse Nelson Winger became the University Chaplain at Tufts University in October 2020. Reporting to the Office of the President, she leads the team in supporting all religious, spiritual, and philosophical life on Tufts' four campuses; educates about spiritual and ethical issues in society and the world; and coordinates spiritual care, multifaith initiatives, and strategic partnerships around the university and beyond.

Elyse is the University Chaplaincy liaison to the Office of Student Life, Tisch College for Civic Life, the Department of Religion, the Office of Equal Opportunity, the Office of Residential Life and Learning's Residential Life Coordinator (RLC) team, and the Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice.  

Elyse is a confidential resource on campus.

Since 2008, Lynn Cooper, A02 has served the spiritual and sacramental needs of our diverse campus community. In July 2021, she was appointed Associate Director of the University Chaplaincy.

Her book, Embracing Our Time: The Sacrament of Interfaith Friendship came out in May 2025 published by Fortress Press. You can learn more about her writing and preaching on here.

Lynn is a confidential resource on campus. 

The Reverend Daniel Bell was appointed Protestant Chaplain at Tufts in August of 2016. As a member of the University Chaplaincy team, Dan is dedicated to enriching the spiritual and ethical lives of all those affiliated with Tufts. Dan serves as a University Chaplaincy liaison to Tufts’ Health Sciences campus and Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. He also leads the True Colors group at the LGBT Center and is a member of the Pride Caucus Steering Committee.

Dan is a confidential resource on campus. 

Rabbi Naftali Brawer was appointed Tufts’ Jewish Chaplain and Neubauer Executive Director of Tufts Hillel in May 2018. Before coming to Tufts, Naftali was Chief Executive of the Spiritual Capital Foundation, a London-based think tank and consultancy on the centrality of values in organizations. Prior to that role, he was Senior Rabbi to the Borehamwood and Elstree Synagogue in Northwest London, one of the largest Jewish congregations in Europe, with close to 1300 members.

Rabbi Brawer cares deeply about the Jewish community of the future, and believes that it is being shaped on the college campuses of today. The excitement of supporting Jewish students as they experiment with, and discover a Judaism relevant to them, is what drives his work at Hillel.

Naftali is a confidential resource on campus. 

Anthony Cruz Pantojas, MATS, MALS, BCC, (they/them) is the Humanist Chaplain at Tufts University. They joined the University Chaplaincy team in August 2021. In this capacity, Anthony supports the exploration and development of ethical inquiry through co-constructed projects with the campus community. Anthony is also the Coordinator of Africana Spirituality.

Throughout their time at Tufts, Anthony has worked to increase the visibility and impact of the Humanist Chaplaincy and Humanism at large. Anthony has garnered multiple grants, including from Interfaith America, to support student programming at the interstices of meaningful identity development, ethical leadership, and civic engagement. In 2022, the Humanist Chaplaincy was recognized with the prestigious University Award for Philosophical Diversity from the American Humanist Association. In 2025, the Association of Chaplaincy and Spiritual Life in Higher Education awarded them the Innovation Award. With the University Chaplain, Rev. Elyse Nelson Winger, Anthony also co-advises the Interfaith Student Ambassador Program.

Anthony is a confidential resource on campus. 

Khan Asfandyar Shairani was appointed Muslim Chaplain in Fall 2024 after serving as interim. Khan is a research scholar specializing in the history of the Islamic tradition in the Indian Ocean world. Khan Shairani has received his doctorate from the University of Notre Dame in Peace Studies and History. He also holds a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard University and a B.A. from Williams College in Arabic Studies and Chinese Studies.

Khan is a confidential resource on campus.

Prakruthi Ramesh joined the University Chaplaincy team in Spring 2025 as Graduate Programming Intern and now serves as Program Coordinator for Buddhist and Hindu Life. She coordinates programs and community engagement for the Buddhist and Hindu communities, supports Graduate interfaith initiatives across the University Chaplaincy, and serves as the University Chaplaincy liaison to the Asian American Center.