Jennifer Howe Peace was appointed University Chaplain ad interim August 2019. Jenny has been an interfaith educator and activist for two decades. The first Associate Professor of Interfaith Studies at Andover Newton Theological School, Peace co-founded CIRCLE (the Center for Interreligious and Communal Leadership Education), a shared initiative with Hebrew College. Peace co-founded the Interreligious/Interfaith Studies Program Unit at the American Academy of Religion in 2013 and founded the Association for Interreligious/ Interfaith Studies (AIIS) in 2017. Her most recent publication is a co-edited volume published by Beacon in 2018 called Interreligious/Interfaith Studies: Defining a New Field. In addition, Peace co-edited My Neighbor's Faith: Stories of Interreligious Encounter, Growth, and Transformation (Orbis, 2012).
Priya Rakkhit Sraman joined the University Chaplaincy team in August of 2016 as Buddhist in Residence and became Buddhist Chaplain in July of 2018. He is originally from Chittagong, Bangladesh and he received his Master of Divinity degree from Harvard Divinity School in 2017.
Lynn Cooper A02 was appointed Catholic Chaplain in 2008. Since then Lynn has served the spiritual and sacramental needs of our diverse campus community. Lynn seeks to serve those who are united in Catholic life and worship, those who are attracted to the Catholic faith, and the larger Tufts community. Pastoral counseling, spiritual direction, retreats, study groups, and prayer groups extend this ministry to the many dimensions of the lives of students and others in the university community.
Walker Bristol, A14, joined the University Chaplaincy team in August of 2014 as Humanist in Residence and became Humanist Chaplain in July of 2018. They coordinate the Humanist Chaplaincy programming and serves the needs of nonreligious, atheist, agnostic, Humanist, and otherwise spiritually nontraditional students at Tufts. This includes anything from one-on-one conversations about students’ existential journeys and college lives to organizing events that offer a safe space for students outside traditional religion to explore their metaphysical experiences. In addition to Walker's work in the Chaplaincy, they are currently serving as a confidential resource for the Tufts Center for Awareness, Education, and Resources.
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.
Abdul-Malik Merchant joined the University Chaplaincy team in September 2019 as Muslim Chaplain. Abdul-Malik has served as Associate Imam at the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center in Roxbury, MA since 2016 where he regularly delivers the Friday khutbah and offers pastoral care to the diverse community at ISBCC. Abdul-Malik brings a rich cross-cultural sensibility to his work. He has experience across communities and age ranges, including working with inner city youth in Washington, D.C. and teaching classes as a Junior Resident Scholar at the MAS Community Center in Alexandria, VA.
The Reverend Daniel Bell was appointed Protestant Chaplain at Tufts University 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, with a focus on the Protestant community. He works closely with the Tufts Protestant Students Association to develop the ecumenical Protestant community on campus. Dan works with students to coordinate worship services, spiritual formation activities, service and social justice projects, and ecumenical and interfaith initiatives. He also provides pastoral care to students, faculty, and staff
Alex Chiu joined the University Chaplaincy team in July 2017 as Chaplaincy Coordinator. In this role, she serves as the primary point of contact for the University Chaplaincy and ensures effective and efficient office operations. She manages the reservation, use, and upkeep of Goddard Chapel and the Tufts Interfaith Center, coordinates the University Chaplaincy Student Worker program, and monitors the department’s budgets and finances. She is also responsible for implementing department data management and communications plans and coordinating logistics for complex events.
Shelby Carpenter joined the University Chaplaincy as Program Coordinator in August 2019. In this role, Shelby supports specific programmatic and outreach initiatives led by the University Chaplaincy staff and students, and supports our department alumni and advancement efforts. Program support includes, but is not limited to: the Spiritual Life Resource Fair and other Fall startup programs, musical concerts (Halloween Organ Concert and Winter Holiday Concert), #GivingTuesday, the University MLK Celebration and Day of Service, the Russell Lecture on Spiritual Life, and the Baccalaureate Service. This position also supports specific communications initiatives, including social media, websites, and publicity development.
Thomas B. Dawkins was appointed Music Director and Organist in the Tufts University Chaplaincy in August 2018. His main duties are to provide music for the Protestant Evening Worship that takes place weekly in Goddard Chapel, various university events including Matriculation, Baccalaureate, and Commencement, as well as performing and organizing concerts in the chapel such as the Halloween Midnight Organ Recital and Winter Holiday Concert. He also curates instruments and records the monthly tune played by the carillon in the bell tower. He is committed to making the chapel at Tufts a destination for those wishing to hear and to make great sacred music.
