Certificate of Studies, The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
B.A. Wellesley College
Biography:
Rev. Elyse Nelson Winger became University Chaplain at Tufts University on October 1, 2020. She leads the Chaplaincy Team in supporting all religious, spiritual, and philosophical life at Tufts; educates about spiritual and ethical issues in society and the world; and coordinates pastoral care, multifaith initiatives, and strategic partnerships around the university and beyond.
Before coming to Tufts, Rev. Nelson Winger served as Associate Dean of Students and Chaplain at Illinois Wesleyan University where she provided vision and leadership for religious, spiritual, and multifaith life on campus and partnered with students, faculty, and staff on a range of initiatives designed to support the University’s mission commitments to global citizenship, critical thinking, diversity, and the arts. She also led advocacy efforts related to students’ thriving, belonging, and well-being on campus and served as a Title IX deputy coordinator for student affairs.
Rev. Nelson Winger is an ordained minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and has served congregations in Cairo, Egypt, Dearborn, Michigan and Bloomington, Illinois. She has served as a committee or board member for numerous faith-based and non-profit organizations, including nine years of service on the Board of Directors for Lutheran Social Services of Illinois. She also enjoys writing and wrote a column for Gather magazine that twice received an honorable mention in The Associated Church Press’ “The Best of the Christian Press” awards.
