-
-
-
-
-
2026 Conference Contributors
-
-
-
-
-
2026 Contributors
Keynote Speakers
We are very excited to have Rev. Dr. Danielle Buhoro as our opening keynote for this conference and a special performance below!
Rev. Dr. Danielle Buhoro
Our first keynote speaker is Rev. Dr. Danielle Buhoro. Rev. Dr. Danielle “Danie” J. Buhuro is the Executive Director of Sankofa CPE Center and Assistant Professor of Practical Theology at Gammon Theological Seminary. A leading voice in social justice-oriented clinical care, she is the author of Spiritual Care In An Age of #BlackLivesMatter and a former board member for ACPE. Dr. Buhuro earned her Ph.D. in Theology, Ethics, and Human Sciences from Chicago Theological Seminary, building on a foundation of both D.Min and M.Div degrees. Her work focuses on empowering clergy through African-centered psychology and a pedagogy of pastoral competence.
Opening Performance
Bucket Boys
We are excited to introduce ACLSHE to the Bucket Boys. Hailing from Chicago’s South Side, the Bucket Boys have spent the last few decades turning street-corner rhythm into a high-octane professional art form. Since their emergence in the mid-1990s, this iconic percussion group has traded financial struggles for center stage, swapping traditional kits for 5-gallon plastic buckets and drumsticks. Today, their high-energy performances are a staple of the city's culture, captivating audiences at legendary venues ranging from Chicago Bulls games to the Art Institute.
Wednesday Keynotes
Rabbi Dr. Rachel S. Mikva Rabbi Dr. Rachel S. Mikva serves as the Herman E. Schaalman Professor in Jewish Studies and Senior Faculty Fellow of the InterReligious Institute at Chicago Theological Seminary. The Institute and the Seminary work at the cutting edge of theological education, training religious leaders who can build bridges across cultural and religious difference for the critical work of social transformation. Ordained in the Reform movement, Rabbi Mikva served as a congregational rabbi for 13 years before returning to the academy. With a passion for justice and academic expertise in the history of scriptural interpretation, her courses and publications address a range of Jewish and comparative studies, with a special interest in the intersections of sacred texts, culture and ethics. Her recent books include Dangerous Religious Ideas: The Deep Roots of Self-Critical Faith in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (Beacon, 2020); a textbook for graduate and undergraduate students, Interreligious Studies: An Introduction (Cambridge University Press, 2023); and Monotheism and Pluralism (Cambridge University Press, 2024). Invited to give the 2025 Silber-Obrecht Lectures, she is expanding them into a volume for Georgetown University Press: Human: Religious Perspectives on Human Nature and How They Shape Our Common Life. Rabbi Mikva is involved in public discourse on critical issues of the day, e.g. criminal justice reform, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, interreligious understanding, gender and racial justice; she has contributed her voice to CNN, Washington Post, USA Today, Huffington Post, Tikkun, The Los Angeles Times, Sojourners, Religion News Service, and other online media outlets. |
Dr. Rami Nashashibi Dr. Rami Nashashibi is a MacArthur Fellow, sociologist trained at the University of Chicago, and the founding executive director of the Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN). Since its founding in 1997, IMAN has fostered health, wellness, and healing on Chicago's South Side and in Atlanta's West End by organizing for social change, cultivating the arts, and running a holistic health center. A nationally recognized community leader, Dr. Nashashibi is committed to bridging racial, religious, and socioeconomic divides. He has mobilized diverse communities around a shared vision of social justice and equitable development and currently serves on the boards of the Marguerite Casey Foundation and Pillars Fund. In 2020, he made his debut as a musician, songwriter, and executive producer with THIS LOVE THING, a soulful album exploring themes of love, justice, and belonging. Dr. Nashashibi has worked with top scholars in globalization, African American studies, and urban sociology and has contributed to edited books by Manning Marable and Saskia Sassen. He has spoken widely on American Muslim identity, community organizing, and social justice, earning many awards for his work. His writing and leadership have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and the Chicago Tribune, as well as on PBS, CBS, CNN, and NPR. He has taught at several colleges and universities, including Chicago Theological Seminary, where he served as Visiting Professor of Sociology of Religion and Muslim Studies. His editorials have appeared in USA Today, The Guardian, and other major outlets. |
Closing Keynote
Chenxing Han Chenxing Han is a leading author, speaker, and educator at the intersection of Buddhism and Asian America. Trained in Buddhist studies and chaplaincy, she is the author of Be the Refuge: Raising the Voices of Asian American Buddhists and one long listening: a memoir of grief, friendship, and spiritual care. Her writing is taught in university, seminary, and high school classrooms across the nation. As a founder of Roots and Refuge, May We Gather, and Listening to the Buddhists in Our Backyard, Chenxing strives to cultivate spaces for creative inquiry, spiritual kinship, and intergenerational learning. Learn more at www.chenxinghan.com.
Our Workshop Hosts |
Hannah Adam Ingrams
Dr. Preeta M. Banarjee
Eric Budzynski
Becky Crandall
Marc Goldman
Dr. Vanessa Gomez Brake
Elizabeth Hakken Candido
Carr Harkrader
Matt Hoffman Ben Iten
Sam Kinsman
JillAnn Knonenborg
Rev. Dr. Patricia Murphy
Rabbi Camille Shire Angel
Starr Tomczak
Joseph Vann-Jones
Sean Watson
Roman Williams
Ailih Weeldreyer | Hannah Adams Ingram College Chaplain & Associate Dean for Institutional Equity Macalaster College Rev. Dr. Hannah Adams Ingram is the College Chaplain and Associate Dean for Institutional Equity at Macalester College after seven years in the College Chaplain role at Franklin College in Indiana. When not dreaming of better worlds at and outside of work, she likes baking, reading, TV, and time with loved ones. Dr. Preeta M. Banerjee Meaning Making Facilitator Harvard Divinity School Dr. Preeta M. Banerjee is a Meaning making Facilitator at Harvard Divinity School and draws on over 25 years of experience as a business school professor, corporate executive, life coach, and higher education chaplain to support individual, team, and organizational growth. She holds a PhD in Strategic Management from the Wharton School, a BS in Computational Biology and Business from Carnegie Mellon, and a Graduate Certificate in Interreligious Studies from Hartford International University for Religion and Peace. Eric Budzynski Associate Director of Holistic Wellness & Contemplative Practice Northwestern University Eric Budzynski is, most importantly, a human being and also the Associate Director of Holistic Wellness & Contemplative Practice at Northwestern University, where for nearly 16 years he has woven together spiritual wellbeing, contemplative practice, mindfulness & spiritual direction in deep support of students, staff, and faculty navigating the 10,000 joys and 10,000 sorrows of life. As a recovering religious aesthetic, Eric now follows an evolving path of interspirituality shaped by ritual, art, generativity, and sharing with others that spiritual practice can be a powerful source of healing, self-acceptance, and transformation. Becky Crandall Director of Educational Partnerships Interfaith America Becky Crandall is the Director of Educational Partnerships at Interfaith America, where she works with campuses to build institutes that strengthen pluralism skills, knowledge, and mindsets among faculty, staff, and administrators. A scholar-practitioner with more than 20 years of higher education leadership experience, her work has focused on campus climate, student success, and the role of religion and worldview in higher education. Most recently, Becky served as a project director for Rankin Climate and as faculty in higher education and student affairs programs at Oregon State University and The Ohio State University. Marc Goldman Jewish Life Coordinator Rochester Institute of Technology Marc Goldman is the Jewish Student Life Engagement Coordinator at Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY, where Religious and Spiritual Life is situated in Campus Life. I have been at RIT for nearly 15 years and came there as a trailing spouse from the University of Illinois in Urbana. Before campus chaplaincy my career has been in was in campus housing, residence life, and academic support for students living on campus. My education is in College Student Development and Library, and Information Science. My work in RIT Campus and Religious Life is an opportunity to bring so much of this history to the lives of students as they develop their identity in all its facets. I grew up in the Kansas City area. I enjoy kayaking, cooking, and exploring the food scene where I am. I am involved in get-out-the-vote efforts on campus and Rochester and just completed my first CPE unit. Dr. Vanessa Gomez Brake. M.Div Associate Dean of Religious Life University of Southern California Dr. Vanessa Gomez Brake, M.Div, is the Senior Associate Dean of Religious Life at the University of Southern California. She is the first humanist chaplain to serve in this capacity at any American university. In her role, she works to support and promote university religious and spiritual life broadly conceived, and helps oversee more than 90 student religious groups and 50 religious affiliates on USC’s main campus and health campuses. Elizabeth Hakken Candido College Chaplain and Director of Religious Life Kalamazoo College Elizabeth Hakken Candido serves as the College Chaplain and Director of Religious Life at Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, MI. Her fiction and essays have appeared in a wide variety of publications. She co-edits ACSLHE’s peer reviewed journal, Unfolding: University Chaplaincy in Practice. Carr Harkrader Senior Program Specialist Interfaith America Carr Harkrader is a member of IA’s Higher Education team, and his work focuses on supporting and resourcing campuses as they pursue bridgebuilding and pluralism projects. In his role, Carr oversees grant programs and student leadership development opportunities and works with campuses on interfaith and pluralism-related trainings. Carr earned a BA in political science and history from UNC-Chapel Hill and a M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Matt Hoffman Director for the Center of Religion, Spirituality, Pluralism UMBC Matt Hoffman (he/him) is the Director for the Center for Religion, Spirituality, & Pluralism at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). He is passionate about working with students, staff, and faculty to co-create spaces that dive deeply into issues of faith, religion, spirituality, and belonging. Before beginning his work at UMBC, Matt was the Associate Director of Interfaith Initiatives and Instructor of Religious Studies at Warren Wilson College, near Asheville, NC. He is an ordained minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Matt is a Cajun food devotee, a community garden green thumb, a new father (2x), and an avid board game enthusiast. Ben Iten President Humanist Society Ben Iten is the President of the Humanist Society. He is the first Chaplain endorsed by the Humanist Society to become an ACPE Certified Educator. He runs two ACPE CPE Programs based in Columbus and is starting an online Humanist CPE Program expected to be starting its first unit in the Fall of 2026. He has spoken across the country on Humanism and Secular Spirituality including the national conferences for the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education and the Association for Professional Chaplains. Sam Kinsman Protestant Chaplain Rochester Institute of Technology Rev. Sam Kinsman has journeyed far from his childhood in rural California. From a childhood spent preaching and singing through his studies in an MFA Acting program to his time at Union Theological Seminary, the Spirit molds and guides him to serve as Christ would. His Ministry exists at the apex of theatre-making, discerning the Spirit’s cry, and profound geekiness. He is currently a campus Chaplain at both the University of Rochester and the Rochester Institute of Technology as he is called to empower and interrogate what the beloved Church might become for Gen Z and beyond. JillAnn Knonenborg Assistant Dean for Interfaith Leadership Virginia Tech JillAnn Knonenborg (she/her) is the Assistant Dean for Interfaith Leadership at Virginia Tech, where she also serves as program director for Aurora Interfaith Living-Learning Community. She received her Master's of Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary (Washington, DC) in 2017. Rev. Dr. Patricia Murphy Ecclesiastical Endorser/National Director of Chaplaincy and Specialized Ministries American Baptist Home Missions Society/American Baptist Churches USA The Reverend Dr. Patricia Murphy is an American Baptist minister, educator, and board-certified chaplain who serves as the Ecclesiastical Endorser and Director of Spiritual Caregivers for American Baptist Churches, USA, bringing over two decades of leadership in specialized ministries, education, and pastoral care. Rabbi Camille Shira Angel Faculty, University of San Francisco, Swig Program in Jewish Studies and Social Justice and Campus Rabbi, Jewish life and multi-faith LGBTQIA+ spiritual life Rabbi Camille Shira Angel serves as faculty at the University of San Francisco in the Swig Program in Jewish Studies and Social Justice. Along with her popular courses, Queering Religion, and Honoring Our LGBTQ+ Religious Elders, she is the campus rabbi for Jewish life and multi-faith LGBTQIA+ spiritual life on campus. Starr Tomczak lawyer, speaker, and author of Living Well: Inspired by the Story behind the Bible (Cascade Books, 2024). Amid a successful career as a corporate lawyer in New York City, Starr Tomczak received an M.Div. from Union Theological Seminary and wrote Living Well: Inspired by the Story behind the Bible (Cascade, 2024). As described on her website www.starrtomczak.com, the Exodus story enriches her understanding of her personal experience overcoming humble origins and childhood abuse. Joseph Vann-Jones Program Coordinator for The Gathering Space for Spiritual Well-Being UMBC Joseph Vann-Jones serves at the University of Maryland Baltimore County as the Coordinator of The Center for Religion, Spirituality, and Pluralism. His motivation, vocationally, is to empower and inspire others to cherish their most authentic selves. In Joseph’s free time, he loves cataloging his watched films on Letterboxd and collecting music suggestions. Sean Watson Director of Religious & Spiritual Life University of Rochester Sean Watson, serving as the Director for Religious & Spiritual Life and Pagan Chaplain, while also exploring spirituality on campus as a PhD student is fully committed to creating inclusive dialogue on campus. On the rare occasion they have free time, you can find them riding a bike, hanging out with their kids, or listening to an audiobook! Roman Williams Founder Interfaith Photovoice Roman Williams, PhD, is the founder of Interfaith Photovoice, a social enterprise where he combines photography and sociology for belief, belonging, and human flourishing on college campuses. Through this work, he creates intergroup and interfaith encounters that are participatory, deeply human, and transformative. Ailih Weeldreyer National Organizer World Student Christian Federation - US Ailih Weeldreyer is the National Organizer for the World Student Christian Federation-US and a '24 graduate of Harvard Divinity School. She has worked in faith-based advocacy and organizing across international diplomacy and domestic US policy, and now leads the growth of the US student Christian movement. |
ACSLHE | pronounced AXLE | ©2022