News
News from Hartford International University
Alumni News
Jamir Dean Meah '23 Returns to Teach Spiritual Care Practice
August 5, 2025
Jamir Dean Meah ‘23, a graduate of the MA in Interreligious Studies program, is back at HIU to lead a course on Theology and Scripture in Spiritual Care Practice. Designed for aspiring chaplains and ministers, the course explores how individuals in America’s diverse religious communities reflect on existential questions.
Alumni News
Imam Amir Durić '19 Promoted at Syracuse University
July 23, 2025
Syracuse University has named alum Imam Amir Durić '19 as the new assistant dean for religious and spiritual life at Hendricks Chapel. Durić, who has served as the Muslim chaplain at Hendricks Chapel since 2017, will now take on a broader leadership role, advancing interfaith engagement, spiritual wellness, and ethical development across the university community.
Chaplaincy
Chaplaincy Students Experience a Transformative Retreat
July 22, 2025
Eleven students from Hartford International University’s Master of Arts in Chaplaincy program gathered in June for their second annual retreat, a three-day immersion in spiritual reflection, creative collaboration, and communal healing.
Faculty In The News
Journal of Interreligious Studies Releases New Issue
July 14, 2025
Dr. Lucinda Mosher, HIU’s professor of interreligious studies and senior editor of the Journal of Interreligious Studies (JIRS), is pleased to announce the release of Issue 46 — a rolling submissions issue containing five essays and six book reviews.
Alumni News
Tom Verde '09 Publishes Book on Lost Histories of Prominent Muslim WomenJuly 14, 2025
Tom Verde, a 2009 graduate of Hartford International University, was surprised when he first encountered the story of 13th-century Egyptian queen Shajarat al-Durr, Egypt’s first queen since Cleopatra, after reviewing a book on Cairo’s architectural history.
General HIU News
Library Director Engages in Critical Dialogue on Antiracism and Interfaith StudiesJune 26, 2025
Karla Grafton, Director of Library Services at HIU, recently participated in a thought-provoking session at the Atla Annual 2025 conference.
General HIU News, Interfaith & Interreligious Dialogue
Imam Ali Library & Research Center Holds Official LaunchJune 23, 2025
Called a "natural outgrowth" of a chair dedicated to Shia Studies, the Imam Ali Library & Research Center in Mahopac, N.Y., had its official opening on June 22.
General HIU News
HIU Welcomes Dr. Sherry Turner as 12th PresidentJune 26, 2025
On July 1, Dr. Sherry Turner will officially take the reins as president of Hartford International University for Religion and Peace (HIU). She succeeds President Joel N. Lohr, who has led HIU since 2018.
General HIU News
HIRR Study Shows How U.S. Churches Have Rebounded Since PandemicJune 17, 2025
A study of church attenders, conducted by the Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations (EPIC) project between September 2024 through January 2025, provides a unique perspective from those in the pews.
General HIU News
Shia Holiday of Eid Ghadir RecognizedJune 11, 2025
Shia Muslims around the globe celebrate Eid Ghadīr on the 18th day of the final month of the Muslim lunar calendar (Dhu-ʾl-ḥijja) to commemorate a core element of Prophet Muḥammad’s divine message.