News
News from Hartford International University
General HIU News
HIU Staff Retreat Fosters Collaboration and Shared Vision
August 26, 2025
On Monday, Aug. 25, Hartford International University staff gathered for a retreat at the Connecticut Science Center in Hartford. Led by President Sherry Turner, the event was a productive session focused on strengthening relationships, engaging in strategic dialogue, and shaping a collective vision built upon the university's strengths.
General HIU News
President Sherry Turner Holds Listening Sessions, Looks to the Future
August 25, 2025
In seven weeks on the job, President Sherry Turner has already conducted at least 100 conversations with various stakeholders.
Alumni News
Prestigious Rothko Chapel Appoints Abdullah Antepli ‘10 as PresidentAugust 13, 2025
The Rothko Chapel in Houston has named D.Min. alum Abdullah Antepli '10, a Turkish-born imam and interfaith leader, as its new president. Dr. Antepli, a professor at Duke University and a globally recognized advocate for religious dialogue, said in an interview with chron.com that he will begin his role in early September.
General HIU News
2025-26 MA in International Peacebuilding StudentsAugust 5, 2025
Students have been selected for our highly competitive MA in International Peacebuilding for 2025-26. The program is a one-year, residential, 36-credit, master’s degree program where students develop interreligious literacy and acquire constructive conflict intervention skills through a combination of service-learning, traditional courses, experiential courses, and project-based learning.
Alumni News
Jamir Dean Meah '23 Returns to Teach Spiritual Care PracticeAugust 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 UniversityJuly 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 Women
July 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 Studies
June 26, 2025
Karla Grafton, Director of Library Services at HIU, recently participated in a thought-provoking session at the Atla Annual 2025 conference.