News

News from Hartford International University

Group photo at Imam Ali Library

General HIU News, Interfaith & Interreligious Dialogue

Imam Ali Library & Research Center Holds Official Launch

June 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.

President Sherry Turner

General HIU News

HIU Welcomes Dr. Sherry Turner as 12th President

July 2, 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. 

Cover of report

General HIU News

HIRR Study Shows How U.S. Churches Have Rebounded Since Pandemic

June 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.

Eid Ghadir image

General HIU News

Shia Holiday of Eid Ghadir Recognized

June 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.

One woman and two men speaking

General HIU News

Event Raises Funds for Imam Ali Library & Research Center, Post Doc

June 11, 2025

Ten years after the launch of the Imam Ali Chair for Shi'a Studies and Dialogue among Islamic Legal Schools at Hartford International University, a group of donors, academics, and friends came together on June 8 to boost the next phase of the initiative.

New Trustees 2

General HIU News

Board of Trustees Welcomes 5 New Members

July 7, 2025

HIU's Board of Trustees has approved five new members: Russell H. Jones '94, Luma Chalabi, Fatima Fiazuddin, the Rev. Dr. Linda Spiers '22, and Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum '00. Dr. Tatum will officially join the board in January 2026.

Dr. Bilal's book 1

General HIU News

Singapore Mosque Leaders Visit HIU to Explore Collaboration

June 4, 2025

In an effort to strengthen religious education and pastoral care in Singapore’s Muslim community, Senior Director Zalman Ali of the The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) led a delegation to the United States for a study visit from April 27 to May 6, 2025. The visit aimed to engage with leading Islamic and interfaith institutions, including Hartford International University for Religion and Peace (HIU), to explore best practices in religious content development and chaplaincy.

Bilal Ansari.

Faculty In The News

Dr. Bilal Ansari Contributes to Book on Divine Revelation and Communication

June 3, 2025

Dr. Bilal Ansari, Director of the Islamic Chaplaincy Program and Co-Director of the Master of Arts in Chaplaincy, has contributed a chapter on Muslim pastoral theology to the newly released book Divine Revelation and Communication: Contemporary Muslim Theological Approaches. This volume is the first publication from the International Foundation for Muslim Theology (IFMT).

Group of adults holding papers

Faculty In The News

Dr. David D. Grafton and Dr. Lucinda Mosher Lead Short Course in Nigeria

May 28, 2025

As part of a working relationship between HIU's Macdonald Center and the Kaduna Centre for the Study of Christian-Muslim Relations, Dr. David D. Grafton and Dr. Lucinda Mosher, were invited to Kaduna, Nigeria, to lead a short course titled “Reading Texts together” from May 21-26, 2025. 

Aida speaking

Faculty In The News

Aida Mansoor Receives Vision Award from Charter Oak Cultural Center

May 21, 2025

We are proud to announce that Aida Mansoor, Director of Field Education, received the Vision Award for Social Justice from the Charter Oak Cultural Center at a ceremony earlier in May.