About
Alumni Profiles
Eileen SladeYear Graduated: 2004 It was in a Religious Studies class (Myth and Theory) that I first started seriously considering hegemonic structures in my culture, which has been incredibly important in my work as an educator and now as a social worker. It was also in Religious Studies that I started to understand that human beings are storytellers, that we’re always creating narratives in an attempt to make meaning of things that happen around us and inside of us. As a social worker, I’m really interested in those narratives on a micro level (as revealed in a therapeutic context) as well as a macro level (in our culture, in our social constructs and subsequent provision of certain services). |
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Pamela Crosson "Nego"Current Occupation: RN at Moses Cone Hospital in GSO After earning my BA in Religious Studies I went to Mexico for 3 months to travel and study Spanish. Upon returning to Greensboro I volunteered with Americorps teaching English to adult immigrant women from all over the world. This led to many more ESOL teaching jobs. Now as an RN I am grateful for all the experience. |
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Tonisha LashleyYear Graduated: Will Graduate in May 2013 I am considering continuing my education in the study of Religion. It is something that intrigues me, exercises my brain, and I never get tired of studying. So why stop? |
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Mallory McComasYear Graduated: 2010 I have been interested in religions of the world since childhood. My early schooling built for me a worldview based entirely upon my own religious beliefs; it made me wonder about how the beliefs of others affect their lives because mine have always been the center of my life. Learning about the beliefs of others is a faith exercise for me- it stretches and grows my understanding of myself and my faith as well as provides a glimpse into how others think, believe, and live their lives. |
Leehe ShmueliYear Graduated: 2008 I served two terms in AmeriCorps, managing a leadership development program for youth and adults in poverty (in Western New York) and managing a college service-learning program and supporting students in the community (in Western Massachusetts). After that, I was a program manager for a community garden program. Now, I am studying at Andover Newton Theological School in pursuit of a Master of Divinity. I hope to become a Chaplain. |
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Angela ChavisYear Graduated: Will Graduate in May 2013 I have been accepted and will be attending Wake Forest University School of Divinity in Fall 2013 pursuing a Masters Degree of Divinity. However, I was also accepted into the Masters Programs at Duke Divinity School and at Campbell College. |
Allison EasleyYear Graduated: Will Graduate in May 2013 After graduation I plan on further pursuing my dream of becoming a makeup artist. |
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Christopher McKeeYear Graduated: 1992 I attended Emory University at the School of Law and at Candler School of Theology. I graduated in 1997 with a joint degree – JD/MTS. Upon graduation I worked at the DeKalb County Public Defender's Office and then moved to Washington DC to work at the D.C. Public Defender Service (PDS). After nine years at PDS, I moved with my family to Boulder, Colorado where I started teaching as an Adjunct Professor of Law, started a Forensic Consulting firm and then joined a small law firm. |
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Kirsten deFurYear Graduated: 2001 After graduating in 2001 with my Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance and my Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies, I began pursuing a career in sexuality education. I received my Master of Public Health in Sexuality and Health from Columbia University in 2006. I direct a peer education program on dating violence and healthy relationships for the NYC Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence. In addition, I am a facilitator and trainer for the Our Whole Lives program, a sexuality education program of the Unitarian Universalist Association. I also write a blog, www.fearlesssexualityeducator.com. |
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Elizabeth QueenYear Graduated: 2010 Since graduating I have become a certified Lay Minister for the Catholic Dioceses of Charlotte. I spent the first two years after graduating becoming certified. I have been volunteering for the past three years with St. Aloysius Catholic Church's Life Teen program. Where I teach the high school youth group the dogmas and doctrines of the Catholic Church, I plan and run Spiritual Retreats, Mission Trips, and Social activities. I currently am working in Data Entry for Classic Education Ltd., CE Books. The Company is Christian Mission based. |
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Rohit SinghYear Graduated: 2003 I am a PhD Candidate in Religious Studies at UC Santa Barbara with a focus on South Asian and Himalayan traditions. During this academic year, with the support of the AIIS Junior Fellowship, I am conducting dissertation research in the region of Ladakh in North India. I am examining how Ladakh's Buddhist and Muslim communities use public ceremonies to redefine their religious identities in response to modern social, economic, and political changes in the region. |
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Jayme MallindineYear Graduated: 2011 I direct the summer youth leadership institute and the year round afterschool program here at Rhode Island for Community & Justice. We’re a non-profit dedicated to “fighting bias, bigotry, and racism and promoting understanding and respect amongst all races, religions, and cultures”, and the youth leadership programs that I’m in charge of reflect that mission. I’ve designed a ton of curriculum and led a ton of workshops intended to stimulate dialogue around tough issues of race and religion. I’m definitely known more as an “educator” versus a “community organizer”, but the kids don’t seem to mind my nerdiness. I also teach a class on civic engagement at Midrasha, a local Jewish High School, called “Providing for Providence”. It’s kind of funny, because I’m not Jewish, but they liked me so much and thought I was so familiar with their ideologies that they hired me anyways! |
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Jeff RicheyYear Graduated: Thanks to the preparation that I received from my mentors in Religious Studies at UNCG, I was able to win admission to graduate programs in comparative religion at Harvard University, the Graduate Theological Union, and the University of California at Berkeley. After completing my graduate studies, I entered the academic job market at a particularly discouraging moment for humanities Ph.D.s. Having applied for fifty positions during my first year on the market, I received ten interview invitations and, eventually, two tenure-track job offers. After accepting one of these offers and teaching in a private comprehensive university for two years, I managed to find another tenure-track position at a private liberal arts college of significantly higher quality, where I received tenure a few years later. Throughout this time, I maintained an active scholarly program of research, culminating in the publication of one book, two edited volumes, and numerous book chapters, journal articles, and encyclopedia entries to date. |
