2024-2025 Winners
AAR Midwest Region
Rebecca Wollenberg, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Collaborators:
Melissa Borja, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Cameron Cross, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Robert Erlewine, Eastern Michigan University
Deborah Forger, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Yasmin Moll, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Swapnil Rai, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Sangseraima Ujeed, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
“Religion in Real Time: Teaching Hands On Religion at a Public University”
2023-2024 Winners
Mid-Atlantic Region
Sarah Bixler, Eastern Mennonite University
Stacy Williams-Duncan, Learning Forte
“Pedagogy Workshop for Hybrid Classrooms”
Rocky Mountains-Great Plains Region
Dheepa Sundaram, University of Denver
Amy Balogh, Regis University
“Addressing Professional Precarity: Sustainable Professional Development and Pedagogical Resources for the AAR Rocky Mountain-Great Plains Region”
Southwest Region
Santiago Piñón, Texas Christian University
“Acknowledging the Trauma of Gun Violence: A Cooperative Approach”
Western Region
Anna Hennessey, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley
“Rebirth and Regeneration Immersive Art Experience at the 2024 Annual Conference of the American Academy of Religion, Western Region”
2022–2023 Winners
Eastern International Region
Hillary Kaell, McGill University
Judith Ellen Brunton, University of Toronto
“Technology, Ecology, and Religion in North America Workshop”
Midwest Region
Isaac Weiner, Ohio State University
Spencer Dew, Kenyon College
Elizabeth (Liz) Wilson, Miami University
Charles McCrary, Arizona State University
“Religious Accommodations in the COVID-Era Workplace: Engaging Compliance Professionals”
Southeast Region
Kent Brintnall, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Molly Bassett, Georgia State University
Faculty from Appalachian State University
Faculty from Middle Tennessee State University
“Stand-alone M.A Programs Project”
Western Region
Jitsujo Gauthier, University of the West
Xiandong Shi Yazhe Ying (and 2 other colleagues from University of the West)
Nancy Lin (or other colleagues from Institute of Buddhist Studies)
Duane Bidwell (or other colleagues from Institute of Buddhist Studies)
Dave Daibu Cuomo, Angel City Zen Center
Jieyan Zheng International Buddhist Chaplain Foundation
“Articulating Pedagogy in Buddhist Chaplaincy Education and Buddhist Spiritual Caregiving”
2020–2021 Winners
“Corona Chronicles: An Oral History”
Primary Researcher: Mary Wilson
Collaborative Researcher: Tiffany Puett
This proposal seeks to produce an oral history project that will gather stories from faith leaders in Texas about their experiences during the current pandemic and its impact in their religious communities. The interviews will probe how the pandemic has affected their ministries, teaching, budgets, and overall community well-being. Gathering oral history interviews from faith leaders during this time will be an invaluable resource for future students, historians, researchers, and religious leaders as a means to understanding current perceptions and the unfolding reality of the pandemic.
“Bringing Back the NERDS: Relaunching the New England Religion Discussion Society (NERDS)”
Allison L. Norton
Scott Thumma
This project would officially relaunch the NERDS (New England Religion Discussion Society) network, starting Fall 2020. NERDS will construct opportunities for cross-disciplinary discussion and research collaboration, fostering a vibrant and engaged community of religion scholars. The project includes creating a cross-disciplinary leadership team, a database of religion scholars in New England, a consistent virtual presence, and hosting two informal gatherings.
“Scholars of American Religion in Iowa Workshop”
Sarah Dees
Cara Burnidge
Michael Graziano
Jeffrey Wheatley
This grant will fund a workshop for Scholars of American Religion in Iowa (SOARIA) to strengthen our intellectual community, share insights and resources related to teaching and outreach, and plan future collaborations. Aligning with the mission of the American Academy of Religion, the primary aims of this workshop are to support the academic study of American religious history and culture at Iowa universities and to foster the public understanding of religion in Iowa. The workshop will accomplish these goals by hosting a forum to share research, discuss teaching, and collaborate on outreach opportunities in our local communities.
2019-2020 Winners
Midwest Region
Abby Kulisz, Indiana University
Spencer Dew, Denison University
“Rethinking Religious Studies Graduate Education”
Mid-Atlantic Region
Heon C. Kim, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
“A Publication Project for an Edited Volume with a Workshop on Interreligious and Interfaith Studies”
Donovan Schaefer, University of Pennsylvania
Matthew Vaughan, Mid-Atlantic Regionally Elected Coordinator
“Material Secularisms”
2018-2019 Winners
Mid-Atlantic Region
Alicia Panganiban, Princeton Theological Seminary
Gerald S. Vigna, Alvernia University
Matthew Vaughan, Union Theological Seminary
“Community Building Workshop Series: Pathway Forward Towards A More Vibrant, Innovative, and Engaging Community of Scholars in the Mid-Atlantic Region”
Midwest Region
Courtney Rabada, Northwestern University
Jeff Wheatley, Northwestern University
Ashley King, Northwestern University
Lily Stewart, Northwestern University
“Sovereignty & Strangeness” Graduate Student Conference”
Rocky Mountains-Great Plains Region
W. Paul Reeve, University of Utah
Joseph Stuart, University of Utah
“A Century of Black Mormons”
Southeast Region
Creighton Coleman, University of Virginia
Christopher Choi, University of Virginia
Kyle Nichols, University of Virginia
“Religion in an Age of Extremism”
2017–2018 Winners
Midwest Region
Spencer Dew, Centenary College of Louisiana
Rachel McBride Lindsey, Saint Louis University
Kristen Tobey, John Carroll University
“Issues in Teaching Law and Religion Pre-Conference Workshop”
Southwest Region
Kelley Coblentz Bautch, St. Edward’s University
Jonathan Kaplan, University of Texas at Austin
“Jewish Studies in the Borderlands: A Colloquium”
Western Region
Andrea Gacs, Independent Scholar
DOC-U Series
Jason S. Sexton, Visiting Scholar, California State University, Fullerton
“The California Undocumented Body: A Working Day Conference on Understanding and Practicing California Theological Anthropology”
2016–2017 Winners
Midwest Region
Rebecca Scharbach Wollenberg, University of Michigan
“Beyond the Book: Judaism as a Non-Biblical Religion”
New England-Maritimes Region
Stephanie N. Arel, Boston University, Megan K. DeFanza, and Kate Stockly, Boston University
“Sex on the Margins: Navigating Religious, Social, and Natural Scientific Models of Sex Differences”
Rocky Mountain-Great Plains Region
Andrea L. Stanton, University of Denver
“Islamic Studies in the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains: Scholarship and Pedagogy Conference”
Southeast Region
Brian K. Pennington, Lynn Huber, Tom Mould, Elon University
“On The Edge: Launching A Regional Interdisciplinary Symposium In The Southeast”
Southwest Region
Tiffany Puett, Director, Institute for Diversity and Civic Life, Chad E. Seales, University of Texas at Austin, and Jennifer Graber, University of Texas at Austin
“Religions Texas: Mapping Diversity”
2015–2016 Winners
Mid-Atlantic Region
Sabrina D. MisirHiralall, Montclair State University and Matthew Vaughan, Union Theological Seminary
“Colloquium Speaker Series on Teaching and Learning in the Religious Studies Learning Space”
Southwest Region
Southwest Region Officers: Jack Hill (Past-Past President), Allen Redmon (Past President), Jens Kreinath (President), Marc DiPaolo (President-Elect), Paul Martens (Vice President), B.J. Parker (Student Director), and Katherine Downey (Regional Coordinator)
“How Might the Region Become a Stronger and More Meaningful Presence in the Scholarly and Professional Lives of Its Members?: A Workshop to Re-Imagine Our Time Together During and Between Annual Meetings”
Western Region
Elizabeth Allison, California Institute of Integral Studies
“Religion and Ecology Network for Scholar-Practitioners in the San Francisco Bay Area”
2014–2015 Winners
Eastern International Region
Vincent Lloyd, Syracuse University and Joshua Dubler, University of Rochester
“Religious Studies Inside and Outside Prison Walls: A Workshop”
Midwest Region
Ariel Schwartz, Northwestern University
“Graduate Conference on “Religion and the Natural Elements”
Western Region
Amy Hale and Jeffrey Yergler — Golden Gate University
“Meeting the Challenge of Transitions: Employment Workshops for Religious Studies Scholars and Religious Professionals”
Louis Komjathy, University of San Diego
“Conference on Contemplative Studies”
2013–2014 Winners
Southeast Region
Jennifer Ayres, Cory Andrew Labrecque, and Bobbi Patterson — Emory University
“Religion, Place, and Pedagogy: Establishing a Bio-Regional Network of Teacher-Scholars in Religion and Ecology”
Sally Holt, Belmont University; Ossama Bahloul, Islamic Center of Murfreesboro; Ron Messier, Middle
Tennessee State University (Emeritus); and Rami Shapiro
“Efforts for Authentic Interreligious Dialogue”
Western Region
Kate McCarthy, California State University, Chico
“World Religions in California Contexts: A Faculty Workshop to Develop an Online Resource for the Public Understanding of Religion in California”
Mid-Atlantic Region
Sabrina MisirHiralall, Montclair State University, and Daniel McClain, Loyola University, Maryland
“Colloquium Speaker Series on Teaching and Learning in the Religious Studies Learning Space”
2012–2013 Winners
Mid-Atlantic Region
Sabrina MisirHiralall, Montclair State University, and Daniel McClain, Loyola University, Maryland
“Fostering Regional Student and Scholar Formation Series”
Midwest Region
Shreena Gandhi, Kalamazoo College; Amy Derogatis, Michigan State University; and Brian C. Wilson, Western Michigan University
“Religion, Health, and the Body in North America Conference”
Rocky Mountain-Great Plains Region
Andrea L. Stanton, University of Denver
“Religion in the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains Conference”
Southeast Region
Davina C. Lopez, Eckerd College
“Teaching Religion at Liberal Arts Colleges: Professors and Chaplains Exploring Vocational and Pedagogical Issues”
Jeremy M. Schott, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, and Maria Doerfler, Duke University
“Conference: Late Antiquity Made New: A Celebration of the Career of Elizabeth A. Clark”
2011–2012 Winners
Midwest Region
Cristina Traina, Northwestern University
“Graduate Conference on “Religion and the Trans…”
Rocky Mountain-Great Plains Region
Beth Katz, Project Interfaith
“Community Mosaic Video Project”
Southeast Region
Charles Mathewes, Philip Lorish, Christina McRorie, and Kristopher Norris — University of Virginia
“Virginia Graduate Colloquium on Theology, Ethics, and Culture”
2010–2011 Winners
Mid-Atlantic Region
Anthony Tyrus Gaines Cirelli, St. John’s University
“Plenary and Break-out Session at the 2011 MAR/NEMAAR Annual Meeting”
Southeast Region
Michael T. Bradley, Jr., Georgia Perimeter College
Jason Flato, Georgia Perimeter College
Workshop for Instructors of Religion at Two-Year Institutions
Rosalind I. J. Hackett, University of Tennessee
“Religion in the Workplace and the World: A Training Seminar for East Tennessee Professionals”
Southwest Region
Andrew Fort, Texas Christian University
“Teaching Contemplative Traditions: A Workshop”
Western Region
Rebecca Moore, San Diego State University
“Immigration Reform: Linking the Academy to Activism”