Staff

Honna Eichler is Managing Director for State of Formation at the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue. She also works as Grants Manager at Interfaith Worker Justice. Honna graduated with a Master of Divinity degree from the McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago in 2010. She worked as a Program Associate for the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions before the 2009 Melbourne Parliament. In work and research, Honna is most interested in promoting methods of religious and ethical dialogue that are accessible to people from diverse backgrounds. She is an active ordained elder at Edgewater Presbyterian Church and is seeking pastoral ordination within the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Karen Leslie Hernandez is Associate Director of Communications for State of Formation at the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue. Karen serves as Youth Minister at a church near Boston and she has extensive national and international experience in peace studies and conflict transformation, including work in India with several grassroots and religious organizations, as well as with Muslim women's human rights groups. Karen graduates in September with a Master of Sacred Theology in Religion and Conflict Transformation from Boston University School of Theology and she holds an MA Theological Research in Christian-Muslim Understanding from Andover Newton Theological School. As a Davis Scholar at Wellesley College, Karen graduated with honors in her major, Peace and Justice Studies, in 2005. Karen is thrilled to be a part of State of Formation in this new role, as well as still contributing as a writer.

The Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue serves as a parent publication to this online community, and its staff envisioned State of Formation and have worked to build the community since its inception.

Joshua Stanton is a Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue™ and a Schusterman Rabbinical Fellow at Hebrew Union College. He is also a founding co-Director of Lessons of a Lifetime™, a nursing home-based project designed to improve intergenerational relations. A graduate of Amherst College, he is the recipient of numerous leadership awards, including the Bridge-Builders Leadership Award from the Interfaith Youth Core. You can follow him on the Tikkun Daily, Huffington Post, and twitter.

Stephanie Varnon-Hughes is a Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue™ and a graduate of Union Theological Seminary, where she earned her Master's in Church History in 2008 and her STM in 2009. In Fall 2011, she will begin doctoral studies at Claremont School of Theology, focusing on building and piloting a multi-religious curriculum for public secondary school students. She is an accomplished playwright with two plays produced at the St. Louis Repertory Theatre.

Aimee Upjohn Light is the Executive Editor of the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue™ and Assistant Professor of Theology at Duquesne University. She holds a PhD from Yale University in the philosophy of religion and an MA from Notre Dame in systematic theology. With quite a list of publications and two forthcoming books, one might imagine that she would solely engaged in editing! But because of her experience as a leader, she will be chairing the Journal's Department of Outreach and Development.

Matthew Dougherty is Director of Publishing for the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue™. He grew up in Connecticut and went on to attend Amherst College. During his time there, Matthew worked as a teacher and a sexual assault crisis counselor. He also helped lead the Amherst College Multifaith Council. After writing a senior thesis on American Islam and pluralism, he graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Religion and English. He will be starting his graduate work at Harvard Divinity School this fall.

Sophia Khan is Publishing Editor of the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue™. After graduating from Dartmouth College with honors in Classics and Theater, she went on to receive her master’s degrees from Yale and Harvard Divinity Schools, where she focused on comparative ethics and human rights. Sophia also serves as Editorial Assistant for History at Harvard University Press. In her spare time, she loves to cook with her aunt—their first cookbook, Students Go Gourmet, will be released in fall 2010.

Honoring our former staff, who helped launch State of Formation

Chris Stedman is the Emeritus Managing Director of State of Formation at the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue™. Chris received an MA in Religion at the Meadville Lombard Theological School at the University of Chicago, for which he was awarded the Billings Prize for Most Outstanding Scholastic Achievement. A columnist for Huffington Post, where his work is among the most commented on in the site's history, he is the founder and author of NonProphet Status and is currently writing a book on religious-nonreligious engagement.

Ian Burzynski is the Emeritus Assistant Director of Operations for State of Formation at the Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue™. He is a secular advocate for interfaith and intercultural engagement, and has worked with Pathways for Mutual Respect and the Cordoba Initiative. Ian received his bachelor’s degree in International Management at McGill University and participated in the Summer Institute for Intercultural Communication. He currently works as Program Coordinator for Distressed Children & Infants International, a child rights and healthcare organization.