MTS Alumni Career Snapshots

Now working as a writer, Abhijith Ravinutala, MTS ‘19, says HDS taught him never to compromise on what gives his life meaning.

As a cardiac electrophysiology fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, Danish Zaidi, MTS '16, provides ethically informed clinical heart care, emphasizing healing and patient rights.

Waskito Jati, MTS '18, an outreach and partnership manager working for TikTok, leads in the for-profit tech space with the foundation of cultural sensitivity, ethical consciousness, and respect that he gained at HDS.

Kalpana Jain, MTS '17, director of the Global Religion Journalism Initiative and senior editor of ethics and religion at The Conversation, uses the religious literacy she gained at HDS to help counter religious misinformation and expose a wide readership...

Kevin McIntosh, MTS '15, the program director for Faith Over Division, One America Movement, helps equip faith leaders work towards unity.

Sher Afgan Tareen, MTS '11, a digital systems administrator with the Refugee Assistance Alliance, gained a deep passion for service and volunteerism while at HDS.

Jill Peterfeso, MTS '04, the Eli Franklin Craven and Minnie Phipps Craven Professor of Religious Studies at Guilford College, credits her service-oriented pedagogical approach to her time at HDS.

Now working as a spiritual director, artist, and writer, Katarina Wong, MTS '99, helps clients deepen their relationships with the divine through a foundation of creativity, spirituality, and social justice.

Jason Smith, MTS '13, ThD '20, an Assistant Professor of Religion at Mercer University, credits the breadth of his HDS education with enabling him to teach across diverse areas of study. 

Rakesh Rajani, MTS ‘91, the president of JustSystems, works to support societal leaders in the Global South to help public systems work better for people. 

Varun Soni, MTS '99, the dean of religious and spiritual life at the University of Southern California, helps students bring together the spiritual and the scholarly—a skill he learned at HDS.

Lori DiPrete Brown, MTS '88, distinguished teaching faculty at the UW-Madison School of Human Ecology, teaches courses on global health and human ecology, mentors students, and writes compellingly across different forms.

As a principal executive leading civil marketing and positioning efforts across different sectors within the federal government, the relationship-building skills Kathy Hebert, MTS '03, learned at HDS are vital to her current work. 

Erik Owens, MTS '96, credits HDS with showing him a model of rigorous scholarly work, opening new areas of study, and providing an appealing professorial paradigm.

As the co-founder of Unity Productions Foundation, Alex Kronemer, MTS '85, writes, directs, and produces nationally broadcast documentaries for PBS aimed at working for peace and understanding of Muslims and Islam.

As an editor, freelance writer, and sensitivity consultant, Lynne Meyer, MTS '98, contributes to the collective storytelling power of the gaming industry.

As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Greg Landsman, MTS ‘04, seeks to serve his constituents in Southwest Ohio by building broad coalitions around various policy areas.

As the assistant director of Institutional Relations at Syracuse University Abroad, Helen Huang, MTS ‘12, helps students transform their experiences abroad into opportunities for self-redefinition.

Now serving as a Buddhist chaplain at Yale University, Sumi Kim, MTS ‘01, encourages current HDS students to focus on their own healing within community.

As the executive director of the Massachusetts Union of Public Housing Tenants, Sarah Byrnes, MTS '05, builds power and voice for low-income residents of public housing in Massachusetts.