Jud Hendrix, Peace by 2030 Movement Builder, Interfaith Paths to Peace – keynote address, “The Radical Catalyst of Faith – Inspiring Faith to Action,” Thursday, April 4

In addition to his keynote address, Jud will lead a workshop on Friday, April 5, focusing on “How to use social network analysis to cultivate collaboration.”

 Interfaith Paths to Peace (IPP) works to educate, advocate, coordinate and empower cooperative action in Louisville for social transformation and renewal. Since their beginnings in 1996, IPP has centered their peacebuilding initiatives in four areas: community-based violence interruption, multi-sector coalition building, interfaith understanding and collaboration, and migrant/refugee welcome and integration.

Ryan Quinn and Jenna Ahern – Social Media and the Spread of Disinformation – Thursday, April 4 at 3:15 pm

Ryan Quinn is the Chair of, and an Associate Professor in, the Management and Entrepreneurship Department of the University of Louisville’s College of Business. He is also the Academic Director of the Center for Positive Leadership. He earned his Bachelors of Science in Statistics at Brigham Young University and earned a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management and a graduate certificate in Complex Systems from the University of Michigan. He conducts research, teaches, and consults on topics related to leadership and change management. He has published research on topics such as courage, learning, flow, communication, and relationships in journals such as Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Review, Organization Science, Academy of Management Discoveries, and Social Networks, and he is also a co-author of the book, Lift: The Fundamental State of Leadership. He has taught at all levels, including executive, Ph.D., MBA, and undergraduate, and has consulted around the world for Fortune 500 companies, private firms, start-up businesses, non-profits, and government institutions. He is particularly interested in discovering and using tools that help individuals and organizations to unleash their full potential.

Chris Crawford, Lauren Reliford, Coco Xu – “Talking About Democracy through a Faith Lens: Election Year Edition” – Friday, April 5, 9:30 a.m.

CHRIS CRAWFORD – Chris Crawford is a policy advocate at Protect Democracy. His work is focused on ensuring free and fair elections and the peaceful transfer of power, including staffing the National Task Force on Election Crises and leading outreach to mobilize faith-based communities to protect the 2024 election. He previously worked as a senior program associate at Democracy Fund, where he managed a portfolio of faith-based initiatives focused on promoting pluralism in the United States. Chris began his career doing political organizing at Susan B. Anthony List, the nation’s largest pro-life political organization. He has a bachelor’s degree in political science from The George Washington University and a master’s degree in nonprofit administration from The University of Notre Dame.

LAUREN RELIFORD – Lauren W. Reliford, MSW is Sojourners’ political director, responsible for policy strategy and nationally focused advocacy. She is a passionate and mission-oriented public health professional focused on bridging the gap between social theory, spirituality, research, and practice and bringing them to the forefront in major policy making decisions. Lauren joins Sojourners with over 10 years of experience in research, policy, advocacy, and government relations. Prior to joining Sojourners, Lauren took her passion for politics and policy and turned it into a profession, focusing on domestic and international public health advocacy for a number of large nonprofit organizations. She also earned her master’s degree in social work and focused primarily on the biological impacts of trauma in high-risk and vulnerable populations.

COCO XU – Coco Xu is a Research Associate at More in Common US, a nonpartisan nonprofit research and civic organization working to understand the forces driving us apart, find common ground, and bring people together to address our shared challenges. At More in Common, Coco conducts audience and opinion research to better understand the complexities and nuances of Americans’ perspectives. Her current research focuses on the relationship between faith, politics and polarization in the US, and she is particularly interested in studying what shapes people’s perceptions of one another, identities and collective memory. Coco received a MA in History from Columbia University and the London School of Economics, and a BA in History and Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York.

From left: Chris Crawford, Lauren Reliford, Coco Xu

Dr. Allison Norton, Dr. Charissa Mikoski and Colleen Hill, Hartford Seminary – workshop, “Faith Communities Today,” Friday, April 5

Allison Norton

Dr. Allison Norton is the Faculty Associate in Migration Studies and Congregational Life at Hartford International University, where she directs the Pastoral Innovation Network of New England. She teaches courses in sociology of religion, immigration, and multicultural and intergenerational ministry. Her research and publications explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on US congregations, the rise of megachurches in West Africa, the role of migration on the worldwide expansion of the Christian faith, and the religious identities of the “new” second generation.

Charissa Mikoski
Dr. Charissa Mikoski is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Hartford Institute for Religion Research at Hartford International University for Religion and Peace. She works primarily on quantitative data analysis and survey management for the Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations research project. Her research interests include how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced religious congregations, how the religious composition of geographic regions impacts residents, and how the religious landscape of the US is changing more broadly.

Colleen Hill
Colleen Hill is the Strategic Communications Specialist for the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. She is a recent graduate from Washington State University, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in broadcast and media production. Studying with the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, Colleen has worked on a wide range of multimedia projects, including printed news features, documentaries, and podcasts. Alongside HIRR, Colleen aims to produce in-depth stories that explore and support the research findings of the Institution.

Below, from left: Dr. Allison Norton, Dr. Charissa Mikoski and Colleen Hill: