Union Theological Seminary is excited to welcome Dr. Simran Jeet Singh as an Assistant Professor in Interreligious Histories.
President Serene Jones shares, “We are excited to welcome Dr. Simran Jeet Singh to Union. We look forward to his joining our faculty and our students benefiting from his scholarship and teaching. We are thrilled to bring on a historian as well as justice leader with expertise in religious histories shaped by interreligious contact, conflict, and transformation including his tremendous experience with contemplative traditions and spiritual formation. Simran already has a strong presence as a public intellectual.”
Simran Jeet Singh, Ph.D., is Executive Director of the Religion & Society Program at the Aspen Institute and author of the National Bestseller The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life (Riverhead, Penguin Random House).
Simran’s thought leadership on bias, empathy, wisdom, and justice extends across corporate, educational, and government settings. He is an Atlantic Fellow for Racial Equity with Columbia University and the Nelson Mandela Foundation, and a Soros Equality Fellow with the Open Society Foundations. In 2020, TIME Magazine recognized him as one of sixteen people fighting for a more equal America, and in 2023, Simran delivered the opening address at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas
Simran earned graduate degrees from Harvard University and Columbia University, and an undergraduate degree from Trinity University, where he also taught Islamic Studies as an Assistant Professor. He writes regularly for major outlets, including Harvard Business Review, TIME Magazine, and Religion News Service, and he authored the award-winning children’s book Fauja Singh Keeps Going: The True Story of the Oldest Person to Ever Run a Marathon (Kokila, Penguin Random House).
Dr. Simran Jeet Singh shares, “I’m thrilled to be joining the faculty at Union Theological Seminary. This place has been really special for a really long time, and I couldn’t be more honored to be connected to it in a meaningful way. I’m grateful for the opportunity to be part of its rich community and rich history, and I’m hopeful that my efforts here will be worthy of the many giants who have walked through Union’s hallways over the years.”
Union’s Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean, Su Yon Pak shares, “I am delighted to welcome Dr. Simran Jeet Singh to our Union community in this inaugural position. Given his incredible track record, thought leadership, and public engagement, I look forward to his contributions to the Union community as a scholar and teacher, especially as he helps to shape the future of Union’s Historical Studies and Interreligious Engagement fields. Simran, not a stranger to Union, brings many years of experience in and commitment to teaching and mentoring diverse students as well as sensitivity to the broader formational needs of students in our religiously diverse community.”
Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Simran now lives in New York City with his wife and two daughters, where he enjoys running, writing, and spending time with his family.
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Union Theological Seminary (UTS), founded in 1836 in New York City, is a globally recognized seminary and graduate school of theology where faith, spirituality, and scholarship meet to reimagine the work of justice.
A beacon for social justice and progressive change, Union Theological Seminary is led by a diverse group of theologians and activist leaders. Drawing on both Christian traditions and multiple religious traditions along with the insights of communities of conscience, the institution is focused on educating leaders who can address critical issues like racial equity, criminal justice reform, income inequality, and protecting the environment.