Dr. Su Yon Pak started her journey at Union Theological Seminary in 1994. Since then, she has been an integral member of the UTS community – serving in various instrumental roles at the Seminary. There’s no question: UTS would not be the same without her commitment, passion, and innovation. Dr. Pak first heard about UTS in the 1980s. She was studying at another seminary for her Master’s degree and learned about UTS through her burgeoning interest in feminist theology, particularly for Asian American women. It was clear to her that UTS “was a place where you could explore things.” So, after taking some time off from school, she enrolled in a joint UTS-Teachers’ College, Columbia University program that focused on religion and education. She was immediately impressed by the diversity of her colleagues. Her fellow students came from countries all over the world, allowing her to learn about all different cultures and perspectives. She also spoke of the unparalleled caliber of faculty members. Dr. Mary Boys taught her how to articulate her “own pedagogical and philosophical groundings around what education is.” Dr. Ana María Díaz-Stevens’ courses were “instrumental” in helping Dr. Pak understand the social context of her own immigration experience.
Dr. Kosuke Koyama, who wrote extensively about Asian theology, helped her hone her theological questions. Dr. David Suh, a Visiting Luce Professor and Minjung Theologian, helped her reclaim the Korean religious ancestry that sharpened her thinking for her dissertation. Since graduating in 1999, Dr. Pak has continued to serve the UTS community. She has worked as Associate Dean of Student Life, Director of Development, Vice President of Institutional Advancement, and Dean and Associate Professor of Integrative and Field-Based Education. Today, she serves as Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean at Union Theological Seminary.
When asked why she remained at UTS for decades, Dr. Pak responded quickly: “The students and the possibilities.” She’s inspired by the students because they have a “passion and curiosity to think differently and explore outside of the confines of what people have said religion is.” She also noted, “It’s not an accident that new ways of thinking and new fields have been borne out of the UTS experience. It’s in our DNA to provide the space and resources that allow that kind of new thinking to happen.” In all of Dr. Pak’s work at UTS, she aims to serve the needs of students and our world more broadly. For her, that means expanding course offerings to reflect the changing student population – who are increasingly spiritual outside of religion and Buddhist – and connecting to today’s most pressing social issues. Dr. Pak explained, “The world really needs leaders who understand what it means to engage interreligiously and how that impacts the way we live together.” She sees the importance of contemplative practices as an essential part of interreligious engagement. “I hope to see at UTS a renewed desire for an intentional community of contemplative living that can bridge various religious traditions in the ways we practice our lives and commitments.” As she said in her installation address, “A community that breathes together flourishes together.” Dr. Pak also emphasized the importance of her leadership as a queer Asian American leader at UTS. In the past few years, there has been a surge of violence against LGBTQ+ and Asian people. It is essential to elevate the voices of these marginalized groups and drown out the words of those who propagate hate. In that vein, UTS has revamped its longtime commitment to Justice, Equity, and Inclusion (JEI) in recent years. Union’s leadership aims to infuse JEI into every aspect of their work. But, as Dr. Pak noted candidly, the path to justice is not straightforward, and there will be mistakes along the way. “We’re working very hard to live out our JEI commitments in our practices. But we could always do better. That is just a fact.”
In conclusion, Dr. Pak offered clear advice to future UTS students: “UTS will challenge your core and your foundations… That will be a loss. Mourn through the loss. Try out different expressions of faith. In so doing, you will get clarity about your own stances, your own beliefs, your own theology, and your own path. Do this, not individually, but in community. And in so doing, you will also challenge and change UTS.”