Aida Mansoor Named Interim Coordinator of Islamic Chaplaincy Program

Hartford Seminary is pleased to announce that Chaplain Aida Mansoor has been named Interim Coordinator of the Islamic Chaplaincy Program. Chaplain Mansoor will add this role to her responsibilities as a part-time recruiter for Hartford Seminary’s admissions office.

As Interim Coordinator, she will work closely with the Director of the Islamic Chaplaincy Program, Dr. Timur Yuskaev, to administrate the program, manage community outreach, coordinate recruitment efforts, support current students and graduates, and coordinate extra-curricular activities.

“Thank God for Aida!” Dr. Yuskaev said. “Chaplain Mansoor’s integrity, experience, education, and, above all, her commitment to faithful service make her a unique fit for our program — and her joining us before the start of the new academic year an auspicious beginning.”

Chaplain Mansoor is a recent graduate of Hartford Seminary’s Islamic Chaplaincy program. She serves on several boards, including the Muslim Coalition of Connecticut, the Connecticut Council for Interreligious Understanding and the Islamic Association of Greater Hartford. She was President of the Muslim Coalition of Connecticut from 2011 to 2016.

A frequent presenter on such topics as “Understanding Islam and Muslims” and “Women in Islam,” she also works on a number of projects in the Greater Hartford area involving issues such as domestic violence awareness and Muslim women’s health and wellness. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Human Relations Award from the National Conference for Community and Justice, the Public Service Award from the Permanent Commission on the Status of Hartford Women/City of Hartford, and the Celie J. Terry Prize, given to a Hartford Seminary graduating student who demonstrates a commitment to academic achievement and excellence in interfaith community work.

Hartford Seminary’s Islamic Chaplaincy Program, launched in 2001, was the first accredited such program in the nation. Students who complete the program earn a 48-credit Master of Arts in Religious Studies with a focus on Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations and a 24-credit Graduate Certificate in Islamic Chaplaincy.

Chaplains work in both public and private institutions as representatives of their religious tradition. Such institutions include colleges and universities, hospitals, prisons, the military and non-profit organizations. Hartford Seminary graduates are working today as chaplains at Duke University, Yale University, Princeton University and Stanford Health Care, among other prominent institutions.

Hartford Seminary is committed to continuing its unparalleled role in the history of Christian-Muslim relations in the United States.

President Joel N. Lohr said, “This hire is just one in a number of important steps to strengthen our Islamic Chaplaincy program and to continue to invest in Muslim-Christian relations and Islamic Studies. Chaplain Mansoor’s unique gifts and talents — which are many — are a boon to Hartford Seminary, and in many ways her life and story personify our mission of “Exploring Differences, Deepening Faith.” I couldn’t be more pleased to have her join us in this program!”

Chaplain Mansoor will begin her position on Aug. 15.