President Lohr Legacy Campaign

As the 11th president of Hartford International University for Religion and Peace, Joel N. Lohr has made a profound impact on an institution known for its pioneering spirit. 

Shortly after his arrival in 2018, President Lohr initiated a strategic planning process that, in bold strokes, recommended a realignment of the institution's programs to better focus on its core mission. 

The faculty then restructured each degree program, including changing the MA in Religious Studies to a more distinct MA in Interreligious Studies, opening the former Islamic Chaplaincy Program to students from any tradition, and converting an International Peacebuilding certificate program into a groundbreaking MA. The Ph.D. degree was also re-envisioned to focus on Interreligious Studies, a program that now draws applicants from numerous countries each year.

In 2020, President Lohr launched a community-wide process to consider whether Hartford Seminary should go by another name, a change that had been discussed for decades. Under President Lohr's leadership, Hartford Seminary became Hartford International University for Religion and Peace in October 2021. The general reaction from students, alumni, Trustees, Ambassadors, and others was: It's about time your name reflected what you do.

President Lohr was instrumental in establishing the Howard Thurman Center for Justice and Transformational Ministry and in raising funds to purchase and renovate a building that will be named for Rev. Dr. Andrew J. Young '55, one of HIU's most illustrious alums. Additionally, President Lohr bolstered support for HIU’s Hartford Institute for Religion Research, resulting in millions of dollars in grant-funded research.

MAKE A GIFT

Also under President Lohr's leadership, several distinguished professorships have been established, bringing big-name scholars to HIU, including world-renowned New Testament scholar Dr. Amy-Jill Levine, the country's pre-eminent Howard Thurman Scholar Dr. Walter Earl Fluker; and the highly regarded African-American Studies and Sociology professor Dr. Cheryl Townsend Gilkes.

Seismic changes have happened in higher education since 2018, including a worldwide pandemic that pushed hybrid and online teaching into the mainstream. As other theological institutions have shuttered or merged, HIU has held onto its independence and its visionary interreligious approach. President Lohr, who will take on the title of President Emeritus after his tenure ends, often refers to HIU's campus as "sacred ground" and a "beacon of light." 

"I've always believed my job is not to invent or create but rather to reflect back to the community what it already does so well and build upon that," he said.

The President Lohr Legacy Campaign will support scholarships and initiatives that bolster HIU's position as the nation's leader in interrreligious education, research, and peacebuilding. 

The campaign is more than a dollar goal. It celebrates the progress made under President Lohr's leadership and honors his legacy. The campaign will establish a strong foundation for the next president by enhancing the university's annual fund.

For more information about the fund, please reach out to development@hartfordinternational.edu or call 860-509-9500.

To contribute, please visit our DONATE NOW page and choose President Lohr Legacy Campaign from the "My Donation is for" menu. 

You can also send a check to the following address, noting “Lohr Legacy Campaign” in the memo line: 

Development Office
President Lohr Legacy Campaign
Hartford International University
77 Sherman St.
Hartford, CT 06105