James Patton Joins Religious Studies Program and Heravi Peace Institute at USU

A new professor is wandering the halls of the Department of History, Cultures, & Ideas this semester. Hired as an Associate Professor of Professional Practice in the Religious Studies Program, James Patton brings a lot of hands-on experience in peacebuilding, diplomacy, and multifaith engagements. Patton has a Masters of Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School at Tufts University and a Masters of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School.

Patton is an international peacebuilding professional with 16 years of leadership in global conflict prevention, serving as a conflict management and mitigation official for USAID and the US Department of State. His professional experience extends into the nonprofit sector as well, having been the CEO of the International Center for Religion & Diplomacy and the founding partner of Lead Integrity Consulting.

Both the Religious Studies Program and Heravi Peace Institute are excited to welcome Patton to USU. He will begin teaching RELS and PI courses this Fall.