As part of the Spiritual Infrastructure of the Future project, co-led by Bryn Mawr College President Wendy Cadge, the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) has named the inaugural awardees of the Graduate Internships on the Spiritual Infrastructure of the Future.
Funded by the Templeton Religion Trust, the Spiritual Infrastructure of the Future project includes scholars from a number of colleges and universities as well as partnerships with the American Council of Learned Societies and the Religion News Service.
The internship program provides practical work opportunities for talented, entrepreneurial Ph.D. students in the humanities and social sciences whose dissertation topics relate to the study of religion and intends to build institutional partnerships that create a pipeline of new leaders knowledgeable about the rapidly changing American religious landscape.
“Our 2026 host organizations creatively designed projects in collaboration with ACLS to harness the power of interns’ advanced research skills, cultural capacities, and deep knowledge of topics related to religion.” says Desiree Barron-Callaci, ACLS senior program officer in U.S. programs.
The 2026 awardees represent 10 different universities and departments of religious studies, theology, American studies, film studies, anthropology, and sociology.
The 2026 awardees of the ACLS Graduate Internships on the Spiritual Infrastructure of the Future are:
- Izzak Novak, Northwestern University, American Religions
American Friends Service Committee – Quaker Action for Migrant Justice - khadijah j. akeem-cox, The George Washington University, American Studies
CAIR Minnesota – Mapping and Strengthening Muslim Spiritual Infrastructure in Minnesota - Alex Gruber, Fordham University, Theology
Coalition for Spiritual & Public Leadership – Discerning Our Way Forward: A Spiritual Toolkit for Justice Leaders - Jake Green, University of Virginia, Media Studies
ICJS – Developing AI for Interfaith Literacy and Dialogue - Eric Gu, University of California Irvine, Anthropology
Interfaith America – Reviving Pluralism: Charting the Next Chapter of an American Tradition - Rose Miller, University of Southern California, Religious Studies
Jewish Women’s Archive – Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women - Moses Ohene Biney, Rice University, Sociology
Norton Healthcare – A Solution-Oriented Assessment of Faith Communities’ Health Engagement - Robyn West, Chicago Theological Seminary, Theology and Cultural Criticism
Operation Shoestring – Enhancing Networks of Support for Jackson’s Youth with Faith Communities - Chloe Landen, University of Texas at Austin, Religious Studies
Religion News Service – Enriching Public Understanding of Religion Through Digital Media - Peter Dziedzic, Harvard University, Study of Religion
The Conversation – Collaborative, Evidence-Based Religion Journalism for the Public Good
“This inaugural cohort will show the exciting potential of collaboration between scholars and nonprofit organizations,” said Jonathan Anjaria, a professor of anthropology at Brandeis University, who co-leads the project with Cadge. “Fellows will gain hands-on experience doing work that engages broad audiences, while fostering more informed public conversations on religious life in the United States. We are also excited by this program’s potential to reshape PhD training, since it will demonstrate how internships lead to better academic writing, improve career outcomes, and enhance the social impact of doctoral work.”