Join us for our 169th Commencement at the Alice Millar Chapel, 1870 Sheridan Road, Evanston, on May 9 from 9 – 11 AM. A reception will take place on the Rector Terrace (weather permitting) and at Loder Hall, 2121 Sheridan Road, Evanston, immediately following the commencement ceremony.
Dr. Simran Jeet Singh will be the speaker for the commencement ceremony. Writer, educator, and activist Dr. Simran Jeet Singh is a professor of history at Union Theological Seminary and author of The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life. In his work and contemplative talks, he offers a fresh approach to ethical living—one in which love, caring, and service go hand-in-hand with personal happiness. Dr. Singh’s vision of hope shows how each of us can turn away from fear, uncertainty, and anger to move toward renewal and positive change.
Growing up in Texas as the son of Indian immigrants and a self-described “turban-wearing, brown-skinned, beard-loving Sikh,” Simran Jeet Singh constantly confronted racism, bullying, and ethnic slurs. But, where others may have grown bitter or angry, he looked to the lessons of Sikh teachings he grew up with to seek out the good in every situation and find positive ways to direct his energy. These tenets of love and service to others empowered him to forge a life of connection and a commitment to justice that catapulted him to the national stage.
Currently, Dr. Simran Jeet Singh is also a Soros Equality Fellow with the Open Society Foundations, a Senior Adviser on Equity and Inclusion for YSC Consulting, a Senior Adviser for Aspen Institute’s Religion & Society Program, and host of the podcast, Wisdom & Practice, with the Aspen Institute and PRX. He was recently named a 2022 Atlantic Fellow for Racial Equity. He lives with his family in New York City.
For more information on Speaker, please visit www.prhspeakers.com.
