The honor follows Battaglia’s receipt in January of a grant from Samford’s William E. and Wylodine F. Hull Fund for Christian Scholarship, specifically intended to support Battaglia’s development of a Samford course in interfaith dialogue. “My goal is to create a space for students to explore the realities of a religiously plural world, to engage with the challenges of religious plurality, and to cultivate a platform for sustained and personal relationships with faith communities in the area, all the while enriching students' own faith journeys," Battaglia said.
The CIC/IFYC opportunity comes at an ideal time to support Battaglia’s work at Samford. “I see this as a wonderful and timely catalyst for interfaith dialogue course development and program building, and for collaborating with faculty across the nation who are equally committed to both theoretical and applied work in interfaith dialogue and understanding," she said.
“The university as a whole can profit from Dr. Battaglia’s participation in the seminar,” said Howard College of Arts and Sciences dean Tim Hall. “She will encounter representatives of universities with interfaith programming who can suggest models from which Samford may draw as it seeks to improve its educational efforts in this strategic area.”