Sherry Turner has been named the twelfth president of the Hartford International University for Religion and Peace. She is slated to become the Connecticut-based university’s first African American president on July 1.
Formerly known as Hartford Seminary, the Hartford International University for Religion and Peace is an exclusively graduate institution that enrolls about 100 students, half of whom are women.
In addition to her new role as president, Dr. Turner will serve as a professor of psychology and practice at HIU. An ordained reverend of the Baptist Church, she has significant experience in ministry and academics, particularly within diverse communities and interfaith settings.
Dr. Turner comes to her new role from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, where she is vice president of strategic initiatives. Throughout her career, she has served in several leadership roles within the field of higher education, including the United Negro College Fund, the Atlanta University Center Consortium, and Spelman College in Atlanta. Earlier, she spent over a decade on the faculty at Mount Holyoke College, a women’s liberal arts school in Massachusetts.
“I treasure this opportunity to provide leadership to solidify HIU’s position as the nation’s leading resource for interreligious education, research, and peace studies,” said Dr. Turner. “I look forward to collaborating with our trustees, administrators, faculty, staff, and students to create a shared vision and roadmap for doing so.”
Dr. Turner received a bachelor’s degree in psychology, anthropology, and sociology from Rhodes College, a master’s degree in theological studies from Emory University in Atlanta, a second master’s degree in developmental psychology from North Carolina State University, and a Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.