Wednesday, April 21st, 2021
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM ET

What do we mean when we talk about religion, spirituality, faith, and worldviews? In this first of two sessions, Associate Dean for Spirituality and Meaning Making and Director of Cornell United Religious Work Oliver Goodrich will introduce these terms and explain the similarities and differences. He will also map out shifting landscape in US religious affiliation and explore how the framework of “meaning making” creates common ground in our common human search for meaning.

Oliver Goodrich

Oliver serves as the Associate Dean for Spirituality and Meaning Making and Director of Cornell United Religious Work providing leadership for the growth of dynamic interfaith, spiritual, and meaning making programs. Additionally, he provides oversight and support to Cornell United Religious Work, Cornell’s long-running chaplaincy program that facilitates the campus engagement and community building of 24 spiritual and faith leaders.

Oliver earned his B.M. in Voice Performance from Gordon College and his M.Ed. in Religious Education from Boston College. Prior to Cornell, Oliver was the Faith Formation Campus Minister at Loyola University Chicago, where he was instrumental in building a vibrant community of faith-sharing groups and developing popular multifaith retreat opportunities for students. He has held numerous other positions in student leadership development, first year experience, and music ministry.

Oliver is an avid runner and is tackling a personal goal of running a marathon in every state. When not running, Oliver can be found singing, cooking, bird-watching, and spending time with his partner, Will and their dog, Shadow.

*Please note: in scheduling we tried to work around religious accommodations since our intention is to be an ally to those who observe religious practice. We are aware this date also falls during Ramadan so please reach out to Nicole LaFave at nrw6@cornell.edu if you can’t attend and would like a recording.