The interactive panel will center around "The Art of Creative Connections"
Elon University’s Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life has announced the panelists for the upcoming Ripple Conference, the campus’s annual gathering dedicated to student-led interfaith dialogue and exploration.
This year’s Ripple Conference will focus on The Art of Interfaith. During the conference, attendees from multiple campuses will explore how different forms of artistic expression – music, poetry, dance, crafts, film, photography and more – can inspire interfaith collaboration, dialogue, and understanding.
One of the highlights of this year’s conference is the plenary panel, The Art of Creative Connections, which will explore how art serves as a universal language—not only as a representation of the artists’ spirituality, but also as a means of fostering connections across diverse spiritualities, religious traditions, and cultural identities. This year’s panel will have an interactive element, allowing participants to not only to hear from the artists but also experience their work firsthand.
The Ripple Conference will feature an exciting lineup of speakers, including poet and author Rodger Kamenetz as the keynote speaker. Joining the conversation as panelists are Elon alumna Hannah Podhorzer, artist and calligrapher Josue Vega, and sociologist and photographer Roman Williams. Each of these panelists brings a unique perspective on the role of art in interfaith dialogue.
Josue Vega: Art as a Bridge for Spiritual Connection
Raised in the United States with Puerto Rican heritage, Josue Vega embraced Islam in his teenage years. This newfound faith sparked his interest in calligraphy and the vast world of Islamic art, opening doors to diverse artistic expression. His fascination with artistic expression found a deep and spiritual home in Arabic calligraphy, where bold, flowing lines and intricate symmetry create a mesmerizing blend of aesthetics and meaning. Beyond the aesthetics, however, Vega discovered a deeper significance. The spiritual messages woven into this art form resonated with him, influencing his daily life.
“I’m really excited to be part of the Ripple Conference because it’s a space where art, faith, and culture come together in a way that feels real and meaningful,” Vega shared. “Art has always been a bridge for me—whether it was graffiti in my younger days or the calligraphy I create now. It allows us to connect across cultures, beliefs, and experiences, reminding us that creativity itself is a form of worship.”
Roman Williams: Visual Storytelling for Interfaith Engagement
Roman Williams is a sociologist, photographer and founder of Interfaith Photovoice, a social enterprise that combines photography and sociology to foster interfaith understanding. He holds a doctorate in the sociology of religion from Boston University and a master of theology focused on global religions from Gordon-Conwell Seminary. Roman experienced a shift in his personal and professional interests while serving as a sociology professor at Calvin University (2012–2020). The pandemic gave him the opportunity to step out of higher education and into his own consulting practice focused on belief, belonging and human flourishing through arts-based participatory action approaches to community change
“It has been said that understanding is found in walking a mile in someone else’s shoes. In today’s world, where everyone carries a smartphone, we also need to learn to see through one another’s lenses,” Williams said. “The importance of interfaith understanding can’t be overstated—it is foundational to building communities and organizations where people can flourish. I’m excited to introduce student leaders to a new visual storytelling approach to interfaith engagement at this year’s Ripple Conference.”
Hannah Podhorzer ’19: Exploring Interfaith Through Creativity
A 2019 Elon graduate with a background in public health, communication design, and African and African-American Studies, Hannah Podhorzer is no stranger to the Ripple Conference. During her time at Elon, she served as a multifaith engagement intern and as creative director of the conference, an experience she cherishes. Today, she works in communications in the mental healthcare field and remains deeply engaged in artistic and interfaith communities in Chicago.
“I am so thrilled to return to my roots and participate in this year’s Ripple Conference! It is a full-circle moment for me after my involvement as a student at Elon,” Podhorzer said. “Worldview exploration and interfaith engagement can cultivate an unwavering trust in the interconnectedness of humankind and of all living things—a belief that, even in the darkest times, can keep us going, looking, learning and listening.”
About the Ripple Conference
The Ripple Conference is a student-led conference designed to empower and inspire interfaith student leaders. It is the largest interfaith conference in the Southeast, and the largest student-led interfaith conference in the country.
During Ripple, participants engage in dialogue, reflection and training through keynote speakers, panels, interactive breakout workshops, educational prayer services, a community art project that facilitates reflection and understanding across differences, a coffeehouse featuring participant music and expression, and a service project where attendees engage with the local community. Ripple is designed to help students and educators interested in interfaith engagement to learn, grow and engage.
For more information about the Ripple Conference, including registration details, please visit www.rippleconference.org or email conference Advisor Hillary Zaken.
Registration for Ripple closes on February 10, 2025.