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Dr. Jenny Te Paa-Daniel to Give Commencement Address, Be Visiting Scholar

Dr. Jenny Te Paa-Daniel, GTU ’01, will give the address at CDSP’s 120th Commencement on May 23, 2014 at 10:30 am in the St. Margaret’s Courtyard. The event is open to the public and will be broadcast live online at www.cdsp.edu.

Te Paa-Daniel, who will be awarded an honorary doctorate, will also be a visiting professor in CDSP’s new Women in Religion program during the Fall 2014 semester.

“She is personally engaging and a passionate communicator,” said the Very Rev. W. Mark Richardson, dean and president, said in announcing the news. “She is an advocate of a strong Anglican Communion that recognizes the gifts of all regions and cultures. She presses toward full inclusion of women in the church, and she is a strong advocate of theological education for all.”

The Rt. Rev. Dr. Thomas Breidenthal ’81, bishop of Southern Ohio, and the Rt. Rev. Dr. Edward J. Konieczny ’94, bishop of Oklahoma, will also receive honorary degrees at the ceremony.

Te Paa-Daniel is the subject of a profile in the upcoming Spring 2014 issue of CDSP’s magazine Crossings, which unveils a new look and editorial approach for the publication. The article traces Te Paa-Daniel from her experiences growing up Maori in the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, to her work as principal of Te Rau Kahikatea, a constituent of the College of St. John the Evangelist in Auckland, and her emergence as one of the most influential women in the Anglican Communion.

“As a Maori lay woman, Jenny brings a distinctive voice to Anglican theological reflection,” said the Rev. Ruth Meyers, CDSP’s academic dean. “She knows the challenges of bridging cultures and is well equipped to foster cross-cultural understanding. Through her leadership in the Anglican Communion, she is familiar with the issues confronting women in leadership. I look forward to the insights she will offer the CDSP community not only in her teaching but also in informal conversations.”

Crossings will be mailed to CDSP alums and friends on May 1 and will also be published online. Watch for the May issue of the email newsletter for more commencement news.