Profile: Julie Avis Rogers
Julie Avis Rogers joined Emerson in February as the director of religious and spiritual life and campus chaplain. As director, she plans and supports programming that invites meaningful conversations and the development of the College’s many spiritual and religious identities. She also ensures that the student spiritual communities are well supported. She is advisor of three student organizations: Mystic, rooted in Pagan practice; the Muslim Student Association; and Kindling Zine (a multifaith zine of student artwork). There is a team of chaplains who serves Emerson Christian Fellowship; Hillel, for Jewish students; and Newman Club, for Catholic students.
Two programs she is launching soon are an interfaith overnight retreat for students called the Unwind Retreat and a weekly Friday lunch series for students, staff, and faculty called “What Matters to Me and Why” (to learn more about this lunch series and to RSVP, please click here).
As chaplain, she is a confidential support resource for every member of the campus community. She provides spiritual counseling and one-on-one conversations during drop-in hours on Tuesdays from 1:00 to 3:00 pm, as well as by appointment. She also plans gatherings for healing and support when grief or tragedy impacts the community.
Avis Rogers’ life has always been filled with artistic communities and spiritual communities—but the two have rarely intersected. So, being at Emerson “…feels like my two loves are finally coming together in a thrilling way!” she said.
Before coming to Emerson, she helped lead study abroad programs and provided Spanish-English translations for the Center for Global Education in Cuernavaca, Mexico. She has also worked in spiritual life, residential life, and academic advising at Harvard University, and, most recently, was the associate pastor at Church of the Covenant in Boston.
Avis Rogers grew up in Montclair, NJ, and studied theater, music performance, and sociology/anthropology as an undergraduate at Denison University. She studied university chaplaincy and liberation theologies at Harvard Divinity School, where she received a Master of Divinity. After nearly a decade of living in Somerville, MA, she and her wife, Alyssa, recently moved to Watertown, MA. They welcome any recommendations for restaurants and things to do!
Outside of work, two of her biggest passions are travel (particularly anywhere in Latin America) and theater (particularly big musicals). She also loves game nights with friends, going out to eat, and staying actively engaged with justice issues.
Sharon Duffy (Student Affairs)