Dear alumni, family, and friends,

We are in the middle of a crucial time for Religious Studies at the University of Iowa.  After several months of preparation and planning, plans for a merger with the Department of Classics, to form a new department of Classics and Religious Studies (CARS) were officially put in place, through vote of the CLAS Executive Council, in early 2025.  Members from both Classics and Religious Studies formed a merger committee in Spring 2025 to begin planning for the new department.  The merger was then approved by the Iowa Board of Regents on September 18, 2025: the Department of Classics and Religious Studies has been established, and both departments are excited to build an important new community, broad in scope, but united in our strong commitment to liberal arts teaching, which is now more important than ever.  Two undergraduate certificate programs, in Jewish Studies and Museum Studies, are also joining the unit, and together we are poised to become a key component of the developing educational mission of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

After a month-long search, I accepted the position of DEO for CARS, which will be inaugurated on July 1, 2025, and this semester I am DEO of both Religious Studies and Classics.  I am committed to building on the many strengths of the faculty in both departments, especially our common emphasis on interdisciplinary, while continuing to grow undergraduate majors and to develop our innovative graduate programs.  While much work remains in terms of integrating the existing degree programs in both departments, a curriculum committee has been formed to consider next steps.  The precise structure has not been determined, but there is broad consensus for keeping the required courses of the two undergraduate majors essentially separate, with the possible exception of a new introductory course for all students in CARS highlighting the many periods, regions, texts, and methodologies of the department.  We will formalize already existing emphases on training in undergraduate research and writing.  Our graduate programs will both continue to focus on both disciplinary rigor and innovative methodologies. Big changes are already in motion, but this is an exciting opportunity, especially given the changing nature of education more generally.

Religious Studies at Iowa has already evolved dramatically since its foundation as the first religion faculty at a public university in the United States in 1927.  Originally known as the School of Religion, it later expanded its coverage of non-Abrahamic faiths, eventually becoming the Department of Religion.  This new change brings significant continuities with our long tradition. Our foundation accounts, for example, will continue to support annual awards for undergraduates and graduates in specific areas, and we will continue to hold our Adler Luncheon every May in celebration of these students.  We will significantly increase membership in our Advisory Board, with a new emphasis on alumnae and alumni from both Classics and Religious Studies, as we build a network for our current students.  And finally, as we continue our undergraduate and graduate programming as usual, plans are underway for multiple events throughout AY2026-27 to commemorate 100 years of Religious Studies at the University of Iowa, including a graduate student conference in the fall.  Look for more details soon.  We thank you for your continued support of Religious Studies, in its new home of CARS, as we look forward to a challenging but remarkably promising future.         

Yours Sincerely,

Paul Dilley