Staff
Rev. Charles L. Howard, University Chaplain
215-898-8456
choward@pobox.upenn.edu
The Reverend Charles (Chaz) L. Howard was appointed University Chaplain in June of 2008 after having served the university previously as Interim Chaplain (January–May 2008) and as Associate Chaplain (2005-2008). Prior to his return to Penn he served in both hospital and hospice chaplaincies. He has also worked for Project H.O.M.E. (homeless service and advocacy agency in Philadelphia) and he co-founded the Greater Love Movement, a non-profit anti-poverty organization focused on the needs of the homeless.
He is the author of several articles and chapters as well as the editor of The Souls of Poor Folk (University Press of America, 2007), an essay collection and multimedia project raising awareness about poverty. He is also the past coordinator of CHORDS, a partnership connecting Penn, through the Chaplain’s Office and the Netter Center for Community Partnerships, with West Philadelphia schools, neighborhood organizations, and communities of faith. Rev. Howard also teaches in Penn’s Programs for Awareness in Cultural Education (PACE), a partnership between the Graduate School of Education and Greenfield Intercultural Center, and at the Lutheran Theological Seminary of Philadelphia, where he is completing a Ph.D. in Contemporary Theology.
As a Penn undergraduate, Rev. Howard served two terms as President of the United Minorities Council and was winner of The Bowl Award, chief of Sphinx Senior Honor Society, and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. He earned an MDiv from Andover Newton Theological School and a BA from Penn, with a major in Urban Studies and a minor in African-American Studies.
Stephen R. Kocher, Associate Chaplain
215-573-4214
skocher@pobox.upenn.edu
Steve joined the Office of the Chaplain at Penn in the fall of 2008 with ten years of experience in church ministry. Through his years of church work he has provided leadership for Sunday worship services, concerts, conferences and other special events, as well as a wide variety of community service projects and education programs.
In addition to supporting the programs and work of the Office of the Chaplain, Steve also serves as Coordinator of the CHORDS network - a partnership connecting Penn with its neighbors, emphasizing work with local faith communities, schools and other neighborhood organizations.
Mary O’Rourke LeCates, Administrative Coordinator
215-898-8456
mora@pobox.upenn.edu
Adnan A. Zulfiqar
215-898-8456
Interfaith Fellow & Campus Minister to the Muslim Community
azulfiqa@sas.upenn.edu
http://muslimchap.wordpress.com/
Adnan was appointed Interfaith Fellow and Campus Minister to the Muslim Community in the fall of 2009. He previously served as an Adjunct Professor at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and Arcadia University. He has been actively involved in social justice work since 1996 including with the NAACP and the Lawyers Committee on Civil Rights. He served as a Legislative Aide in the U.S. Senate and was the first Muslim to deliver a prayer at the Senate Thanksgiving Prayer Breakfast in 2001. He was a board member of Quba Masjid in West Philadelphia and has published and spoken widely on topics ranging from Islamic law to interfaith dialogue. For the past six years, Adnan has regularly given Friday sermons in the Philadelphia area.
Adnan received his BA in Religion and Anthropology from Emory University, a MLS in International Affairs from Georgetown University and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He is currently completing his doctorate in Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations (Islamic Studies) at the University of Pennsylvania. He has travelled extensively including spending many years living in Kenya, Malawi, Syria and Pakistan.