Each year, the Religious Studies department chooses 2 Undergraduate Department Fellows, who act as peer advisors to fellow undergrads (both enrolled in and considering the major/minor) and work in conjunction with the Director of Undergraduate Programs on organizing events and communicating with the Religious Studies undergraduate cohort.

Please reach out to any of them with any questions and to learn about the lived-experience of the Religious Studies major/minor from an expert perspective! 

The 2023-24 Religious Studies Undergraduate Department Fellows are:

Susanna Kharatyan (nxe9ar@virginia.edu) is a third-year double majoring in Religious Studies and Foreign Affairs. Her concentrations in Religious Studies are Christianity and Islam. Susanna is passionate about exploring the relationship between government, global affairs, and religion and shedding light on how religion influences and shapes institutions and their role in both domestic and foreign policy. She is interested in research on religion-related violence and how to contribute to ongoing dialogues about conflict resolution and peacebuilding, especially between Christian and Muslim communities. One of Susanna's favorite classes in the department has been "Religion, Reform and Democracy," where she researched how religion influenced various political decisions, particularly in the context of the United State's foreign policy, during the Cold War period.

Jonathan Rivers (jr3kvw@virginia.edu) is a fourth-year double majoring in Religious Studies and Environmental Science with concentrations in Christianity and Judaism. If you're curious about majoring or minoring in religious studies, he's always eager to discuss the benefits and address any questions about the department. As part of the Distinguished Majors Program, Jonathan's current research delves into the role of iconography in contemporary Protestant worship. Jonathan has thoroughly enjoyed all of the classes he has taken with the department but was especially enthralled by "Spiritual But Not Religious": Spirituality in America, History of Christian Ethics, and Modern Jewish Thought. He's also passionate about business and is looking to apply to deferred MBA programs in the spring.