Colorado College Religion Department

Kobi Chumash

Kobi Chumash teaches extended format courses in Hebrew language, RE 121/122, 221/222, 321/322. A native speaker of Hebrew, Mr. Chumash received his undergraduate degree from the University of Tel Aviv and did graduate work at the College for Architecture and Design in Tel Aviv. He served seven years in the Israeli Air Force and attained the rank of major in the Israeli Army Reserve. In the U. S. he was office manager for Globelink International Services, including communications with customers that often involved translation from Hebrew to English. He recently launched his own business, called Effective Communications, offering his services as a translator and speaker on Israel.

Maha Foster

Maha Foster has taught extended format courses in Arabic language, but this year she will teach Arabic as a regular two-block sequence. A native speaker from Lebanon, she has taught Arabic at the U.S. Air Force Academy. She holds French and Lebanese Baccalaureates from the College Protestant Francais in Beirut, B.A. in Linguistics with distinction and M.A. in Teaching English as a Second Language from the American University of Beirut. Ms. Foster also gives private lessons in piano.

Pratap Kumar Penumala

Professor Penumala will replace Tracy Coleman, who is on leave in 2008-09. He will teach introductory courses in Hinduism and four topics courses:

Global Hinduism
Hinduism and the Modern World
The Bhagavad-Gita: Reading the Text in Modern Hinduism
Hindu Goddesses: Maintenance and Subversion of Tradition

Dr. Penumala is Professor of Religion at the University of KwaZulu Natal in Durban, South Africa, where he teaches courses in Hinduism and Comparative Religion. He is the author of books on diaspora Hinduism, the goddess Lakshmi, Hindus in South Aftrica, and Methods and Theories in the Study of Religions.

Daniel G. Shaw

Dan Shaw is Visiting Associate Professor in 2008-09. He will teach an FYE course with David Gardiner, titled Religious Responses to the Challenge of Suffering. Professor Shaw will also teach RE 130, Christianity. He holds the B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and his Ph.D. from Northwestern University in the History and Literature of Religions. Former director of the Writing Lab at Lawrence University, Dr. Shaw has worked also in the Writing Center at CC. He currently teaches religious studies at Pikes Peak Community College in Colorado Springs.

Thomas Stella

Tom Stella will teach a seminar in Block 4 entitled, Thomas Merton: Catholic Monk, Social Prophet, and Buddhist Teacher. Professor Stella is the Executive Director of Soul Link in Colorado Springs. He holds degress from the University of Notre Dame and the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, as well as an M.A. in Counseling from the University of Michigan.

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