MESt Student Ambassadors

Meet our wonderful group of Student & Alumni Ambassadors, committed to representing our (Extended) Ecumenical MA Program at home and abroad. Curious to know what it is like to study in the MESt program? Lani, Heekyung, Esther, David, Geneva, and Seogmin are ready to take your questions! 

Student Ambassador_Geneva.jpg
© Geneva Blackmer

Geneva Blackmer

Geneva Blackmer earned a Master's of Ecumenical Studies from the University of Bonn, Germany in 2023 and a Master of Arts in Religious Studies in 2019 from Athens State University, USA. She is currently a Research Assistant at the Faculty of Protestant Theology in the field of Intercultural Theology and Digital Religious Communication. She has served as a Global Council Trustee for the United Religions Initiative (URI) North America since 2020. Her background consists of interreligious and ecumenical cooperation at a grassroots level, working with numerous interfaith organizations in varying capacities, including the North American Interfaith Network, the Interfaith Council of Southern Nevada, the Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington DC, the Interfaith Center at Miami University, Faith Communities Go Green, Interfaith Cincy, the Greater Kansas City Interfaith Council, and the World Faiths Center for Religious Experience and Study (CRES). 

Heekyung Jeong

Former MESt student, currently working on a Ph.D. research on Missional Marginality, with a focus on Korean immigrant churches in Germany for the democratization movement in Korea in the 1970s and 80s from a Diasporic Theological Perspective at JGU (Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz) as a recipient of EKD partnership scholarship. 

Heekyung Jeong
© Heekyung Jeong
Eine Wissenschaftlerin und ein Wissenschaftler arbeiten hinter einer Glasfassade und mischen Chemikalien mit Großgeräten.
© Barbara Frommann, University of Bonn

David Brandon Smith

Rev. David B. Smith is a Minister of Word & Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA), a Doctoral Candidate in Church History at the Faculty of Protestant Theology and Research Associate at the Center for Dependency & Slavery Studies (BCDSS) of the University of Bonn, Germany.
David holds a Bachelor of Arts in Religion & Philosophy from Montreat College, a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and a Master of Arts in Ecumenical Studies from the University of Bonn. He also studied social work at Rutgers University through the Princeton/Rutgers partnership. Prior to moving to Germany, he was the Interim Associate Pastor for Youth and their Families at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church in Bryn Mawr, PA.
After taking a brief leave from his doctoral studies and returning to the U.S., David recently served as a Resident Chaplain at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. David’s academic and pastoral work lives at the intersections of church history, queer identities, inter/intra religious discourse, practical theology, social ethics & global affairs. When he’s not working, he can be found spending time with his spouse, Chan, playing piano, hiking, trying to ‘get less terrible at golf’ or puddle-jumping in a Cessna.

Esther Konadu

Esther Konadu is a student in the Extended Ecumenical Studies Program and is part of a team working on the project, Prayer in the Ancient World, under the ExStra Work and Study Grant. Esther holds a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and Study of Religions from the University of Ghana and a Master of Philosophy in Intercontextual Theology from the University of Oslo, Norway. 

Esther Konadu
© Esther Konadu
Lani Anaya
© Lani Anaya

Lani Anaya

Lani Anaya is a Mexican practice-based research expert in peace and development. She has specialized in doing research, analysis, advocacy,  facilitation and implementation of multilevel 
projects related to the Youth Peace and Security, the 2030 Agendas, and Ecumenism with local, national and international organizations. Lani holds a BA in International Relations from UNAM, an MSc. in Peace and Conflict Studies from Uppsala University, and an ecumenical certificate from the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey (World Council of Churches and the University of Geneva). She is currently studying MA in Ecumenical Studies at Bonn University and doing student research assistant work on the topics of Theology and Religious Communication. Lani likes running and swimming and her favourite fruit are any kind of berries.

Seongmin Kim

Seongmin Kim is a graduate of the Master´s program in Extended Ecumenical Studies, currently focusing on starting his PhD project. His research interest comprise Paul´s Epistles and Early Christianity. Seongmin holds a Bachelor´s degree from Korean Bible University (2015) and his MA in Ecumenical Studies from the University of Bonn (2021).

Seongmin Kim
© Seongmin Kim

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