The University of Puget Sound is honored to announce that Dr. Vanessa Gomez Brake, the senior associate dean for Religious and Spiritual Life at the University of Southern California (USC), will deliver the Swope Endowed Lecture at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 4, 2025, in Kilworth Memorial Chapel.
The Swope Endowed Lecture supports speakers, artists, and lecturers visiting Puget Sound to deepen engagement with issues related to faith, ethics, values, and religion in society. Dr. Gomez Brake will present her keynote address titled, “At the Intersections of Faith, Identity, and Power: Disrupting Christian Hegemony in Higher Education.” A reception with light refreshments will follow the lecture in the Chapel Lounge. The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. Tickets can be purchased at ups.universitytickets.com/.
“We're incredibly excited to welcome Dr. Vanessa Gomez Brake to Puget Sound for the Swope Endowed Lecture this fall,” said Chaplain Dave Wright ’96, who serves on the Lectures Committee. “Her work, especially around disrupting Christian hegemony and fostering inclusive religious and spiritual life on campus, is profoundly relevant to the conversations we're having in higher education today.”
Dr. Gomez Brake is the first Humanist university chaplain to serve in this capacity at any American university. At USC, she works to support a broad conception of religious and spiritual life, connecting with over 90 student groups to offer a remarkable breadth of opportunities for student engagement and exploration.
Dr. Gomez Brake holds multiple degrees, including a Master of Divinity from the Chicago Theological Seminary and a Doctorate of Education from USC, where her research centered on Christian hegemony in higher education and the voices of non-Christian chaplains. She is an endorsed humanist chaplain and has received significant accolades, such as the 2025 Chaplain of the Year Award and the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award from Chicago Theological Seminary.
Outside of her academic work, Dr. Gomez Brake is an accomplished Filipino folk dancer and multi-instrumentalist, having performed at the White House and at Carnegie Hall for Filipino American History Month celebrations. Her folk artistry is an extension of her interfaith work, as her performances showcase the diverse traditions, rituals, and beliefs of Muslim, Christian, and Indigenous peoples of the Philippines.
The Swope Endowed Lectures were created by Major Ianthe Swope in honor of her mother, Jane Hammer Swope, who graduated from Puget Sound in 1942. The Lectures Committee includes students, faculty, and staff who work to select and host at least one Swope Lecturer each semester.
