CORA at ASU-Tempe

Council of Religious Advisors (CORA) and ASU administrators 2026

The first meeting of the new academic year for the Council of Religious Advisors (CORA) at Arizona State University in Tempe. Such a great group of religious leaders serving thousands of students.

Annual luncheon with ASU President Michael Crow hosted by the Council of Religious Advisors (CORA) from all four campuses of Arizona State University (Downtown Phoenix, Polytechnic, Tempe, and West). For more information, see https://eoss.asu.edu/cora.

Facts about ASU shared by Dr. Crow: There are 85,000 students on the four ASU campuses in metro Phoenix, of which over 17,000 are international students from 170 nations. In addition, there are another 110,000 online students, so ASU has a total of 195,000 students, making it the largest university in the United States. ASU also has the largest number of degree programs — 850 — compared to 200-300 at other universities.

Members of the Council of Religious Advisors (CORA) and liaisons from the Deans of Students of all four campuses of Arizona State University (Downtown Phoenix, Polytechnic, Tempe, and West).

The Council of Religious Advisors CORA at ASU-Tempe met last week at Chabad at ASU. Pictured are Rabbi Shmuel Tiechtel from Chabad and Debbie Yunker Kail from Hillel Jewish Student Center at ASU, who together hosted the lunch meeting. Special presenters were: Prof. Hava Tirosh-Samuelson, Director of Jewish Studies at Arizona State University; Prof. Souad Ali, Director of the Council for Arabic and Islamic Studies; Rev. Dr. John Marc Sianghio, Assistant Director of the Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict. They shared information about their respective centers and then we discussed how the members of CORA could more effectively collaborate with them and their colleagues.

CORA at ASU-Tempe met today with presentations on Community Service and Social Justice.

From CORA member Ben Sanders of the Campus Christian Center - C3 Tempe:

Looking forward to the next For Our City Tempe breakfast on Wed., May 8, at 8:00 a.m. (continental breakfast at 7:30 a.m.) at the Tempe Family YMCA (7070 S. Rural Road). Message me to RSVP. Our mission is simple: "Serving Together to Solve Problems and Create Opportunities For Our City."

The theme for the May 8 breakfast is "Emergency Preparedness and Community Safety," featuring leaders in these areas of service in our city. Our special guest will be our friend Marcus Coleman, Director of the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency. We have collaborated on projects at Arizona State University in years past. Now we are focusing on Tempe.

We are grateful for the amazing support of Mayor Corey Woods, Councilmember Berdetta Hodge, Councilmember Doreen Garlid Tempe, and their staff; other key leaders from the City of Tempe Government, businesses, faith communities, healthcare providers, nonprofits, and schools; and crucially important, "community champions," the volunteers who make all the difference for our city. Finally, special thanks to our Director, Mckell Keeney, and Founder, Jon McHatton.

Community Leaders in Tempe, please join us on May 8th for our next breakfast with special guest Marcus Coleman, National Director of the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, Homeland Security. RSVP by sending us a message! Come at 7:30 am for bagels, coffee and juice and networking. Our program begins at 8 am sharp. Optional hands-on CPR training/refresher at 9:15 am.

Our theme for this breakfast is Community Safety and Emergency Preparedness. Panelists include Tempe Fire and Medical Rescue Interim Chief Darrell Duty, Tempe Asst. Police Chief Daniel O'Neill, Tempe Salvation Army Captain Brittany Baker, City of Tempe Emergency Manager Michelle Seitz and City of Tempe Heat Mitigation and Resilience Specialist Carissa Fowler

Last week, the Council of Religious Advisors (CORA at ASU-Tempe) met for our monthly meeting, which was hosted by Valley Wesley at Tempe First United Methodist Church.

Topic was Emergency Preparedness and Response, featuring a conversation with Denise Whisman, Director of Emergency Services at Arizona State University, and Captain Jeremy Baker of the The Salvation Army Tempe Corps. Both Denise and Jeremy have extensive experience in emergency and disaster response.

We discussed how CORA members could be involved in spiritual care and emotional support in a mass casualty event. We pray this situation will never happen, but we need to be vetted, trained, and credentialled now so we can be prepared to assist if there is a crisis in the future. Thankful to have highly qualified experts like Denise and Jeremy to guide us in this process. And grateful for previous CORA President Misty Dawn who reconnected us with Emergency Managers at ASU and the City of Tempe.

ASU students from Lutheran Campus Ministry at University Lutheran Church, Tempe, Arizona - http://ulctempe.org prepared sack lunches for guests of I-HELP (Interfaith Homeless Emergency Lodging Program). Several member organizations from CORA at ASU-Tempe actively participate as hosts and meal providers for I-HELP, which shelters 30-40 homeless adults every night. The program is in its 18th year in Tempe and is administered by the Tempe Community Action Agency.

Monthly meeting of the leaders of faith-based organizations who are members of the Council of Religious Advisors (CORA at ASU-Tempe). Sarah Sanders serves as president for the 2023-24 academic year. For more information about CORA, see https://eoss.asu.edu/cora.

CORA Group Photo 2023-10-13