Rev. Dr. Matthew Bell (Advisor) is an instructor of Computer Science at Whitworth University and a “free-range” pastor in the Presbytery of the Inland Northwest (PCUSA). His areas of interest are in the application of Christian worldview critique to discerning the moral valence of technology. Bell holds a Ph.D. in Historical Theology from Durham University in the United Kingdom, an M.Div. from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, and a M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Pittsburgh.
Rev. Eric Elnes (Advisor), Ph.D., is a Christian minister, interfaith leader, and award-winning author. He serves as an interim minister and as the Executive Director of the Eden Tree Foundation, an organization dedicated to employing current and emergent technologies in the pursuit of spiritual exploration and growth. Internationally recognized for his pioneering work when he was one of eight invited to present at the world’s inaugural Multimedia and Christian Worship International Symposium in Ulsan, South Korea. He created Darkwood Brew, the world’s first interactive, broadcast-quality internet television program focused on faith. In recent years, Dr. Elnes focuses on VR/AR/Metaverse technologies. Presently, he contributes as an AI research volunteer fellow to ServiceSpace.org’s AI project. Elnes holds a Masters of Divinity and PhD in Biblical Studies from Princeton Theological Seminary.
Bobbie Kite (Contributing Fellow – Programs) is a professor with a focus in the Healthcare Management and Health Informatics Programs at University College, University of Denver. Before working at the University of Denver, Bobbie was jointly appointed in the Department of Biomedical Informatics and the Ohio State University Health Plan at The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. Dr. Kite’s research brings knowledge in population health informatics, competency-based education, and AI and ethics. Kite holds a Ph.D. in Public Health from University of Texas at Houston, a MHS in Health Sciences in Emergency and Disaster Management from Touro University, and is currently pursuing an MDiv at Iliff School of Theology with a Bachelor of Arts from The University of Texas at Austin.
Heather Mellquist Lehto’s (Contributing Fellow – Networking) work sits at the intersection of technology, ethics, and society. Trained as an anthropologist and mathematician, she has spent 10 years studying religious and technological change in South Korea and the United States. She has held faculty positions at Harvard University and the University of Toronto, worked as a research and strategy consultant for major tech companies, served on an AI advisory group to the Vatican’s Pontifical Council on Culture, and was the founding vice president of Empowerment Through Integration, an international accessibility non-profit. Lehto holds a B.A. in Mathematics from Wellesley College, a M.T.S. in Religion and Social Sciences from Harvard University, and a PhD in Sociocultural Anthropology from University of California, Berkeley.
Dr. Nikki Mirghafori (Advisor) is an Artificial Intelligence scientist and an internationally recognized Buddhist teacher. She serves as a Stewarding Teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, where she is also on the Board of Directors, and a Dharma Teacher at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, CA. She teaches with clarity and warmth on topics ranging from mindful leadership to cultivating kindness, with a rare expertise on mindfulness of death. Dr. Mirghafori is widely published in AI, has led international collaborations as a Berkeley academic, and advised technology startups. She is of Persian heritage, an advocate for wisdom and compassion in daily life, as well as ethical AI in our zeitgeist. Mirghafori holds a B.S. in Computer Science from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a M.S. and PhD in Computer Science from University of California, Berkeley.
Rabbi Geoffrey A. Mitelman (Advisor) is an internationally recognized teacher, presenter, scholar-in-residence, and the founder of Sinai and Synapses. He served as a pulpit rabbi, taught at the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion and the Academy for Jewish Religion, and authored numerous articles and book chapters published in the Huffington Post, Nautilus, Orbiter, Science and Religion Today, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, and My Jewish Learning. His work has been supported by the John Templeton Foundation, Emanuel J. Friedman Philanthropies, and the Lucius N. Littauer Foundation. Mitelman holds a Bachelors in Religion and Jewish Studies from Princeton University Education and Rabbinic Ordination, MAHL from the Hebrew Union College, Jewish Institute of Religion Cincinnati.
