I'm the Dean of Religious Life at USC, University of Southern California. I bring together spiritual and scholarly aspects of the university and work as a religious leader with the various groups and people of the community.

EDUCATION | I studied religion at Tufts, theological studies at Harvard, comparative religion at UC Santa Barbara, and law at UCLA. I am completing my Ph.D. in religious studies from the University of Capetown.

HOW TO GET STARTED | None of my colleagues said to themselves, I want to become this or I always wanted to do this. But a certain set of experiences could put you on this path and now I honestly feel that this is the perfect job for me. I'm not sure how to prepare for it. A background in religion. Experience in counseling.

MUST HAVE TRAITS | Being understanding. The counseling aspect of the job involves pastoral care. That's why there are so many ministers in my position on other campuses. Being an attorney, I had mediation skills that are very helpful. But there is really no particular set of traits. You have to follow your heart. That was how I applied for the job.

how I got started | I'm the first Hindu in American history to be the chief religious leader of a university. In that way, USC really made a decision that was out of the mold. Many of my colleagues at other campuses are ordained Protestant ministers and my hiring was unique. On my part, this wasn't a job that was on my radar either. I was an attorney, I went to law school, I was a radio disc jockey and I started two businesses, I traveled all over and lived for a while as a Buddhist monk. But all of those things, I now realize, helps me do the job that I do now. This is an academic position but has many aspects of media, legal issues, and entrepreneurship. I never planned for a position like this but now I'm here, I can't imagine a more perfect job.

why this job?| Everything that I've studied has had a focus on religion. I did my undergraduate work in religion and my masters at Harvard in divinity. Even when I studied law, I focused on the first amendment [freedom of religion and speech]. This job requires a tremendous understanding of the breath and diversity of religion, set in an academic community. Ultimately in my life, I have tried to combine the scholarly and the spiritual. Inspiration came from all over the place. There were years when I spent traveling S. Asia, visiting monasteries, churches, mosques. I did my dissertation on devotional music.

why I love this job!| I love the university environment. I spent years as a student and then as a professor. I love the interaction with students and being able to create experiences that are meaningful for students. With this job, I love that there's a policy aspect to it also. We had students sit down with people from Homeland Security talking about what it meant to be Muslim in America post 9-11. I love this aspect of policy and the spirit of engagement. And finally, I love that the job is at USC, in Los Angeles, my hometown. This city is so creative and entrepreneurial -- the arts, cinema, music. It's a very international and diverse city.

my typical day| I work with the 80 student religious groups and the 35 religious directors at USC. There is really no typical day. I oversee the Interfaith Council, I organize interdisciplinary events within the community. I also head memorial events and other religious ceremonies.

what they are | A job with religion at its core is challenging. Historically there are tensions between religions. There is also politics in religion and politics in a university. We are also an international campus. What happens in the rest of the world affects us and our students. A terrorist attack in Mumbai affects us. It can be a challenging position but ultimately it is rewarding.

all about growth | There is no set path. What I may do in the future I really don't know, but there is so much that I would like to accomplish in this job now.

my website|