Other Activities and Areas of Interests
Fostered the development of a scholarly exchange program in Religion & Theology - nicknamed the Brazilian Connection - between Drew University and the Pontifical Catholic Universities of Rio de Janeiro & Sao Paulo. The program has brought thus far Dr. Paulo de Andrade, former Academic Vice-President of the PUC-Rio, for a sabbatical study semester at Drew, and Orivaldo Lopes, M.Phil., doctoral candidate of the PUC-SP, for a research semester in the Newark Latina/o Pentecostal Congregations Program - besides sponsoring a Conference on Religion and Politics in Brazil in the Spring of 2000, bringing in two other Brazilian scholars, Dr. Maria Clara Luchetti Bingemer and Dr. Carlos Steil.
Advisor, Joint Hispanic Caucus of the Theological & Graduate
Schools, Drew University.
Invited and accepted to be a member of the Advisory Committee of the Center
for Mission Research and Study of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers (Maryknoll,
NY), from 1999 to the present.
Invited by colleagues and Dean, serve currently (since 1999) as co-director of the Hispanic Institute of Theology at Drew University.
Invited by the WCC's Bossey Ecumenical Institute (Switzerland) to be part of its Research Group on The Situation of Religious Life in the World and its Challenges to the Ecumenical Movement, meeting twice a year in Bossey, 1999-2002.
Invited and accepted to be one of the mentors for graduate scholarship recipients of the Hispanic Theological Initiative for the academic years 1998-2001 (including training and orientation in an annual Summer Workshop in Cape Cod, MA). Mentorship renewed for academic years 2001-2002.
Voted by colleagues, served as member of the Theological School Dean's Council during the academic year 1998-1999.
Accepted an invitation from the President of the University of San Francisco to be their first Wiegand Scholar - a Roman Catholic scholar serving for a week as consultant in USF's search to revitalize its Catholic consciousness (Oct. 12-16, 1998).
Invited by colleagues and Dean, serve currently as chair of Division IV: Church and Society, in Drew Theological School for the academic years 1997-1999.
Invited and accepted to serve on the Olga Scarpetta Award Committee of the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion for the period 1996-1998.
Invited and accepted to be associate researcher for the Program for the Analysis of Religion among Latinos, PARAL (Bildner Center for Western Hemispheric Studies, CUNY Graduate Center, New York, NY).
Invited by colleagues and Dean, serve currently (since 1996) as co-convener of the Hispanic D.Min. Program at the Theological School of Drew University.
Invited by the Dean, represented Drew Theological School before the Governing Board of the Hispanic Summer Program of AETH (Association for Hispanic Theological Education) for the years 1995-1999.
Invited and accepted to be part of Drew's Jewish Studies Advisory Council for the academic years 1995-1997.
Invited by colleagues and Dean, served as Chair of the Graduate Program in Religion and Society of the Graduate School of Drew University for the academic years 1995-1997.
Invited and accepted to participate in the faculty committee of the Drew's College of Liberal Arts' Minor in Latin American/Latino Studies.
Freelance journalist for Venezuelan newspapers such as El Nacional, Diario de Caracas, Ultimas Noticias, La Nacion and Vanguardia. Experience with computers: mainly word processing with Wang, Leading Edge, and Word Perfect 5.0 and 5.1. Consultant for several Catholic religious orders (Dominicans, Jesuits and Maryknollers). Consultant and Board Member of AVESA (Venezuelan Association for an Alternative Sexual Education). Writer, director, and actor of the comedy "El propio amor propio", presented and the Universidad Central de Venezuela (Caracas: April, 1983). Actor in minor roles in two comedies, one feature film and a TV play (Caracas: 1983). Writer of short stories and comedy sketches. Painter of a poster of for the Amnesty International Exhibit (Caracas: 1985). Deeply interested in Jazz, all varieties of traditional folk music, the Art Nouveau movement, the history of languages and whales.