معرفی
Amelia Uelmen serves as the Director for Mission and Ministry and a Lecturer at Georgetown Law, as well as a Senior Research Fellow at Georgetown's Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs. She has established herself as a thought leader at the intersection of law, religion, and dialogue across differences, with particular focus on healing polarization in educational settings.
Her educational background includes an S.J.D. completed in 2016 with a dissertation on the moral and legal obligations of bystanders to victims in need of emergency assistance. She earned her B.A. in American studies and J.D. from Georgetown University, as well as an M.A. in theology from Fordham University. Previously, she served as founding director of Fordham University's Institute on Religion, Law & Lawyer's Work (2001-2011) and worked as an associate with law firm Arnold & Porter (1996-2000).
Uelmen's research focuses on how religious values might inform tort law, legal ethics, and legal education. She has developed significant expertise in facilitating dialogue across deep differences, with numerous publications addressing polarization healing in educational contexts. Her scholarship examines how principles of dialogue might inform debates about religion in the public square, drawing on her involvement with the Focolare Movement and Jesuit educational traditions. In her recent work, she emphasizes the importance of genuine listening as a foundational skill for critical thinking and empathy in professional and civic life.
Her publications demonstrate a consistent focus on creating spaces for meaningful dialogue in increasingly polarized contexts, from classroom settings to broader societal discussions. Uelmen's work connects legal theory with practical applications for fostering understanding across differences, with particular attention to the role of spiritual and religious values in shaping constructive discourse. She has developed concrete frameworks like the '5 Steps to Healing Polarization in the Classroom' (2018) and 'Five Steps to Positive Political Dialogue' (2014).
As an educator, Uelmen teaches 'Religion, Morality, and Contested Claims,' a course that helps students develop communication skills necessary for fostering understanding across profound differences. In a recent conversation published in Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education (September 6, 2024), she discussed 'the practice of listening and humanistic education today,' highlighting how faculty can model genuine listening to cultivate these skills in students. She advocates for moving beyond performative communication to create spaces where students feel safe to express vulnerability and explore differences with respect.
Uelmen remains active in the Focolare Movement, which informs her approach to building unity across differences. Her recent work addresses timely challenges such as conducting meaningful dialogue during the pandemic and navigating political polarization in the aftermath of events like the Capitol Riot. She continues to develop practical approaches for fostering dialogue in increasingly polarized contexts, both within educational settings and in broader society.
