By Dara Harper
The University has appointed Imam Amir Durić as assistant dean for religious and spiritual life at Hendricks Chapel. Durić, who has served as Muslim chaplain at Hendricks Chapel since 2017, will provide visionary, inclusive and compassionate leadership to advance interfaith engagement, spiritual wellness and ethical development throughout the University community.
“Over the past eight years Imam Durić has repeatedly proven himself as an outstanding interfaith leader, he has earned the respect of our campus community, and through this new role he will continue to ensure we at Syracuse University prepare our students for participation in a changing global society,” says the Rev. Brian Konkol, vice president and dean of Hendricks Chapel. “In addition to being a devoted religious leader, Imam Durić is a dynamic teacher and scholar, compassionate counselor, strategic thinker and enterprising global citizen. I look forward to our ongoing partnership to expand the impact of Hendricks Chapel and serve our students as a home for all faiths and place for all people.”
Originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Durić’s early childhood experiences within areas engulfed in conflict shaped his lifelong commitment to pluralism, mutual understanding and interfaith cooperation. He served as an imam in several communities, led various projects through the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and co-founded a humanitarian non-governmental organization, Sadaka, in his hometown. He was also a religious and executive leader at the Association of Bosniaks of Delaware Valley—Philadelphia and has had various roles within the Islamic Community of North American Bosniaks.
Prior to his current role, Durić served as the Muslim chaplain and executive director of Muslim student life at the University, the Chaplains Council coordinator at Hendricks Chapel and a pastoral counselor for several hospitals and institutions across Central New York. Since arriving at the University in 2017, Durić has contributed to creating a renowned Muslim chaplaincy and established the first Muslim Student Life endowment, resulting in a 500% increase in student participation through new programs and resources, community outreach, increased social capital and a more prominent presence on campus. The announcement of a new Muslim chaplain at Hendricks Chapel is forthcoming.
As a nationally respected interfaith leader, Durić co-founded alongside Rabbi Ethan Bair the acclaimed Jewish-Muslim Dialogue Fellowship at Syracuse University in the summer of 2023, was named a 2024-2025 Interfaith America Innovation Fellow and is a member of the board of directors for Interfaith Works of Central New York. His work was recognized at the 2023 One University Awards, and he received the 2024 Award for Excellence by an Organizational Advisor, and the 2025 CNY RISE Center’s Community Service Award.
A frequent speaker at national and international conferences, Durić’s scholarship and community work center on the experiences of Muslim students, interfaith engagement and the intersection of faith and public life. In addition to his University roles, Durić is a consultant through his firm, Durić LLC, advising institutions on cultural competency and inclusive practices related to their Muslim constituencies.
“Campuses have the potential to be spaces where people of all faiths and worldviews feel seen, heard and valued. Hendricks Chapel is uniquely positioned to model cooperation across differences and help form interfaith leaders who will serve across sectors, nationally and globally,” says Durić, “I am honored to step into this new role, committed to nurturing spiritual and interfaith growth rooted in dignity, community and purpose.”
Durić earned a B.A. in Islamic studies from the University of Sarajevo, as well as a master of arts in religious studies with graduate certificates in Islamic chaplaincy and imam and Muslim community leadership from Hartford International University for Religion and Peace. He also holds an executive master of public administration and a certificate of advanced study in public leadership and management from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, where he is also completing a Ph.D. in social science.
“We look forward to working with Imam Amir Durić in this new role,” says Rebecca Reed Kantrowitz, associate dean of Hendricks Chapel. “He embodies the values at the core of Hendricks Chapel, such as compassion, inclusivity and leadership rooted in service. His visionary approach and deep commitment to interfaith understanding will strengthen our collective mission to support the spiritual and moral growth of every student at Syracuse University.”