Aamir Ali, Ph.D.

Cassaundra Amato

Alexander Arnold, Ph.D.

Alexander Arnold is responsible for developing new funding initiatives and managing the full life-cycle of the grant process in the areas of philosophy and theology. Before working at the Foundation, he was a teaching fellow at the University of Notre Dame where he taught and conducted research in philosophy.

Dr. Arnold received his B.A. in philosophy from the University of California, Irvine, and his Ph.D. in philosophy at the University of Notre Dame with a dissertation in epistemology. He has published in the Australasian Journal of Philosophy, and continues research in epistemology, philosophy of mind, and philosophy of religion.

Kevin Arnold, Ph.D.

Kevin Arnold is responsible for the Genetics portfolio as well as managing current and future projects in the Life Sciences. New funding initiatives in Genetics investigate fundamental mechanisms which underpin human identity and genetic determinism, the neuroscience of behavior and cognition, and epigenetic research. Prior to joining the Foundation, he held an adjunct faculty position in Biology at Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, Illinois.

Dr. Arnold received his B.S. in biochemistry from Messiah College and his doctorate in biomolecular chemistry from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His research on determinants of enzyme specificity for histone acetyltransferase complexes has resulted in several peer-reviewed publications.

John Bare, Ph.D.

Dr. John Bare oversees the Human Sciences, Character Development, and Individual Freedom & Free Markets departments and serves as a member of the Foundation Leadership Team. He has spent more than two decades working in the nonprofit sector, and has most recently served as Senior Vice President of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation and the Disruptor-in-Residence at Babson College.

During his tenure at the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, Bare spearheaded numerous innovative projects, including the development of a $50 million Legacy Grant to Babson College to create The Arthur M. Blank School of Entrepreneurial Leadership. In 2021, Babson College invited Bare to continue his transformative work with entrepreneurial education as the College’s third Disruptor-in-Residence, a role focused on working with Babson faculty and students to challenge existing educational norms and processes, prioritizing the creation of new business case studies that featured underrepresented entrepreneurs, including women and people of color.

Dr. Bare received both his PhD and Masters in Mass Communication Research from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Paul Barnett

Richard Bollinger, Ph.D.

Richard Bollinger is responsible for the management of the full life cycle of the grant process and the development of new funding initiatives within the Character Virtue Development and Voluntary Family Planning funding areas. He is a licensed clinical psychologist and previously worked as the Director of Psychotherapy Services at the Clinical Practices of the University of Pennsylvania’s Outpatient Psychiatry Center.

Dr. Bollinger received his Ph.D. from the Rosemead School of Psychology at Biola University and his B.A. in History from Cornell University. He continues as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine.

Sarah Clement, Ph.D.

Sarah Clement is the Senior Director, Character Virtue Development at the John Templeton Foundation. In this role, Dr. Clement is responsible for the development and implementation of grants in the Character Virtue Development portfolio, as well as the Voluntary Family Planning portfolio.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Dr. Clement was a postdoctoral fellow at the Rutgers University Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research. She received her B.A. and M.A. in child development from Tufts University and her doctorate in developmental psychology from Cornell University. She has published articles and book chapters on the topics of positive youth development and character development.

John Cunningham

John Cunningham is the Director for the Public Engagement department. In that role, he works to support programs that advance the Foundation’s mission within the broader public, with a particular emphasis on outreach to opinion leaders in the media, religious communities, elite undergraduate institutions, and seminaries. Before joining the Foundation, Mr. Cunningham worked in University Ministry at the University of Pennsylvania in partnership with the Office of the Chaplain for the CCO and Christian Union. A graduate of John Brown University, he received a MDiv from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

Rashid Dar

Rashid Dar is a Program Officer for Culture and Global Perspectives at the John Templeton Foundation, where he oversees the Foundation’s Islam-related grant portfolio across the globe. Prior to this role, he worked as a researcher at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC, analyzing the relationship between Islam and politics, often termed Islamism. He received his Master’s degree from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), and attended Darul Qasim, a traditional Muslim seminary near Chicago. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin, and has published a number of essays in the Brookings Institution, The Washington Post, The American Interest, and other publications.

Jessica Despres

Gina Dyer

Stephen Fitzmier

Steve Fitzmier manages the Planning and Evaluation department of the John Templeton Foundation. Over the past four years, he has restructured the Foundation’s grantmaking and performance management systems, instituted cyclical programmatic strategic planning, and directed grant evaluation initiatives that improve programmatic decision-making.

Prior to the John Templeton Foundation, Mr. Fitzmier was an entrepreneur, starting and developing a technology consulting firm, followed by a philanthropic advisory organization. In 2000 he was named in PhillyTech’s top thirty under 30, recognizing his entrepreneurial achievements in founding one of the mid-Atlantic region’s fastest-growing IT advisory firms. His firm consulted with established and start-up businesses to develop and implement their online strategy. Serving in an advisory role and then in an executive leadership position, he helped launch and develop Geneva Global, a recognized leader in philanthropic advisory services for international development. While at Geneva Global, he developed innovative methods for assessing philanthropic return on investment, quintupled grant research and evaluation operations, and implemented a global IT infrastructure in a developing world context.

Nicholas J. S. Gibson, Ph.D.

Nicholas Gibson is responsible for developing grant programs on the scientific study of religion and non-religion, the psychology of virtues and character strengths, and the interface between spirituality and health. He has a particular interest in projects taking a cognitive approach to these areas.

Dr. Gibson studied psychology and physiology at the University of Oxford and received his Ph.D. in psychology of religion from the University of Cambridge. He was subsequently a research fellow in science and religion at Queens’ College, Cambridge, where he also taught social psychology.

Erik Gjesfjeld, Ph.D.

Erik Gjesfjeld is a Program Officer in Human Sciences at the John Templeton Foundation, where he oversees philanthropic initiatives within the social, behavioral, cognitive, and health sciences. He helps lead the Dynamics of Religious Change and the Health, Religion, & Spirituality strategic priorities and collaborates with colleagues on projects in Intellectual Humility and Cultural Evolution. He has a particular interest in projects that advance quantitative and computational methods, apply models of evolutionary change, and promote open science best practices.

Erik previously served as a Renfrew Fellow in the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research and a Research Fellow at Fitzwilliam College at the University of Cambridge. Prior to this, he was a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Institute for Society and Genetics and a Lecturer in the Department of Anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles. He obtained his PhD at the University of Washington in Anthropology, his MA degrees in Archaeology at University College London, and his BA in Archaeological Studies at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

Megan C. Graziano

Livia Greenbacker

Kristen Johnson

Luann Johnson

David Nassar

Caitlin Pollock

Amy Proulx

Amy Proulx currently serves as Director, Individual Freedom and Free Markets, at the John Templeton Foundation. In this capacity, she identifies and supports grantees whose work promotes our understanding of freedom, entrepreneurship, competition, and personal responsibility.

Previously, Ms. Proulx was the Director of Academic Talent Development at the Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University. There, she developed a suite of intensive educational and career development programs for undergraduate and graduate students, specifically designed for those interested in pursuing academic careers. She earned her B.A. from Ashland University, where she studied history, philosophy, and politics.

Sarah Lane Ritchie, Ph.D.

Sarah Lane Ritchie is the Program Officer in Philosophy & Theology at the John Templeton Foundation. In this role she works in the development of new funding initiatives and management of the full life-cycle of the grant process. Before coming to the Foundation, she was Lecturer in Theology & Science at the University of Edinburgh.

Dr. Lane Ritchie received her B.A. in Philosophy & Religion from Spring Arbor University, an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary, and an M.Sc. in Science & Religion from the University of Edinburgh. She obtained her Ph.D. at the University of Edinburgh in Science & Religion with a thesis on divine action and the human mind, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of St. Andrews. She has published a book with Cambridge University Press and numerous articles in academic journals, and continues research in the field of science and religion.

Emanuela Sani, Ph.D.

Emanuela Sani is responsible for developing new initiatives that advance current and future strategic priorities in Life Sciences. Current strategic priorities include the science of purpose, cultural evolution, and intellectual humility. The Life Sciences department also manages the Genetics and Exceptional Cognitive Talent & Genius Portfolios. Before working at the Foundation, she was a Research Associate at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology at the University of Edinburgh.

Dr. Sani received her Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology from the University of Glasgow and a M.S in Plants and Micro-organism biotechnology from the University of Pisa. Her research on cell biology of plants, yeast and coronavirus has resulted in several peer-reviewed publications.

Christina Van Riper

Matthew Walhout, Ph.D.

Dr. Matthew Walhout is Vice President, Natural Sciences at the John Templeton Foundation. In this role, Dr. Walhout oversees four departments: Culture & Global Perspectives, Life Sciences, Math & Physical Sciences, and Philosophy & Theology. He works closely with the President and other Foundation leaders to develop priorities and strategies in multiple funding areas.

Previously, Dr. Walhout was Dean for Research and Scholarship and professor of physics and astronomy at Calvin College (now Calvin University). During his time in academia, he taught courses in physics, astronomy, and science-in-society; pursued computational and laboratory research in atomic and plasma physics; led interdisciplinary discussions across multiple disciplines; and oversaw numerous grant programs, research projects, and engagement activities.

Dr. Walhout received a B.S. in physics from Calvin College, and a M.S. and Ph.D. in physics from the University of Maryland.

Alexandra Was, Ph.D.

Paul K. Wason, Ph.D.

Paul Wason is responsible for developing new research initiatives investigating the evolution and fundamental nature of life, human life, and mind, especially as they relate to issues of meaning and purpose. Before joining the Foundation, he spent ten years at Bates College as director of foundations and corporations and as a sponsored-research administrator.

An anthropologist with a specialty in prehistoric archaeology, Dr. Wason received his Ph.D. in anthropology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Bates College, where he earned a B.S. in biology. His research on inequality, social evolution, and archaeological theory has been published as The Archaeology of Rank (1994).

Greg Wolcott, Ph.D.

Gregory (Greg) Wolcott is a Program Officer in Individual Freedom and Free Markets at the John Templeton Foundation, where he works with scholars and practitioners pursuing projects that explore classical liberal principles and their applications. He is interested in asking how freedom might foster space for people to flourish both as individuals and as members of communities, and in his own work he has examined this question by focusing on business and entrepreneurship, the moral foundations of markets, virtues and vices, the possibility of vocations, and the insights of thinkers such as Aristotle, Plato, Adam Smith, F.A. Hayek, Deirdre McCloskey, and Edmund Phelps, among others.

Greg previously served as a faculty liaison and program director at the Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University. He has also taught philosophy at the undergraduate and graduate level at various colleges and universities, including Saint Mary’s College of California where he was an Assistant Professor of Business Ethics in the Department of Organizations and Responsible Business. He obtained his PhD in philosophy from Loyola University Chicago and his BA in philosophy from The Catholic University of America. Greg has published scholarly articles and reviews in outlets such as the Journal of Business Ethics, Business Ethics: European Review, Business Ethics Quarterly, Journal of Applied Philosophy, and Reason Papers.