Philippa Koch Archives - Reynolds College Blog

Missouri State University has received a $60,000 grant from Interfaith America to enhance religious literacy in health professions education. The grant recognizes MSU’s leadership in religious literacy and cultural competence in health care.

Out of 44 applicants, MSU was one of only 15 institutions awarded this competitive grant. The university’s longstanding efforts in integrating religion and health care education played a key role in securing the funding.

Plans for the grant include creating a new graduate certificate, adding health services courses and developing online resources to improve religious literacy in health care.

The grant runs from December 2024 to November 2026.

Grant builds on earlier initiative

Missouri State began teaching courses in religion and health about 10 years ago, according to Dr. Philippa Koch, associate professor in the Department of Languages, Cultures and Religions (LCR).

Koch is an Interfaith America Faith and Health Fellow. She will lead the grant initiative, along with Dr. Steve Berkwitz and Dr. John Schmalzbauer from LCR and Sarah Bowman, Dr. McCall Christian and Dr. Amber Abernathy from the McQueary College of Health and Human Services (MCHHS).

A $30,000 Wabash Center grant that Berkwitz and Schmalzbauer received in 2015 helped launch MSU’s first courses in religion and health, Koch said. “These efforts laid the groundwork for our current initiative.”

Since then, MSU has continued to build its interdisciplinary program. This includes creating the Medical Humanities Undergraduate Certificate in 2019 and the Mental Health and Spirituality Undergraduate Certificate in 2022.

Now, the new grant positions the university to be a leader in the growing field of religion and health, according to Schmalzbauer.

“We’re deepening our work at the intersection of faith and health to prepare future health care practitioners to serve diverse communities with cultural sensitivity,” Koch noted.

Missouri State University’s Dr. Philippa Koch, associate professor in the Department of Languages, Cultures and Religions, has been named one of Interfaith America’s 2024-25 Faith & Health Fellows.

Founded in 2002, Interfaith America is a national organization based on “the idea that religious difference should serve as a bridge of cooperation rather than a barrier of division,” according to the organization’s website. The company provides “consultation, training, curricula and resources to positively engage religious diversity.”

According to Interfaith America’s press release, “This cohort of outstanding educators from various disciplines will design and implement academic and narrative projects to advance a broader public understanding of the vital promise of engaging religious identities and communities in health settings.”

The fellowship runs from January 2024-May 2025. Fellows will receive a $4,000 stipend for their research.

Koch, who teaches courses on religion in America, religion and health, and religion and sexuality, learned about the fellowship from colleagues who have worked with Interfaith America.

“In 2017, Eboo Patel, the founder of Interfaith America, came to MSU,” Koch said. “His work inspired students to create an interfaith engagement certificate, and some past MSU students now work with Interfaith America.” [Read more…] about Dr. Philippa Koch selected as one of Interfaith America’s 2024-25 Faith & Health Fellows