Social Justice Symposium 2026

Keynote Speaker: Heidi Schlumpf

Heidi Schlumpf is an award-winning journalist and podcaster with three decades of experience covering religion, spirituality as well as political, social and women’s issues. She is currently senior correspondent at Commonweal Magazine. Before joining Commonweal, she spent 16 years with the National Catholic Reporter as a columnist, correspondent and executive editor/vice president. She previously served as managing editor of U.S. Catholic magazine and a reporter at Chicago’s archdiocesan newspaper. Her work has appeared in Mother Jones, CNN Opinion, Religion News Service, Commonweal and Sojourners magazine. She has made appearances on CNN, NPR, PBS and the New York Times podcast. Schlumpf has been a co-host of the Francis Effect podcast for five years. She also is a part-time faculty member in theology at Loyola University Chicago. She previously taught journalism as an associate professor of communication at Aurora University in Chicago. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, she also earned a master’s of theological studies from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary at Northwestern University, where she studied with feminist theologian Rosemary Radford Ruether. She is the author/editor of three books, including Elizabeth A. Johnson: Questing for God (Liturgical Press, 2016), the Notre Dame Book of Prayer (Ave Maria, 2010) and While We Wait: Spiritual & Practical Advice for Those Trying to Adopt (ACTA, 2009). Schlumpf is based in Chicago, where she lives with her husband, Edmund, and their two children, and where she is a member of St. Gertrude Parish.

Event Details

THE EVENT FEE IS $39* AND INCLUDES:

• Light Breakfast + Coffee/Tea
• Catered Lunch
• Full Event Access
• Event Giveaway
• CE for Educators

*The registration fee is waived for current high school students, as well as for Caldwell University students, faculty, and staff.

Social Justice Institute Mission

Educate. Champion. Empower. We aim to educate Caldwell University constituents and its community partners regarding issues of social injustice, champion marginalized voices, and empower others to take action and become aspiring allies.

Reserve your spot today at https://sjs.caldwelluniversity.com/.

Download the event flyer.