As Coordinator of Buddhist Life, Rev. Sumi Loundon Kim supports the vibrant student group as well as connects with others across the Yale and New Haven communities. Prior to Yale, Sumi served as the Buddhist chaplain at Duke University for eight years. She is the founder of the Mindful Families of Durham and was the primary teacher for this organization for eight years, as well. After receiving a bachelor’s in fine arts from Williams College and master’s in Buddhist studies and Sanskrit from the Harvard Divinity School, she was the associate director for the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies in Massachusetts. Originally brought up in a Soto Zen community in the 70s, Sumi has been a student of the Theravada (insight) tradition since her teens. She is the author of several books: Blue Jean Buddha (2001); The Buddha’s Apprentices (2005); and Sitting Together: A Family-Centered Curriculum on Mindfulness, Meditation, and Buddhism (2017). Sumi is the proud mother of two, and her spouse is a professor in Yale’s Department of Religious Studies.