Donna Swaim, a revered teacher and mentor whose 50-year University of Arizona career stretched broadly across campus, from humanities to medicine to athletics, and included trips to dozens of countries for student study abroad, has passed away. She was 86.

From 1964 until her retirement in 2014, Swaim taught courses in English, humanities and medical humanities, and religious studies, served as a Faculty Fellow in the athletics department and Native American Student Affairs, and led students on 24 study abroad trips.

“Donna Swaim played a unique role as a citizen of the university, an important member of her department while also serving with her special touch as a Faculty Fellow in Athletics. She connected our student athletes with the larger university community as a beloved friend and mentor,” said Peter Likins, president of the university from 1997 to 2006.

College of Humanities Dean Alain-Philippe Durand said Swaim embodied the humanities, someone whose endless curiosity led her to eagerly embrace both world travel and small, personal interactions with people, especially her students.

“Donna Swaim is one of the most beloved teachers in the entire history of the University of Arizona. For 50 years, she opened her students’ minds to a bigger world through her humanities and religious studies classes, her service as a faculty fellow and leading life-changing study abroad trips. The best teachers leave a lasting impact on the lives of their students, and Dr. Swaim changed the lives of thousands,” Durand said. “She loved every one of her students and she remains an inspiration to all of us in the College of Humanities. We are profoundly thankful that our world has been shaped by her dedication, passion and love.”

In a 2012 interview with University Communications, Swaim said there weren’t enough hours in a day to take part in everything she’d like to at the university. But the students were always her favorite part. “I just love the students. I love the age of the students. I love experiencing change through them,” Swaim said.

Her students loved Swaim as well.

“Her class was the kind of experience students would hold with them forever,” said Melissa Vito, who took Swaim’s humanities course as an 18-year-old student and remembers the inspiration that pushed her to work harder, resulting in an A+ paper that Vito has kept ever since. “She completely motivated me and changed my life, really taught me to understand the value of the humanities.”

Later, in Vito’s career as a student affairs administrator, she saw Swaim’s impact on subsequent generations of students, both in the classroom and through the Faculty Fellows program.

“She was the one I would always recommend. Get a class with Donna Swaim, and so many did. My kids had her when they were in school,” said Vito, who retired in 2018 as Senior Vice President for Student Affairs, Enrollment and Academic Initiatives. “She could connect with everybody. She approached everything with a real curiosity and lack of judgement. She believed in everybody’s potential and as a result everybody wanted to live up to that.”

Karen Seat, head of the Department of Religious Studies and Classics, said Swaim had an enduring popularity among students and there was a rush of students every semester to sign up for her class.

“She always felt like she had something to learn from each and every student, which helped students realize their own value as contributors to the human story,” Seat said.

After the interdisciplinary humanities program that Swaim taught in for 35 years was dissolved, Swaim brought a course she’d designed called “Spirituality in the Arts” to the Religious Studies program.

“She had a very interdisciplinary course that brought in literature, philosophy, various classical texts, so she brought that over and gave it a religious studies focus, looking at religion and religious themes through art and literature,” Seat said. “She really personalized the course for students and she worked individually with every student on their projects and their writing. She helped students understand why the humanities mattered and it changed the way they thought about themselves and the world. She just had this incredible ability to bring that alive for students.”

That “Spirituality in the Arts” course, RELI 307, became not only a rite of passage for majors, but a popular course across campus, one that student-athletes who connected with Swaim through her role as a faculty fellow took as well. This year, in just one example of Swaim’s long-lasting connection with her students, she created a Facebook group, 307 Conversation, as a place for students and friends to discuss and reflect on humanity, sharing things like quotes, books and poems as a way to ease the sense of separation during the pandemic. A separate, private group called “Human Experiences amidst isolation” began as well.

Those groups and Swaim’s personal Facebook page have received an outpouring of personal and heartfelt sentiments from former students and friends.

“I’m not sure I’ve ever known someone who impacted as many lives as she did, and for such a diverse cross section of students. No matter where you were from, your background or life experiences, if you were a 4.0 student or struggling academically, she could connect with you, and she believed in you. It was very personal and unique for each student,” said Becky Bell, retired Associate Athletic Director for C.A.T.S. Life Skills. “She had designated ‘office hours,’ but they were really 24/7. If you needed something, Donna would be there for you. Even some of her smallest acts of kindness will be remembered forever.”

Swaim was the first faculty member to support the C.A.T.S. Life Skills program for student-athletes when it was formed in the early 1990s, said Rocky LaRose, retired Deputy Director of Athletics.

“She was a cheerleader for the program across campus and an essential part of its growth. But it was her strong connection and one-on-one interaction with student-athletes that really made a difference, not just in their academic world, but in their lives going forward,” she said.

Annie Grevers, then Chandler, says Swaim got to be a good friend, and her “Spirituality in the Arts” classmates gave it the nickname of Friendship 101. When Swaim retired in 2014, Grevers presented her with a surprise award during the end-of-year athletics banquet, a token of appreciation on behalf of the entire department in appreciation of Swaim’s dedication as a faculty fellow.

“Dr. Swaim helped athletes broaden their narrow views of success. She was interested in every facet of an athlete’s life. She never dodged tough topics, but lovingly walked with you through your thoughts. She asked great questions because she earnestly cared. Her warmth was felt the instant you walked into her office or her classroom. She was absolutely beloved,” Grevers said.

Swaim was born on a farm near Mitchell, Nebraska in 1934, the youngest of five siblings. In 1951, she met Bob Swaim when they were students at the University of Nebraska. The couple married in 1953 and moved to Tucson in 1958, spending a year abroad in London from 1961 to 1962, which inspired Swaim’s travel ambitions. She earned both her master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Arizona.

She led some of the university’s first study abroad trips, starting in 1979, before there was even a formal structure to do so. In total, she led students on 24 trips abroad, visiting a wide array of countries including England, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Spain, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, South Africa, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Senegal, Mali, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Romania, Moldova, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Iceland & the Faroe Islands, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Nepal and Cambodia.

“They were making it up as they went, traveling all over the world,” Seat said. “One thing that religious studies offers, and the humanities in general, is being able to look at the world from other perspectives and transcend your own position in the world. Being immersed in another culture transforms one’s mindset more than any other learning. It can’t be replicated. She really wanted students to get outside the familiar and she really prioritized experiencing new cultures in person.”

Even after she retired, Swaim connected with students through scholarship funds established in her name.

Chelsea Forer, a 2019 graduate in Religious Studies, got her first chance to travel abroad, studying in Bhutan in 2017 as a recipient of the Donna Swaim International Award for Religious Studies.

“My trip to Bhutan expanded my boundaries to spaces I did not know possible,” Forer said. “When the opportunity arose to meet the woman behind the scholarship, I was immediately embraced both physically and intellectually in the vigor that so characterized Dr. Swaim. She was always so proud that students such as myself were experiencing places and cultures around the globe. I hope to continue to explore throughout my life, carrying her advice with me across the globe to celebrate her timeless influence.”

Swaim received the Five Star Faculty Award in 1985 and the Honors Lounge in the Student Union is named after her. In addition to her role in athletics, Swaim spent four years as a Faculty Fellow for Native American Student Affairs. In 1995, Dr. Andrew Weil, founder of Center for Integrative Medicine, hired her to facilitate a class on spirituality in medicine. From 1978 to 1986, she also served as a volunteer teacher at the state prison.

Swaim was passionate about having her students see people and cultures in the world were connected, Vito said. She remembers studying Salvador Dali’s painting “The Persistence of Memory” in Swaim’s class and when she finally got to see it in person Museum of Modern Art in New York, she texted Swaim.

“She really epitomized the interdisciplinary humanities program. Her academic area drew her into art, literature and architecture, so she had a lot of areas that connected her with others,” Vito said. “All of that really comes together through the humanities and she was always able to convey so that students could feel it and see it in a practical way and understand how it all comes together.”

“More than anybody I’ve ever known, I see her legacy in little and big ways across so many people’s lives,” Vito said.

She is survived by Bob Swaim, her husband of 67 years, children Phil Swaim and Katy Brown, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and her best friend Honey Labradoodle Swaim.

Memorial donations can be made to the Donna Swaim International Award for Religious Studies.

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RELI 160A1 Gods, Goddesses & Demons

RELI 160D4 Intro to World Religions

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RELI 350 Hindu Mythology

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Three professors in the Department of Religious Studies and Classics have been promoted, demonstrating excellent performance in teaching, service and research.

Courtney Friesen is promoted from Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and Classics to tenured Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Classics; Rob Groves is promoted from Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and Classics to Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Classics; and Caleb Simmons is promoted from Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and Classics to tenured Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Classics.

Friesen’s research concerns intersections of Greek literature with the religious worlds of ancient Jews and Christians. He teaches all levels of Classical Greek as well as courses on the New Testament, early Christianity, and Greek and Roman religion and culture.

Groves specializes in Greek and Latin literature, especially the Greek Prose, Ancient Multilingualism in both reality and literary representation, Classical Linguistics, Modern Performance of Ancient Drama and Classical Reception in American Drama.

Simmons specializes in religion in South Asia, especially Hinduism. His research specialties span religion and state-formation in medieval and colonial India to contemporary transnational aspects of Hinduism.

By Caleb Simmons, Associate Professor of Religious Studies

To say the least, this year has been difficult. COVID-19 and the restrictions that have resulted because of the pandemic have certainly changed all of our lives. Many have lost and continue to lose their lives and loved ones, many have had their livelihood affected, essential workers are risking their well-being, and countless heroes are juggling working from home, homeschooling their children, and/or caring for elderly family members, not to mention the mental and emotional toll from the anxiety and uncertainty caused by the pandemic. As we are all well aware (and hopefully observing), these restrictions limit both our ability to travel and to gather in large groups, both things that academics do a lot.

These restrictions, however, have also been on my mind because they directly affect one of my major areas of research: large Hindu festivals. Hindu festivals have been one of my major areas of research, but this academic year I began a new project, to create a series of short documentary films. With a Teaching and Outreach Grant from the College of Humanities, I focused on four Hindu festivals—Durga Puja in Kolkata, Dasara in Mysuru, Bhagavathi Theyyam in Kuttikol, and Holi in Vrindavan—gathering and editing videos that could both be used in class and made available for free online to showcase these vibrant traditions.

Embarking on a new academic genre was difficult. I had to learn about cameras, video formats, color correcting, editing and storytelling. It was a great experience, primarily because it reminded me of the frustrations and rewards that come with learning something completely new. It is always nice to be reminded of what many of my students are experiencing when they enter one of my General Education courses on South Asian and Indian religious traditions.

The Hindu festivals that I was filming all take place during the academic semester: Durga Puja and Dasara in the fall and Bhagavathi Theyyam and Holi in the spring. My courses were online or hybrid of in-person and online, and I was prepared with online content that would run during my absence, but the timing provided me with an incredible opportunity to give my students unrivaled access to the material that we were studying.

The fall festivals went as well as could be expected, an experience that is always amazing. There is little that compares with the feeling of being sandwiched so tightly within a joyous sea of humanity that you don’t even need to hold yourself upright. I was able to capture hundreds of hours of footage from the creation of clay images of the goddess and the grand pandals of Durga Puja in Kolkata and had access to the Mysuru Dasara rituals of the royal Wodeyar house and in the temple to goddess Chamundeshwari.

Using social media apps, based on the advice of students, I was able to post footage of the festivals each night. On Instagram and Snapchat, my students could watch the rituals, processions and pomp, take quizzes on what they saw, and ask questions that I could answer in real time! Of course, this couldn’t replace actually being there, but it added another dimension to the course, and hopefully planted within them a desire to go experience it for themselves.

The environment was quite different when I left for the spring festivals. It was early February, and information about the potential COVID-19 pandemic was beginning to circulate. I packed my facemasks, but, to be perfectly honest, I didn’t understand the gravity of our impending reality. My first stop was nine days in the small village of Kuttikol on the Malabar Coast in the northern portion of the South Indian state of Kerala, where I would video performances from the Kuttikol Bhagavathi Theyyam.

As I read more and more about the flood of confirmed cases and the rising death tolls, the isolation of the small village made it all seem very far away. That changed as I left Kerala for Vrindavan in the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Vrindavan, which has a normal population of around half-a-million, swells as people from all over India and abroad descend on the city for Holi, the well-known color festival. While the city was bursting with the sights, sounds, and smells of the festival, it was also abuzz with anxiety about the virus. Various functions of the festival began on March 2, and the crowds swarmed. Most didn’t wear masks, and those that did—myself included—usually ditched them midway through the day’s festivities as a thick coating of colored powder made breathing extremely difficult.

When I spoke with family back home, I tried to allay their fears by pointing to data that suggested that India was one of the safest places in the world to be during the pandemic (maybe it wasn’t). By the end of Holi, there was no getting around it: large crowds were unsafe and COVID-19 was truly a global pandemic. Some Hindu celebrants replaced the traditional effigy of the demoness Holika, which is burnt to recreate the deity Krishna’s defeat of the villian, with an effigy of a COVID-19 demoness. Before the biggest days of the celebration (March 9 & 10), Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India and staunch supporter of Hindus, and ministers from his government discouraged people from going out to celebrate Holi in large groups.

Despite being the most important days of the festival, I, too, limited my exposure only going out to capture a few minutes of footage from a safe distance, which didn’t keep me or my camera from being pelted with colored powder and drenched with colored water. When I arrived at the airport to come home on March 12, the world was different and everyone was wearing facemasks. Two weeks later, all of India was entirely locked down for 21 days, affecting the celebrations of important Hindu Spring festivals, like chariot festivals, the birthday of the deity Rama, New Year’s, and Nyepi, that followed Holi.

Like people around the world who are forced to adapt to the realities of our current circumstances, Hindu practitioners have created various rituals to help ward-off the virus and to promote social distancing by offering new approaches. As many of us fulfill our need for socialization in virtual spaces, like Zoom happy hours, Hindu festivals will also be forced to adapt if the pandemic continues. But it will be interesting to see if and how the full experience of crowded religious festivals can be recreated in virtual spaces. Perhaps we are not far from the day when we no longer need to travel to India to attend these festivals but can experience them from anywhere in the world. Until then, however, I look forward to the return of normalcy and the next time that I can be sandwiched within a crowd at a festival in India. 

Caleb Simmons, an internationally recognized scholar in South Asian Studies, is receiving a University of Arizona Early Career Scholars Award.

Simmons, just promoted to tenured Associate Professor of Religious Studies, joined the faculty in 2014 as an expert in Hinduism and South Asian Religions. Simmons has published extensively, been active in service and outreach, and teaches courses ranging from a senior capstone seminar to large in-person General Education courses to online teaching. He also created and leads the university’s first ever study abroad program in India.

“Even at his early career stage, he has become an internationally-recognized scholar in South Asian Studies,” said Karen Seat, head of the Department of Religious Studies and Classics and as the director of the School of International Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. “He began his career here by single-handedly creating an entirely new curriculum in South Asian religions, successfully proposing six new courses during his first years here.”

Announced by the Office of the Provost, the award honors “outstanding early career faculty who are at the forefront of their disciplines and make highly valued contributions to the teaching, creative activity, and service priorities set out in the University's Strategic Plan” and provides $5,000 to further the scholarly work. Simmons is one of four faculty honored.

“I am especially happy that this brings recognition to both the College of Humanities and the Department of Religious Studies and Classics. We have amazing faculty who excel at teaching, research, and service. I’m honored to represent them with this award,” Simmons said. “In the Humanities, we are doing ground-breaking research and preparing our students to face all the challenges that exist in our fast-paced globalized world. I hope that my research and teaching reflects the incredible work we are doing in the college.”

Simmons will use the award money to support research for his third monograph, tentatively titled Displaced Gods: Diaspora Hinduism and the Transformation of Religious Space and Place. The project will explore diasporic South Indian Hindu communities in Cambodia, Indonesia, Guyana, Hawaii, and Arizona, focusing on how space and place are reconfigured in new settings in order to make it an acceptable place to practice Hinduism.

“Caleb Simmons is a world-class scholar who has already made outstanding contributions to the university through his enthusiasm for teaching, research and engagement,” said College of Humanities Dean Alain-Philippe Durand. “This is a well-deserved honor and I have every expectation that his excellent work will continue to earn widespread notice and acclaim.”

Simmons most recent publication is the book Devotional Sovereignty: Kingship and Religion in India (Oxford University Press, 2020), which examines how the late early modern/early colonial court of Mysore reenvisioned notions of kingship, territory, and religion, especially its articulations through devotion. He also has publications and continuing research interests related to a broad range of contemporary topics, including ecological issues and sacred geography in India, South Asian diaspora communities, and material and popular cultures that arise as a result of globalization.

“Dr. Simmons will be a central figure in South Asian Studies here at the University of Arizona and in the larger scholarly community for years to come,” Seat said. “He exemplifies the highest ideals of a scholar-educator at our land-grant public university.”

The Department of Religious Studies and Classics is happy to announce the winners of the Lionel Rombach and Ora Bretall Awards for the 2019-2020 academic year. 

Awardees for the Ora Bretall Award are (alphabetical by last name): Crysta Lynn Burks, Sarah Thet Rasner, Sydney Savannah Young.

Awardees for the Lionel Rombach Award are (alphabetical by last name): Samantha Taylor Beben, Cheyenne Monique Hubbard, Zachary A. Panza, Richard Riley.

Congratulations to our outstanding Religious Studies students!

Read (in their words) how majoring in Religious Studies has enriched their lives and studies:

Samantha Taylor Beben:

When I was younger, my grandmother was a heavy influencer in my life and told me that I should be in math or science in order to make money. I forgot every other interest of mine like drawing, religion, and sewing in order to pursue science. I got to college and realized that science wasn’t for me because of the careers I had to choose from so I started going back in time to reignite old interests. Not only this, but in my Religion and Sex class, I realized that studying religion is more than studying what people believe in, it’s studying humanity, society, politics, and psychology. With a Religious Studies degree, I’m able to understand people on a deeper level than if I chose one of those singular degrees.

Zachary A. Panza:

Being a Religious Studies major has been one of the most enriching experiences of my life. In my eyes, it’s a holistic field of study that touches on almost every aspect of life and human history. I chose this area of study after years of independently studying religion throughout middle school and high school. Religious studies is an essential part of understanding not only human history, but the world’s social, cultural, and political landscape in the present.

Sarah Thet Rasner:

When I first started my college education, I didn't know that religious studies was even an option for me. After taking a few religious studies classes for my general education credits, I was hooked. I really enjoy reading and analyzing New Testament literature. The religious studies department at UA has been a great resource for me, I am constantly emailing old professors with questions I find I have when doing research independently. 

Richard Riley:

After about a year into college, picking a major that allowed me to exercise my truest desires seemed a must. Studying and being religious is one area that has allayed some existential ordeals that circle around one's longing for firm, historically rich connections. Yet besides the larger point, what I did not foresee enjoying was the small community of people I would join who share similar passions for religion and science. I do believe that the philosophical lining within religion can perhaps aid in solving some scientific puzzles, as well as moral and ethical issues in nearly all avenues of our social sphere. The allowance of these expressions has and will continue to add to my meaningful University experience and am highly grateful for being a recipient.

Sydney Savannah Young:

I chose to study religion because I have been passionate about learning about other cultures and religions ever since I took world religions in high school. I had mainly studied Theology and wanted to expand my knowledge of all religions and religious practices. When I learned that religious studies had a ‘health professions’ track I knew this was the right major for me. I have enjoyed so far expanding my knowledge and also getting to know professors and making friends within the major. To me, the academic study of religion is important because I believe it is imperative to be accepting of other cultures and learn how to work with and understand all people.

The Fred and Barbara Borga Award was established in honor of Fred and Barbara Borga through the generosity of their son Ross Schwartzberg. The award supports outstanding undergraduate students at the University of Arizona who are majoring in Religious Studies with a concentration in Religious Studies for Health Professionals.

Religious Studies is thrilled to announce the following winners of the Fred and Barbara Borga Award:

Ashleigh Maykayla Escalante. "Since I was young, I have always been very passionate about the field of psychology and wanting to help people. When I began my journey as an undergraduate, I realized through multiple courses that when I could understand religious backgrounds, I could understand people and I was in a better situation to support them. Studying religion has helped me learn about the world, myself and most importantly those around me."

Alyssa Jean Peterson. "I chose Religious Studies as a major because I believe that much can be understood about culture, people, and beliefs through understanding their religion. In order to be the best medical professional I can be, I need to be able to understand and help people from where they are coming from, and being a Religious Studies major helps me be well-rounded and understand culture and people."

Sydney Savannah Young. "When I learned that religious studies had a ‘health professions’ track I knew this was the right major for me. I believe religious literacy is important and having this knowledge can make a difference, especially in the healthcare field. Knowing a few background facts about someone’s religion or culture can help give empathy and understanding. To me, the academic study of religion is important because I believe it is imperative to be accepting of other cultures and learn how to work with and understand all people. I am thankful for this award because it will allow me to continue my studies."

Dear College of Humanities Students,

Despite the ever-changing challenges posed by the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), the College of Humanities remains focused on two priorities for students: your health and your academic progress toward graduation.

We are making every effort to help you succeed in your academic lives and beyond. Our faculty and staff are working, in coordination with University officials, to minimize any interruptions. Starting Wednesday, March 18, classes will be conducted online. Our priority is to ensure your academic progress is not disrupted and that you will finish the semester and graduate on time—whether that’s this term or in a term to come.

Our incredible advising team is available to support you with all of its usual services, but now in a virtual format. Advising can take place via email, phone, or Zoom—whichever works best for you. Please remember to check Trellis Advise for appointments. The advisors will be in touch soon with more detailed information about how they will be providing support.

If you have had to return suddenly from a Study Abroad program and anticipate any difficulty completing your coursework and earning credit for the semester, please contact Lyn Durán (laduran@email.arizona.edu ) as soon as possible so that she can explore with you how we might be able to help.

Individual faculty members will communicate to their students any necessary information about transitioning to online classes, as well as any updates to their syllabi for the remainder of the semester. This will enable all students to complete their courses and have valuable learning experiences. Fortunately, the College of Humanities is a leader in online learning and many faculty members have pursued innovative ways of teaching to increase student engagement, so we are well-prepared to make this adjustment and will extend additional help to students whenever possible. I am in touch with the COH undergraduate ASUA Senator Grace Sluga and Graduate and Professional Council Representative Jonathan Henao-Muñoz, both of whom will be helpful in communicating important messages between students and College and University leadership.

Any official campus updates will be posted to the University’s Coronavirus Information page. Information related to more specific student concerns is available at the Dean of Students Office and Guidance for Research Students and Postdocs. For other on-campus resources, please see information about University Libraries Changes and Support, the Disability Resource Center, and Housing & Residential Life.

Please follow all prescribed health and safety precautions, including social distancing, to minimize the spread of this disease and keep our campus and community safe. Campus Health remains open should you feel the need to seek medical attention.

We will convey additional information to students as necessary, and we appreciate your patience and flexibility as the College and University move forward through this difficult time.

With best wishes,
Dean Alain-Philippe Durand

P.S. On Monday morning via Facebook, University Provost Liesl Folks and Dean of Students Kendal Washington White presented a live video update to address questions. You can see a recording of this session here.