Experienced Peace Mediator Joins USU Religious Studies Faculty

LOGAN, Utah — International conflict mediator Chad Ford is embarking on his first semester as an associate professor of religious studies at Utah State University.

Known for his work in conflict zones around the world, Ford has acted as a mediator and facilitator in the Middle East for more than two decades and delivered conflict training to organizations like Nike, the U.S. Olympic Team, and USAID.

Ford joins USU from BYU-Hawaii, where he was first to head the David O. McKay Center for Intercultural Understanding and created a major and certificate program in intercultural peacebuilding, mediation and facilitation. At USU, he teaches courses in the Religious Studies program as well as certificates offered through the Heravi Peace Institute.

“We are delighted to have Chad Ford with us in the Religious Studies Program,” said Department Head Ravi Gupta. “His expertise in lived religion and interfaith relations will be an immense benefit to our students and the broader USU community.”

At an event hosted by USU’s Peacebuilding and Transformative Conflict Club and the Heravi Peace Institute on Oct. 8, Ford shared personal experiences working with peacemakers on both sides of the Israel-Palestine conflict.

“As someone who's worked as a mediator in the Middle East, I am not going to spend time telling you who is right and who is wrong,” Ford said. “I want to talk … about what peacebuilding looks like in the midst of war. I think a lot of times when we talk about peacebuilding, we want to talk about it in rosy terms, holding hands and we're lighting candles, and I want to give you a reality check of what peacebuilding looks like … on the ground in Israel and Palestine.”

After earning a master’s degree in conflict analysis and resolution at George Mason University and a law degree at Georgetown, Ford initially gained renown as a sports journalist, covering the NBA and NBA Draft. But a love of basketball did not diminish Ford’s interest in conflict mediation. Instead, Ford found creative ways to merge his passions.

Eighteen years ago, Ford began working with a nonprofit called Peace Players. They bring Israelis and Palestinians together through the game of basketball — something that has continued, when safe enough to do so, despite the conflict that began on Oct. 7, 2023.

“We have more young people and more parents in the program than we have ever had at any other time in the history of us doing this work,” said Ford at his Oct. 8 presentation. “And I believe that there is a growing sentiment of both Israeli and Palestinian [people] that have watched the devastation of the last year and are saying to themselves right now, and sometimes quite loudly, we have to do something different. We have to do it for ourselves. We have to do it for our children.”

Beyond his expertise in conflict mediation, Ford is excited to build upon his work in intrafaith and interfaith conflict — an opportunity that drew him to Utah State University. To this end, he is already embarking on projects with USU’s Interfaith Initiative; is planning to host conflict resolution workshops for faculty, staff, students and community members; and is actively working with religious studies and communication studies faculty to develop transformative mediation training for legal professionals.

Ford said he also looks forward to continued research on Indigenous and Western conflict resolution models, creating a transformative mediation program at USU, as well as exploring mysticism among Latter-day Saints.

The Heravi Peace Institute draws from academic programs across the College of Humanities and Social Sciences to offer interdisciplinary certificates in conflict management, global peacebuilding, interfaith leadership, nonprofit entrepreneurship, and leadership and diplomacy. Associate Professor Ford is among new faculty invigorating the Heravi Peace Institute’s offerings.

“Their efforts have been extraordinary and have already started the important process of creating certificates, courses and research that will be central to the institute’s work,” Ford said. “I appreciate their trust in me to help magnify and expand their work so that more students and community leaders can take part in it.”