Susan Hayward

Susan Hayward serves as Director of Religion and Inclusive Societies at the U.S. Institute of Peace, responsible for overseeing the Institute's work to understand religious dynamics in conflict and engage the religious sector in peacebuilding. Since joining the Institute in 2007, her field work has focused on Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Colombia and Iraq. Her research interests include interfaith engagement in the midst of political violence, political Buddhism and the role of religion in hampering and propelling women’s work for peace and justice.

Susan has over fifteen years' experience in refugee, human rights, and peacebuilding. She was a student of Buddhism in Nepal and is ordained in the United Church of Christ. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in theology and religious studies at Georgetown University, focusing on Buddhist and Christian theological responses to authoritarianism and conflict in Burma/Myanmar. Born and raised in Minnesota, she now lives in Washington, DC.