Meet the Team

Office of Religious & Spiritual Life Staff

Dr. Varun Soni is the Dean of Religious Life at the University of Southern California. Dean Soni received his B.A. degree in Religion from Tufts University, where he also earned an Asian Studies minor and completed the Program in Peace and..

Dr. Vanessa Gomez Brake, M.Div, is the Senior Associate Dean of Religious Life at the University of Southern California. She received her B.A. degrees in Religious Studies & Psychology from Arizona State University. Her M.S. in Conflict Analysis & Resolution is from George Mason University…

Dr. Allyson Pimentel is the Director of Mindful USC. Dr. Pimentel holds a bachelor’s degree from Brown University and a doctorate in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard University. She has completed numerous professional mindfulness teacher training programs and also is a registered yoga teacher.

Muzzammil Dadabhoy is the inaugural Director of Muslim Life and Campus Imam at the University of Southern California. Dadabhoy receives his undergraduate law degree in Judiciary Studies from Umm al-Qura University in Makkah where he also completed a diploma in Arabic and Islamic Studies. Additionally, he earned his LL.M degree in Alternative Dispute Resolution from the Gould School of Law at the University of Southern California.

Dr. Mark Miller, Psy.D., MPH, CMT-P, is the inaugural Director of Buddhist Life and Buddhist Chaplain at the University of Southern California. Miller is also a a clinical psychologist who earned his doctor of psychology at Pepperdine University.

Dr. Robin Mitchell Stroud, Ph.D is the Director of Student Engagement Programs at the Office of Religious & Spiritual Life. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology, masters’ degrees in human relations & educational studies, and a graduate certificate in women’s and gender studies.

Nancy Gomez Flores joined the Trojan family in December 2005. She has over 17 years of experience in higher education, she previously served as the Executive Office Coordinator in the Marshall School of Business

Allison Agsten supports students, staff, and faculty who are coping with the consequences of climate change as USC’s eco-chaplain. She is also the inaugural director of USC Annenberg’s Center for Climate Journalism and Communication, executive producer of the USC energy transition podcast series, Electric Futures, and the USC Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability’s first curator.

Sable Manson is Co-Chair of ARISE: USC’s Alliance for Religious, Interfaith & Secular Engagement. Born and raised in Southern California, Sable attended Loyola Marymount University (LMU) as an undegrad, and earned her Masters in Post-Secondary Administration and Student Affairs (PASA) from USC.

Consultants

During the 2025-26 school year, Diante Tisnado is completing her spiritual care internship at USC. is currently enrolled in the Master of Arts in Chaplaincy program at Fuller Theological Seminary. With a background in anthropology and health policy, she previously earned a doctorate in health services research from UCLA’s School of Public Health.

Jessica Spence Moss is a consultant with ARISE: USC’s Alliance for Religious, Interfaith & Secular Engagement. Moss is a wife, mother, Mormon, Interfaith activist, and academic. She earned her PhD from Claremont Graduate University in Cultural Studies and was the recipient of an AAUW American Fellowship, as well as a CGU Transdisciplinary Studies grant for her work on interfaith communities.

Religious Affiliates

One of the great resources at USC is the presence and vitality of so many religious traditions. Religious Affiliates comprise a community of more than 50 professionals that represent many of the world’s religious, spiritual, and philosophical traditions, and share a collective commitment to serving the spiritual needs of USC students, faculty, and staff.

Religious Affiliates are local religious leaders who collaborate with the staff of the USC Office of Religious & Spiritual Life to ensure that students are supported in their diverse traditions and practices on campus. While they are volunteer members of the University, they nonetheless play a deeply meaningful role within our Trojan community, offering support during times of celebration, crisis, and everyday life, and expanding the university’s unique network of care. Additionally, they advise many of our 80 religious and spiritual groups on campus, providing specialized programming that is unique to their traditions. Several of these affiliated organizations also have established centers near campus.