Staff & Office Hours
If you are struggling with a relationship, going through a break-up, in conflict with family members or peers, having doubts about the life of faith, wondering about the meaning of life, or just looking to shoot the breeze for a minute or two, we are ready to talk with you about what’s on your mind.
Meet Our Staff
Jeffrey McArn
College Chaplain
Jeffrey McArn with an MDiv from Harvard Divinity School, is the director of the chaplaincy with responsibilities for the Protestant community, Interfaith activities, teaching in American Studies, and for certain Community Outreach programs.
Saorsa Wissman
Interfaith Program Coordinator
Saorsa serves as administrative support for the chaplaincy, as well as an Interfaith/ Pagan Chaplain. She is completing her MDiv degree at Union Theological Seminary and brings a non-theistic, earth-centered spiritual practice into the Hamilton chaplaincy. With a deep background in Protestant and Catholic Christianity, Saorsa now identifies with the Reclaiming Tradition and justice-centered wild witches. She is also an advocate for disability rights and a signer for the hearing impaired.
Jenn Ferman
Jewish Chaplain
Jenn is the point person of our husband/wife Jewish Chaplaincy team. She comes to Hamilton College from Toronto where she was employed in programming for a large synagogue and a Jewish community organization. She has degrees in Religious Studies and Education and is active in social justice work.
Michael Ferman
Jewish Chaplain
Michael, along with his wife Jenn, is part of the Jewish chaplaincy, taking on the role of ritual and ceremonial leadership. In addition to his responsibilities as Headmaster for the Hebrew Day School in Syracuse, NY. In his previous role in Toronto, Michael was involved in program direction for a large synagogue and most recently Admissions Director for a Hebrew Academy, with graduate degrees in Jewish Studies and Education.
Fr. Peter El Hachem
Catholic Chaplain
Fr. Peter is a Maronite Catholic priest who is also trained in the Roman Catholic liturgical rites. Ordained to the priesthood in his native Lebanon, he served parishes in Beirut and South America, before coming to his current role as Pastor for St. Louis Gonzaga Church in Utica, NY. Fr. Peter celebrates mass on campus typically on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays, and is available for confession or informal conversation on those days.
Imam Tom Facchine
College Imam
Imam Tom is the imam for Utica Masjid (Muslim Community Association of Mohawk Valley) on Kemble Street in Utica, and serves as our College Imam as a member of our chaplaincy staff. Following graduation from Vassar College, Tom attended the Islamic University of Madinah in Saudi Arabia where he obtained degrees in classical Arabic, comparative Islamic law in 2020, and completed the chaplaincy program conducted under the supervision of the Prophet’s Mosque in 2019. Imam Tom is typically on campus Thursday afternoons and occasionally Friday evening for MSA dinner discussions.
Togan Timothy Kohlbrenner
Syracuse Zen Center/Advisor to Meditation Club
Resource for Weekly Sitting Meditation
Bob Ford
Chapel Music Director
Lily McArn
Chapel Therapy Dog
Lily, black lab mix rescue dog, has been certified as a therapy dog with Therapy Dogs International since 2016, and has served daily as a nonverbal counselor for Hamilton students who are looking for an empathic presence, or are simply missing their dogs at home. Lily was born on August 17, 2010 and loves long walks. Students can come by to walk her any time.
