The Senior Associate Dean of Religious Life at the University of Southern California, Vanessa serves as the first humanist chaplain in any American university. She received her BA in Religious Studies and Psychology from Arizona State University, her Master of Science degree from George Mason University, and her Master of Divinity degree from the Chicago Theological Seminary. Vanessa also holds a Doctorate in Education from the USC Rossier School of Education. She has earned a Certificate of Humanist Studies & Leadership from the Humanist Institute and is endorsed by the Humanist Society.