IBS Celebrates Class of 2026

Faculty, students, trustees and friends of the Institute of Buddhist Studies (IBS) gathered May 21 at the Jodo Shinshu Center in Berkeley, California, to celebrate the graduating class of 2026.

Opening remarks were delivered by Dr. Leroy Morishita, Chair of the IBS Board of Trustees, and IBS President Dr. Scott Mitchell. The dean of the Graduate Theological Union, Dr. Christopher Oker, was present to deliver words of welcome.

The commencement address was delivered by Rev. Akiko Rogers, a 2021 graduate of IBS, who earned their Master of Divinity along with a Certificate in Shin Buddhist Studies.

Rev. Rogers delivered a moving and heartfelt commencement address discussing the many causes and conditions that brought them to the study of the Dharma at IBS. They encouraged the class of 2026 to reflect on their own paths to studying the Dharma and how this might influence their own work in ministry and chaplaincy.

Dr. Morishita and IBS Dean Rev. Dr. Takashi Miyaji conferred graduate degrees and certificates on the following students:

Master of Arts in Buddhist Studies

Sumreen Chaudhry
Thesis title: “Notions of Beauty in Theravada Buddhism: An Exploration of Aesthetics, Ethics, and Applications for Chaplaincy and Meaning-Making in Spiritual Care.”

Rev. Vonn R Magnin
Thesis title: “Sacred Moments, Everyday Lives: Discovering the Meaning within Jodo Shinshu Rituals in Contemporary America.”

Rev. Devon Matsumoto
Thesis title: “Voices of the Bodhisattvas: Moving in Solidarity with the Evil Person Towards Collective Liberation.”

Master of Divinity

Rev. Blake Honda
Thesis title: “Simply Live: The Luminous Embodiment of Jodo Shinshu Faith through the Heart of the Myokonin.”

Letesa Isler
Thesis title: “Exploring Tibetan Buddhism as a Catalyst for Transforming Trauma into Weathered Wisdom.”

Certificate in Buddhist Chaplaincy

  • Samuel Hager
  • Letesa Isler

Certificate in Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Studies

  • Rev. Blake Honda
  • Rev. Devon Matsumoto
  • Rev. Aaron Proffitt

Certificate in Soto Zen Buddhist Studies

  • Patrick Bansho Green
  • Todd Honma
  • Sara Lamm
  • Patricia McFarlin
  • Patrick James O’Connor
  • William Wynne

Congratulations to the graduating class of 2026!

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About the Institute of Buddhist Studies

The Institute of Buddhist Studies is an accredited graduate school located in Berkeley, California, affiliated with the Graduate Theological Union. IBS offers master’s degrees and certificate programs in Buddhist studies, chaplaincy, and ministry, and is dedicated to advancing scholarship that bridges academic inquiry with lived Buddhist traditions.