Dr. Bennett—an award-winning sociologist, criminologist, and journalist—is Founder and President of the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding. The Center is firmly committed to the idea that religious pluralism is one of the linchpins of a democratic society. To that end, the Center takes action against the destructive effects of religious hatred through a range of innovative domestic and international programs. These programs, which bridge theology and practicality, focus on: schools and after school programs, the workplace, deadly sectarian conflicts, special consultations and educational forums.

The field of religious diversity in the workplace was pioneered by Dr. Bennett at the Tanenbaum Center. As a result, the Tanenbaum Center is now the leading resource in this field and was cited in a global study by the International Labour Organization as one of the few entities in the world doing systematic work in this arena. Dr. Bennett’s 2003 publication, Religion in the Workplace: Navigating the Complex Landscape, also broke new ground and is the first comprehensive, interactive managers’ toolkit to deal with religious diversity issues.

Dr. Bennett has previously been affiliated with the Center for Policy Research in New York and the Center for Investigative Reporting in San Francisco. As a television and radio commentator, she was a Network Correspondent for NBC News and host of Walter Cronkite’s PBS current affairs series, Why in the World? She created three of her own syndicated radio programs and was a regular commentator for Fox-TV’s 10 O’Clock News. In addition, she created stories for 20/20, 60 Minutes, and MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour.

She has also served as Deputy Assistant Director for Administration of Justice, New York City Office of Management and Budget, Coordinator for Training and Evaluation and Personal Consultant to the Police Commissioner of the New York City Police Department, and on several university faculties where she taught sociology, education, research methods, law enforcement and criminology.