Rev. Dave Wright

Rev. Dave Wright is the University Chaplain at the University of Puget Sound, and an Ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church.  After growing up in Arizona, Dave attended the University of Puget Sound, received an M.Div. from Duke University, and completed two years of residency in Clinical Pastoral Education at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Hospitals.   Dave and his spouse, Peggy Hannon, returned to the PNW as quickly as their degrees and training would allow; Dave served as Associate Pastor at Bothell UMC in King County for five years prior to being hired as the Chaplain at Puget Sound in 2006.  As University Chaplain, Dave provides support and resources to students, faculty, and staff of any, all, or no particular spiritual background.  Dave’s work includes a focus on spiritual exploration through reflection, arts, and nature, and also emphasizes education and cultural literacy regarding religious diversity.  His work also includes engagement around suicide intervention, DEI efforts on campus, and is trained as a sexual assault advocate in Washington State.  Outside the university, Dave has been a board member of the National Association of College and University Chaplains, is past president of the Association of College and University Religious Affairs (since merged into the Association for Chaplaincy and Spiritual Life in Higher Education), and in 2018 was named the Outstanding Professional in Spirituality and Religion in Higher Education by NASPA (Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education).  Dave and Peggy live in Kent, Washington, with their two cats and share a passion for cooking, reading, and the arts.