Fostering Religious Pluralism and Tolerance
The Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance was founded in 2013 with a generous gift from Houston philanthropists Dr. Milton and Laurie Boniuk. The Institute is an expansion of the Boniuk Center that was previously established at Rice University in 2004 with a charge to study and advance religious tolerance through research, education, community engagement and the arts. In 2023, under new university leadership, the Boniuk Institute received an expanded charge--to become a premier interdisciplinary research and scholarly institute focusing on religious pluralism and tolerance as well as conflict and violence.
Meet the Donors
The Boniuk's interest in promoting religious acceptance was sparked during Dr. Boniuk's tenure at Baylor College of Medicine, where, as the Caroline F. Elles Chair of Opthalmology, he interacted with hundreds of medical students and residents of diverse backgrounds. The Boniuk's interest grew stronger after he was asked to serve on the board of Houston's newly established Holocaust Museum. "I thought to myself, it is very difficult to teach tolerance. People are too busy. It's not a priority for them,'" Boniuk explained. "I decided to do something to change that."
In 2004, the Boniuks made a gift to Rice University that established the Boniuk Center, dedicated to promoting religious tolerance in Houston. In 2013, they generously funded the expansion of the Boniuk Center into the Boniuk Institute, with a charge to study and advance religious tolerance on a global level through research, education, and community engagement.