The mission of the Boniuk Institute is to understand and promote religious tolerance by using innovative methods to provide models for national and international education; deliver educational programming to Rice University students and the Houston community at large; spearhead engagement efforts that foster a dialogue within the Houston community and on a national and global level and conduct multidisciplinary, academically rigorous research. The Institute aims to serve as a pre-eminent academic organization that reaches beyond the Rice campus to have an impact locally, nationally, and globally.
As a part of Rice University, and in line with its mission, the Institute neither engages in partisan politics nor serves as a rapid response entity.
About Boniuk Institute
The Boniuk Institute 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 an initial donation of $5 million and a charge to study and advance religious tolerance through research, education, community engagement and the arts.
Meet the Donors
Namesake donors Dr. Milton and Laurie Boniuk have been described as “the neighbors that any great institution would rejoice to have.” The couple is well-known for their passionate advocacy of religious tolerance and have demonstrated a remarkable commitment to achieving peaceful solutions among all faiths and beliefs, both at Rice University and beyond.
The Boniuk's interest in promoting religious acceptance was sparked at Baylor College of Medicine, where, as the Caroline F. Elles Chair of Opthalmology, Dr. Boniuk interacted with hundreds of medical students and residents of divergent backgrounds. His 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,’” Milton explained. “I decided to do something to change that.”
Eager to help people of different faiths, or of no faith, learn to coexist peacefully and respectfully, Milton and Laurie made a gift to Rice in 2004 to establish a center dedicated to promoting deeper understanding of religious tolerance in Houston. In 2013, they funded the expansion of the (Boniuk) Center so it could extend its efforts on a global level. Because of their generosity, the Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance now brings together scholars from a range of disciplines to conduct innovative research into religious tolerance and intolerance and to use that knowledge to make policy recommendations and design educational and outreach programs for both young people and adults.
"Laurie and I want people to learn to respect others for what they are,” Milton said. “Let everyone pray the way they want and use whatever symbols they want, as long as they’re good citizens and treat everybody with respect."
Namesake donors Dr. Milton and Laurie Boniuk have been described as “the neighbors that any great institution would rejoice to have.” The couple is well-known for their passionate advocacy of religious tolerance and have demonstrated a remarkable commitment to achieving peaceful solutions among all faiths and beliefs, both at Rice University and beyond. The Boniuk's interest in promoting religious acceptance was sparked at Baylor College of Medicine, where, as the Caroline F. Elles Chair of Opthalmology, Dr. Boniuk interacted with hundreds of medical students and residents of divergent backgrounds. His 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,’” Milton explained. “I decided to do something to change that.” Eager to help people of different faiths, or of no faith, learn to coexist peacefully and respectfully, Milton and Laurie made a gift to Rice in 2004 to establish a center dedicated to promoting deeper understanding of religious tolerance in Houston. In 2013, they funded the expansion of the (Boniuk) Center so it could extend its efforts on a global level. Because of their generosity, the Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance now brings together scholars from a range of disciplines to conduct innovative research into religious tolerance and intolerance and to use that knowledge to make policy recommendations and design educational and outreach programs for both young people and adults. "Laurie and I want people to learn to respect others for what they are,” Milton said. “Let everyone pray the way they want and use whatever symbols they want, as long as they’re good citizens and treat everybody with respect."