Sumi Loundon Kim

Sumi Loundon Kim (she, her) is the Buddhist chaplain at Yale University, previously serving in the same role at Duke University for eight years. She is the founder of and was the primary teacher for the Mindful Families of Durham, NC. After receiving a bachelor’s in fine arts from Williams College and master’s in Buddhist studies and Sanskrit from the Harvard Divinity School, she was the associate director for the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies in Massachusetts. Originally brought up in a Soto Zen community in the 70s, Sumi has been a student of the Theravada (insight) tradition since her teens. She is the author of several books: Blue Jean Buddha (2001); The Buddha’s Apprentices (2005); Sitting Together: A Family-Centered Curriculum on Mindfulness, Meditation, and Buddhism (2017); and Goodnight Love: A Bedtime Meditation Story (2023). She lives in southern Connecticut with her husband, two teens, and dog Bodhi.