Varun Soni, scholar and the first Hindu spiritual leader on a U.S. campus, has been named dean of religious life at University of Southern California , marking the first appointment of a member of the Hindu faith as primary spiritual leader of an American university. University of Southern California (USC) news reports Soni, whose appointment is effective July 1, is a lawyer and religious scholar. He previously taught in the Law and Society Program at the University of California , Santa Barbara . Soni, a member of the Hindu faith, spent part of his academic career in India , his native country. Soni holds a bachelor’s degree in religion from Tufts University , a master’s degree in theological studies from Harvard University , a master’s degree in comparative religion from UC Santa Barbara and a juris doctor degree from UCLA. He is currently completing a Ph.D. degree in religious studies from the University of Cape Town and is a member of the State Bar of C