New York University. Her work focuses on fostering positive relationships between groups of differing religious faiths. She is an advocate for interfaith engagement and multi-faith activism in the interest of the public good. She has spent her academic career teaching Islamic Studies and interfaith relations in historically Christian institutions. As ISNA president, Mattson established a national office for interfaith relations in Washington, DC in 2006. She invited Rabbi Eric Yoffie, President of the Union for Reform Judaism, to speak at the organization's annual convention in Chicago in 2006. Mattson spoke the next year at the group's Biennial where she received a standing ovation and announced "a new partnership that promotes interfaith dialogue and other relationship-building activities" between the two organizations. She also established programs with other Jewish organizations. The "Twinning Program" with the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding is one such program. Another is the three year "Jews and Muslims in America" program developed in cooperation with the Jewish Theological Seminary and funded by the Carnegie Institute. Mattson has advocated for greater understanding and partnerships between Muslims and Buddhists as well. She shared the stage with the Dalai Lama on a number of occasions, including the "Seeds of Peace" program in Seattle in 2008, in Indiana in 2010, and in Chicago in 2011. Mattson is an original signatory of "A Common Word" and has participated in many Christian-Muslim conferences and dialogues with the Jordanian Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought. Her leadership in interfaith cooperation has been recognized by Burt Visotzsky of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. She was also awarded an honorary doctorate in 2012 by the Chicago Theological Seminary for her service to the faith community. Views on the role of women in Islam Mattson advocates for a greater public role for Muslim women as religious leaders. When she founded the first accredited graduate program for Muslim chaplains in the US, she insisted that it be open to women. Mattson wears a hijab, but argues that governments should have no authority to enforce religious dress or ban it. Mattson has worked with a Muslim social service agency called Peaceful Families. The group to advocates against domestic violence in the Muslim community and argues against interpretations of the Qur'an that permit violence to or discrimination against women. Mattson is also the Founder and Director of The Hurma Project - an initiative to help Muslim communities prevent and act