Alison Melnick Dyer

Alison Melnick Dyer serves as Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Bates College and Department Chair of Asian Studies, focusing on Tibetan and Chinese Buddhist historical traditions with emphasis on institutional authority and gender dynamics.

Her academic credentials include:

• B.A. from the University of Michigan
• M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Virginia

Professor Melnick Dyer's research examines intersections of gender, privilege, and religious authority in Asian contexts, particularly through 18th-century Tibetan hagiography. She investigates how women like Mingyur Peldron exercised leadership within Buddhist institutions, contributing to broader fields of Asian religious history, Chinese borderland studies, and gender-religion analysis. Her expertise spans Tibetan religion, South Asian religious traditions, and critical privilege studies within religious frameworks.