Debernierre Torrey

Debernierre Torrey is an Associate Professor in the Department of World Languages and Cultures at the University of Utah. Her academic career spans over a decade at the same institution, transitioning from Assistant Professor to her current role since 2020.

• PhD in Comparative Literature (Penn State University, 2010)
• MA in Classical Liberal Arts (St. John's College, 2000)
• BA in Liberal Arts (Eastern Mennonite University, 1989)

Dr. Torrey's research focuses on the intersection of Religious Studies and Literary Studies, examining:

• 19th-century Korean Catholic conversion narratives
• Confucian-Catholic ethical comparisons
• Women's agency in religious contexts
• Transcendent motifs in Korean-Christian texts
• Subjectivity in premodern Korean poetry

Her scholarly output reveals a thematic evolution from analyzing early Korean Catholic martyrdom to exploring:

• Didactic literature's role in cultural transformation
• Soul salvation psychology
• Religious community experiments
• Comparative virtue systems

Dr. Torrey has received external funding from:

• Academy of Korean Studies
• Association for Asian Studies Northeast Asia Council
• Korea Foundation

She has contributed to academic service through:

• 2012-2013: American Academy of Religion Steering Committee
• 2014-2020: Korean Religions Group board membership

Her teaching covers:

• Advanced Korean language courses
• Korean culture through literature
• Graduate-level language studies