Find Academic Supervisors

Benjamin KirbyView profile

Professor

• Religion in Africa and the Indian Ocean
• Religion and politics
• Urban environments and development
• +4 more

Prof. Dr. Benjamin Kirby is a Junior Professor for the Study of Religion with a focus on global entanglements at the University of Bayreuth (since March 2022). Previously, he held a British Academy Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (2018–2022) at the University of Leeds, focusing on 'The Politics of Religious Infrastructure: Christian and Muslim Urban Worlds in Africa.' His academic journey includes a Ph.D. from the University of Leeds (2013–2017), an M.A. in Religion and Public Life (2012–2013), and a B.A. in Theology from the University of Oxford (2007–2010). Education: B.A. Theology, Pembroke College, University of Oxford (2007–2010) M.A. Religion and Public Life, University of Leeds (2012–2013) Ph.D., University of Leeds (2013–2017) His research spans Religion in Africa and the Indian Ocean , with a focus on Islam and Christianity, alongside themes like religion and conflict, urbanization, globalization, and seafarers' welfare. He explores how religious infrastructures shape social dynamics in cities like Dar es Salaam and Hong Kong, emphasizing ethnographic methods. His work often intersects with political economy and conspiracy thinking in modern societies. Publications since 2020 reflect his focus on urban religious dynamics, including analyses of Muslim mobilization, Pentecostal spiritual warfare in global cities, and the role of religious infrastructure in political processes. These studies highlight interdisciplinary approaches, combining anthropology, sociology, and political science. Prof. Kirby’s regional expertise includes Tanzania, South Africa, the Indian Ocean region, and Hong Kong SAR. He engages in collaborative projects on global entanglements and has contributed to edited volumes addressing gender, religion, and urbanization.

• Cultural Anthropology
• Gender Studies
• Cultural Ecology
• +9 more

Barbara Worley is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Anthropology at UMass Boston. Her expertise spans cultural anthropology, sociology, and interdisciplinary studies, with a focus on Africa and Islamic societies. PhD in Anthropology from Columbia University Undergraduate degree in Ancient Greek language and literature Her research explores gender dynamics, cultural ecology, and ritual practices among the Kel Fadey Tuareg pastoral nomads of the Sahara. Funded by prestigious institutions like Fulbright-Hays and Wenner-Gren Foundation, she has conducted four years of fieldwork across three expeditions to the central Sahara. Notable publications include analyses of Tuareg matrilineal systems, gendered wealth distribution, and conflict dynamics. Barbara is currently revising two book manuscripts: one on Tuareg matrilineal practices and another on the Amazons of North Africa. Specializations: Gender, cultural ecology, social theory, ritual and religion Teaching: Cultural anthropology, archaeology, biological anthropology, linguistics

Mahboob MohammadView profile

Senior Lecturer

• South Asian Islam
• South Asian Hinduism
• Religions and Literatures in South India
• +4 more

Dr. Mahboob Mohammad is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania's South Asia Studies Department. With over a decade of teaching experience at institutions like the University of Wisconsin and the University of Texas at Austin, he specializes in South Asian Islam and Hinduism, focusing on religious-literary intersections in South India. Education: Ph.D. in Languages and Cultures of Asia (University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2010) Research Interests: His work explores devotional practices, religious conflict resolution, and multilingual literary cultures (Urdu, Hindi, Telugu). Current projects include: A Garden of Mirrors: Vernacular Sufi Poetics in South India (focusing on Telugu/Urdu Muslim writing) Witnessing Police Action: Hindu-Muslim Dialogue and the Public Sphere in Telangana (1948-present) Publication Trends: His scholarship bridges ethnographic fieldwork and literary analysis, with recurring themes of ritual materiality, interfaith performance, and postcolonial resistance narratives. Scientific Awards: Recipient of India's national Saraswathi Bhasha Samman for Telugu poetry Academic Contributions: He has published over a dozen peer-reviewed works and edits the Telugu web weekly "Saranga." His teaching integrates Urdu/Hindi/Telugu language sources.

Francesc Granell SalesView profile

Researcher

• Medieval Visual Culture
• Gothic Studies
• Medieval illuminated manuscripts
• +2 more

Francesc Granell Sales is a Researcher at the Universitat de València , affiliated with the Department of History of Art . He is part of the research group MUPART (Memory and meaning: use and perception of artistic remains in Valencian region during Medieval and Early Modern Ages). His work focuses on Medieval Visual Culture , Gothic Studies , and the Medieval Crown of Aragon , with particular emphasis on the memory and representation of King James I of Aragon in late medieval Valencia. Granell Sales' research explores how visual media – manuscripts, paintings, and civic performances – shaped historical perceptions of monarchs, religious others, and conquest narratives. His 2024 book Jaume I en la València baixmedieval analyzes the king's posthumous visual legacy, while articles like El ideal de cruzada en Valencia (2024) and ¿Musulmán o judío? (2024) examine crusade ideology and interreligious iconographic hybridity. His publications frequently address urban historiography , artistic patronage , and late Gothic visual strategies . Scientific awards and grants are not mentioned in the provided texts. Granell Sales has not explicitly supervised students listed in the data, but his work intersects with medieval manuscript studies , religious art , and Valencian cultural heritage through detailed analyses of altarpieces, chroniclers' works, and urban monuments.

• African American History
• U.S. Religious History
• Cultural History
• +7 more

Jacob Dorman serves as Associate Professor of Core Humanities and History at the University of Nevada, Reno within the Department of History in the College of Liberal Arts. He teaches courses including U.S. History Since 1877, Introduction to African-American History, The Roaring Twenties, and American Cultural and Intellectual History. His educational background includes a B.A. with highest honors in History from Stanford University (1996), where he studied with Clayborne Carson and Sylvia Wynter, and a Ph.D. in United States History with emphasis on African American History from UCLA (2004), advised by Brenda Stevenson and studying with Joyce Appleby and Gary Nash. Dorman specializes in African American religious history, particularly Black Islam and Black Judaism in America. His research examines cultural intersections of race, religion, and Orientalism during the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, exploring how marginalized communities created religious traditions through cultural bricolage. He focuses on transformative learning experiences and theoretical frameworks in historical scholarship. His publications reveal consistent engagement with Black religious innovation, analyzing how African Americans appropriated and transformed Islamic and Jewish traditions within contexts of segregation, imperialism, and cultural performance. Key themes include the role of orientalism in American religious life, the politics of religious identity formation, and the connections between entertainment culture and religious movements. Wesley-Logan Prize from the American Historical Association Albert J. Raboteau Book Prize for Africana Religions Byron Caldwell Smith Book Prize Outstanding Academic Title from CHOICE Illinois Historical Society Award Dorman's research has received substantial funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, American Council of Learned Societies, Mellon Foundation, Gilder-Lehrman Institute, and major university research centers. His scholarly work appears in journals including The Journal of African American History and Nova Religio, with significant contributions to understanding religious syncretism in the African diaspora.

• Islamic Jurisprudence
• Fiqh
• Islamic Contract Law
• +3 more

Prof. Dr. Ahmet ÖZDEMİR serves as a full-time Professor at Kastamonu University's Faculty of Theology, Department of Islamic Law, where he has held progressively senior academic positions since 2011. His academic journey spans over two decades with continuous contributions to Islamic jurisprudence education and research. PhD in Islamic Law, Ankara University (2002-2008) Master's in Islamic Law, Marmara University (1997-2000) Bachelor's in Theology, Marmara University (1993-1998) Additional Master's in Public Administration, Karabük University (2024-2025) Specializing in Islamic Jurisprudence (Fiqh), Professor ÖZDEMİR's research focuses on classical and contemporary applications of Islamic law across diverse contexts including contract law, public administration, international relations, and modern ethical challenges. His scholarly work bridges traditional Islamic legal theory with contemporary societal needs, particularly examining how classical fiqh principles can address modern economic, social, and political issues while maintaining theological integrity. His publication record reveals consistent scholarly output with 60+ publications since 2008, demonstrating particular expertise in historical analysis of Islamic legal thought, contemporary fiqh problem-solving, and methodological approaches to Islamic jurisprudence. Recent works show increasing engagement with interdisciplinary applications of Islamic law in tourism, public administration, and economic systems. Professor ÖZDEMİR has supervised seven master's theses at Kastamonu University, guiding research on specialized topics within Islamic law including property separation in marriage contracts, defense rights in Islamic criminal law, and historical legal methodologies. His teaching portfolio encompasses doctoral, master's, and undergraduate courses across Islamic legal theory, contemporary fiqh issues, and specialized topics in Islamic jurisprudence.

Faegheh ShiraziView profile

Professor

• Textiles and Clothing
• Islamic Veil (Hijab)
• Gender and Women's Studies
• +4 more

Faegheh Shirazi is a Professor in the Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures at the University of Texas at Austin , affiliated with the College of Liberal Arts. She holds a PhD from Ohio State University and maintains office hours during Fall semesters (Tuesdays/Thursdays). Her research focuses on the intersection of Islamic culture, gender, and materiality, with emphasis on textiles, veiling practices, and women's roles in Iran and Muslim societies. Research Interests: Shirazi investigates textiles as cultural signifiers, Islamic veil (hijab) politics, gender identity discourse, and rituals tied to material culture. Her work spans: Symbolism of clothing in religious/social contexts Women's agency through fashion resistance Rites of passage in popular Islamic societies Cross-cultural analysis of Muslim women's representation Publication Trends: Her recent articles (2014–2024) analyze veiling as both political instrument and cultural expression, Islamic commodification (e.g., halal tourism, piety marketing), and artistic representations of Iranian women. Key themes include state-religion-fashion nexuses, gendered memorialization, and evolving Islamic identities in global contexts. Teaching: Courses include: Gender/Art in Muslim World (MEL 321/WGS 340/MES 342) Sacred/Ceremonial Textiles (cross-listed with Anthropology, Religion, Islamic Studies) Veiling Culture (PRS 329) Readings on Gender/Sexuality Contact: Email: fshirazi@austin.utexas.edu | Office: CAL 502 | Phone: 232-9416

Maria ParaniView profile

Associate Professor

• Byzantine Archaeology
• Byzantine Art History
• Medieval Cyprus
• +6 more

Maria Parani is an Associate Professor at the University of Cyprus' Department of History and Archaeology, specializing in Byzantine and medieval Cypriot material culture. With academic credentials from Athens, University College London, and Oxford, she has held prestigious fellowships at Dumbarton Oaks and Princeton University. Current affiliations: University of Cyprus (since 2005), Archaeological Research Unit Teaching: Byzantine archaeology, art history, and cultural identity Research Focus: Byzantine dress and identity, imperial ceremonial, gender in visual arts, and material culture of daily life. Her work bridges textual analysis with archaeological evidence, particularly in Cyprus. Publication Trends: 2018-2025 publications reveal a trajectory from material culture studies to gender analysis and digital humanities projects like the ByzAD database. Her recent book chapters in Byzantine Dress: A Guide (2025) and Routledge Handbook on Gender and Sexuality in Byzantium (2024) highlight evolving scholarly priorities. Awards & Collaborations: Recipient of Dumbarton Oaks and Princeton fellowships. Collaborated with international institutions across Cyprus, Greece, Italy, and the U.S. Currently coordinating digital corpus projects and postdoctoral research initiatives. Teaching Portfolio: Courses spanning from Introduction to Byzantine Archaeology to specialized topics on imperial iconography and post-Byzantine art, serving both undergraduate and interdepartmental master's programs.

• Sufi poetry
• Sufi hagiography
• Cognitive poetics
• +5 more

Mikko Autere is a University Lecturer in South Asian Studies at the University of Helsinki's Department of Languages (Faculty of Arts). He holds a PhD in Arabic and Islamic Studies from the University of Helsinki (2015), focusing on Sufi poetry and musical performance in Delhi and Hyderabad. His research interests include Sufi literature, Persian/Urdu poetry aesthetics, Islamic reform movements in South Asia, and cognitive poetics. He also works on a Persian poetry anthology translation into Finnish. Education PhD in Arabic and Islamic Studies (2015), University of Helsinki Research Interests Sufi poetry and hagiography Persian/Urdu literary traditions Islamic intellectual history Cognitive approaches to poetics Recent Publications Trends Recent work focuses on language policy in South Asian contexts, intersections between nationalism and language education, and exploring mystical dimensions in Sufi musical practices. His 2025 publications address language pedagogy reforms and national identity issues. Grants & Projects Nationalismi kielipolitiikassa ja kielikoulutuksessa research project (2019-2022) Development of Digital Teaching project for BA Languages program

Marion H KatzView profile

Professor

• Islamic Law
• Gender Studies
• Religious Rituals
• +3 more

Marion H. Katz is a Professor at New York University’s College of Arts & Science, specializing in the history of Islamic legal thought with a focus on gender and ritual in the 11th–15th centuries CE. Her research explores the intersection of Islamic law with ethical, philosophical, and Sufi discourses, emphasizing how normative frameworks shaped premodern Muslim societies. She holds a PhD from the University of Chicago (1997) and a BA from Yale (1989). Her major publications include Wives and Work: Islamic Law and Ethics Before Modernity (2022), which examines debates over marital obligations and domestic labor, and Women in the Mosque: A History of Legal Thought and Social Practice (2014), analyzing gender dynamics in Islamic ritual spaces. She has held prestigious fellowships, including from the Institute for Advanced Study and the American Council of Learned Societies. Dr. Katz teaches courses on Islamic law, gender, and religious texts, including “Islamic Law and Society” and “Women and Gender in Islam.” Her work bridges legal theory, social practice, and textual analysis, highlighting the complexity of premodern Islamic thought and its modern legacies.

Fabio RambelliView profile

Professor

• Japanese Religions
• Buddhist Studies
• Shinto Studies
• +7 more

Fabio Rambelli is Distinguished Professor in Religious Studies & East Asian Cultures at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he also serves as the International Shinto Foundation Chair in Shinto Studies and Chair of the Religious Studies Department. His academic work bridges Japanese religious traditions with broader cultural and historical inquiries. Professor Rambelli's research focuses on: Japanese religions and cultural history, particularly Esoteric Buddhism (mikkyō) The historical development of Shinto discourse in Japan Interactions between Buddhism and local cults across Asian traditions The religious dimensions of Japanese court music (gagaku) and dance (bugaku) Cultural identity formation, with comparative interest in Japan and Italy Material religion, semiotics, iconoclasm, and syncretism in religious history His scholarly approach examines Shinto as the product of complex historical processes involving the localization of Buddhism in Japan and Japan's engagement with various Asian intellectual traditions, rather than as a primordial, isolated tradition. Currently, he is conducting research on gagaku, with specific attention to the shō instrument, and has established a study group dedicated to practicing and exploring this tradition. Professor Rambelli maintains an active publication record, with recent works examining Buddhist economics, ritual consecration practices in premodern Japan, the philosophy of music in Buddhist tradition, and the material dimensions of religious practice. His scholarship demonstrates consistent engagement with both broad theoretical questions in religious studies and specific historical phenomena in Japanese religious culture.

• South Asian Studies
• Cultural Politics
• Performance Histories
• +4 more

Dr Priyanka Basu is a Lecturer in Performing Arts at King’s College London’s Department of Culture, Media & Creative Industries (Faculty of Arts & Humanities). She holds Visiting Fellowships at University College London’s Institute of Advanced Studies and SOAS South Asia Institute. Her expertise bridges South Asian Studies with interdisciplinary research on cultural politics, performance histories, and gender labour dynamics. Educated at Jawaharlal Nehru University (MA/MPhil in English Literature) and SOAS (PhD in South Asian Studies with Felix Scholarship), her work focuses on authenticity in folk performances, transnational cultural networks, and decolonizing archives. She co-edits special journal issues on ‘Print and Islam’ and ‘Ecology, Music and Community in South Asia’. Her research explores Cold War-era performer migrations, rural women’s craft economies, and Second World War-era dance histories. She teaches courses on cultural management, performance studies, and creative industries. Awarded prestigious fellowships and editorial roles, she also serves on the Gender and Intersectionality on Indian and Diasporic (GRID) Heritage Network. Previously, she curated the British Library’s ‘Two Centuries of Indian Print’ project and organized public engagement initiatives with South Asian cultural collections.

• Ethnomusicology
• Uyghur Studies
• Central Asian Studies
• +7 more

Rachel Harris is Professor of Ethnomusicology and Director of Doctoral Studies at the Department of Music, School of Arts, SOAS University of London. With over twenty years of experience in teaching and doctoral supervision, she has established herself as a leading scholar in the field of ethnomusicology with a particular focus on China and Central Asia. Harris holds a BA from Oxford University, an MMus, and a PhD from London. Her academic journey has led her to become a prominent voice in the study of musical traditions across cultural and political boundaries. Professor Harris's research centers on the Uyghur people of China's Xinjiang region and Central Asia, with particular attention to maqam traditions, intangible cultural heritage, music and Islam, soundscapes, and state projects of territorialization. She has conducted extensive ethnographic fieldwork in Xinjiang, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan over a twenty-year period. Her current ERC-funded project "Maqām Beyond Nation" examines maqām-based music-making across Central Asia, Iran, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, tracing histories of connection, contemporary border-crossing initiatives, and music in forced migration contexts. She previously led the AHRC-funded "Sounding Islam in China" project and the British Academy-supported "Uyghur Meshrep Project," which documented expressive culture among Uyghur communities in Kazakhstan. Harris's publications reveal a consistent focus on the intersection of music, religion, and politics in Chinese Central Asia. Her work demonstrates how sound functions as a key medium for understanding faith, religious change, political tensions, and violence, particularly in the context of Uyghur Islamic revival. She has explored topics ranging from Qur'anic recitation and religious gatherings to the globalization of Uyghur pop music and digital mediation of religious practices. Professor Harris has supervised numerous PhD students whose research spans diverse topics from Anglophone music in Calcutta to military bands in postcolonial Singapore. She has secured significant research funding including an ERC Advanced Grant, AHRC network funding, Leverhulme Research Project funding, and British Academy Sustainable Development Fund support. Her research is often conducted in collaboration with communities and researchers across borders, emphasizing applied ethnomusicology through concerts, workshops, and recording projects that aim to document and revitalize musical traditions while promoting sustainable development.

Barbara Watson AndayaView profile

Professor

• Southeast Asian History
• Women and Gender Studies
• Religious Change in Asia
• +3 more

Barbara Watson Andaya is a Professor in the Asian Studies Program at the University of Hawai’i, where she has taught since 1994. She previously served as Director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies and President of the American Association of Asian Studies (2005-06). Educated at the University of Sydney (BA, Dip.Ed.), the University of Hawai’i (MA in History, 1969), and Cornell University (Ph.D., 1975), her work bridges Southeast Asian history, gender studies, and religious change. Ph.D., Cornell University, 1975 M.A., University of Hawai’i, 1969 B.A., University of Sydney, 1962 Her research focuses on women and gender in early modern Southeast Asia, Christian localization processes, and contemporary social issues in the region. She has taught and researched across Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, and the Netherlands, emphasizing transnational and maritime perspectives. Recent projects include a history of Christian localization in Southeast Asia (supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities grant) and editing the Cambridge History of Southeast Asia . Key publications include the landmark The Flaming Womb: Repositioning Women in Southeast Asian History, 1500–1800 (2006), which won Choice Academic Book of the Year (2007), and works on maritime cosmologies, gendered power dynamics, and globalization. She has also co-authored major texts like A History of Malaysia (Third Edition, 2017) and A History of Early Modern Southeast Asia, 1400–1830 (2015). Recipient of the Guggenheim Award (2000) Choice Academic Book of the Year (2007) Andaya teaches courses such as ASAN 202 (Introduction to Asian Studies), ASAN 496 (Religions of Island Southeast Asia), and ASAN 630 (Globalization in Southeast Asia). Her NEH-funded research on Christian localization underscores her commitment to exploring cultural and religious syncretism. As general editor of the Cambridge History of Southeast Asia , she continues shaping scholarly narratives on the region.

Dimitris XygalatasView profile

Associate Professor

• Cognitive Anthropology
• Ritual Behavior
• Social Cohesion
• +2 more

Dimitris Xygalatas is Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Connecticut, where he directs the Experimental Anthropology Lab. A cognitive anthropologist, he studies ritual through combined field and laboratory methods, measuring physiological responses during collective ceremonies. His award-winning book Ritual explores how culturally patterned behaviors create meaning and social cohesion. Research innovations include: Biometric measurement in naturalistic settings Cross-cultural experimental protocols Quantification of collective effervescence Analysis of ritual signalling systems Fieldwork spans fire-walking in Spain/Greece, Kavadi rituals in Mauritius, and large-scale religious events. Laboratory experiments investigate ritual's effects on cooperation, pain tolerance, and group identity. His work demonstrates how extreme rituals promote prosociality through neurobiological mechanisms including endorphin release and physiological synchrony.