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Lynna Dhanani is an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of California, Davis, within the College of Letters and Science. She joined the faculty in Fall 2020 and holds a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Yale University. Her educational background includes: Ph.D. in Religious Studies, Yale University M.A. and M.Phil. in Religious Studies, Yale University M.A. in History of Religion, University of Virginia B.A. in International Relations and Religion, George Washington University Her research focuses on the intersection of religious traditions in medieval India, with particular emphasis on Jainism. She explores interreligious polemics, philosophical debates, devotional themes, and poetic expression in Sanskrit hymns, especially those of the twelfth-century Jain scholar Hemacandra. Her broader interests include Sanskrit and Prakrit literature, Indian alchemical traditions, yoga and tantra, Indian philosophy, and South Asian religious art. She employs interdisciplinary methods that combine textual analysis, philology, and field-based ethnographic and archival research. Lynna Dhanani was awarded the Jambuvijaya Memorial Fellowship by the Jain eLibrary, which supported her 2019–20 fieldwork in India. During this period, she documented the life and scholarly contributions of Muni Jambuvijaya (1923–2009), a pivotal Jain monastic figure. Her work involved cataloging manuscripts, preserving texts, and conducting interviews with members of the monastic and academic communities. This project highlights her commitment to both historical scholarship and the preservation of religious knowledge. She advises students and contributes to academic mentorship within the Religious Studies department, though specific advisees are not listed. Her fellowship represents significant recognition in her field and may be linked to grant-funded research on Jain monastic scholarship and manuscript preservation. Lynna Dhanani is actively involved in archival and field research, particularly in northwest India, where she collaborates with Jain monastic communities and academic institutions to preserve and study rare Sanskrit and Prakrit texts. Her work bridges academic scholarship with lived religious practice and institutional knowledge preservation.

• Jainism
• Sanskrit and Prakrit Language and Literature
• Medieval Indian Alchemical Traditions
• +12 more

Andrew Ollett is an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago , where he has taught since 2019. His research focuses on the literary and intellectual traditions of South and Southeast Asia, particularly through works in Sanskrit, Prakrit, Apabhramsha, and Kannada from the first millennium CE. Co-founder and editor of NESAR (New Explorations in South Asia Research) Director of NEH-funded edition/translation of the Kavirājamārga (earliest Kannada literary manual) Expert in Prakrit and Kannada literary traditions His work explores the 'question of language'—examining how language choice shaped cultural production and change in premodern India. Current projects include a monograph on context-sensitivity in Indian language theories and a study of manuscript technology's impact on early South Asian knowledge communities. He has authored The Mirror of Ornaments (Naples: Unior Press, 2025) and Language of the Snakes (UC Press, 2017), and co-authored Lilavai (Harvard, 2021). Recent publications include interdisciplinary studies on: Sanskrit-Prakrit campū genre reevaluation Pragmatics in Mīmāṁsā interpretive concepts Manuscript literacy's influence on literary forms Historical linguistics of Middle Indic syllable reduction Philosophy of language in Śālikanātha and Kumārila Bhaṭṭa Awarded the NEH 'Scholarly Editions and Translations' grant , he teaches classical South Asian literature courses covering Sanskrit, Prakrit, and Tamil traditions. He maintains digital resources including a Prakrit Digital Texts Project and Mīmāṁsādigdarśinī digital text repository, and actively contributes to open-access scholarship.

• Poetics
• History of Literature
• Intellectual History
• +9 more

Andrew Ollett is an Associate Professor in the South Asian Languages and Civilizations Department at the University of Chicago’s Division of the Humanities. His research explores the literary and intellectual traditions of South Asia, focusing on Sanskrit, Prakrit, Apabhramsha, and Kannada texts from the first millennium CE. Current Projects: Co-editing The Way of the Poet-King (Kannada poetics) with Sarah Pierce Taylor, preparing an edition of Mirror of Ornaments (Prakrit poetics), and finalizing the Murty Classical Library of India edition of Līlāvaī (Prakrit verse romance). Research Themes: Language choice in cultural production, regional literary traditions, and the role of poetics in shaping medieval South Asian identities.

• South Asian Literature
• Sanskrit Studies
• Prakrit Studies
• +3 more

Daniel Boucher is an Associate Professor of Asian Studies at Cornell University's College of Arts and Sciences, specializing in Buddhist studies with a focus on the early development of Mahayana Buddhist movements in India and their transmission to China during the first few centuries CE. Ph.D. in East Asian Literature, University of Pennsylvania (1996) MA in Religious Studies, Indiana University (1989) BA in Religious Studies and Philosophy, Indiana University (1986) His research encompasses Buddhist Middle Indo-Aryan languages, particularly Gandhari Prakrit's role in early Buddhist transmission, and explores translation as a religious genre. He also investigates art historical, epigraphical, and archaeological sources for studying religion, alongside methodological and theoretical frameworks in religious studies. Boucher's publications reflect a multidisciplinary approach to early Mahayana Buddhism, analyzing textual transmission, cultural exchange along Silk Road, and the interplay between language and religious practice. Key themes include manuscript preservation, linguistic adaptation, and the evolution of Buddhist rituals. Selden Memorial Translation Prize He teaches courses on Asian religions and Mahayana Buddhism at Cornell, contributing to academic programs in Asian Studies and Religious Studies.

• Buddhist Studies
• Mahayana Buddhism
• Translation Studies
• +6 more

Justin Jesty is an Associate Professor in the Department of Asian Languages & Literature at the University of Washington. His primary affiliations include the Language Programs covering Bengali, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Pali/Prakrits, Sanskrit, Urdu, and Vietnamese. His research interests span multiple interdisciplinary areas including Art History, Film/Cinema Studies, Japanese Literature, and Visual Culture. He maintains active engagement with pedagogical approaches to East Asian Studies and cultural representation through visual media. No specific grants, awards, or student advisement records are documented in the provided materials. His professional activities include course instruction and contributions to departmental initiatives.

• Art History
• Film/Cinema Studies
• Japanese Literature
• +1 more

David Fowler is a Lecturer in the Department of Asian Languages & Literature at the University of Washington, within the College of Arts & Sciences. His expertise includes Sanskrit and South Asian studies, with a focus on language education. He teaches a wide range of languages, including Bengali, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Pali/Prakrits, Sanskrit, Urdu, and Vietnamese. His office is located in SMI 016, and he holds daily office hours from 9:00-9:25 AM. Research interests align with his teaching, emphasizing language preservation, pedagogy, and cultural studies. While no specific publications are listed, his involvement with programs like the Bilingual and Biliteracy Research Lab underscores his engagement with multilingual education. No academic awards are noted in the provided information. As part of the Department of Asian Languages & Literature, he contributes to initiatives such as the Early Buddhist Manuscript Project and supports study abroad programs. Contact details include the department address: 225 Gowen Hall, Seattle, WA 98195-3521.

• Sanskrit Studies
• South Asian Studies
• Language Education
• +3 more

Michael Slouber is Professor and Chair of the Department of Humanities at Western Washington University’s Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies. He also serves as Major Advisor for the Humanities: History of Culture program and as advisor to minors in South & Southeast Asian Studies, Digital Humanities, Religion & Culture, African Studies, and Arabic & Islamic Studies. Education Ph.D. South and Southeast Asian Studies, University of California, Berkeley Additional classical language training in Sanskrit, Pali, and Prakrit at Universität Hamburg Research Interests Slouber’s scholarship centers on early-medieval religions of India, with particular attention to the intersection of medicine, ritual, and the divine feminine . His work explores the history of Tantra, the evolution of goddess traditions, shamanic practices, and the textual transmission of healing technologies. He employs an interdisciplinary lens that blends philology, ethnography, art history, and digital humanities to illuminate South Asian religious cultures. Publication Trajectory Since 2007, Slouber has produced a steady stream of monographs, edited volumes, and peer-reviewed articles that collectively chart the development of Tantric medicine and goddess worship. His 2017 monograph Early Tantric Medicine and 2021 edited volume A Garland of Forgotten Goddesses have become key reference points in the field. Recent pieces engage with Jaina Tantra, shamanic genealogies, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Asian religious life, demonstrating a continuous expansion of scope from textual studies to contemporary ethnographic concerns. Scientific Awards No specific awards were listed in the provided materials. Advising & Mentorship Slouber mentors undergraduate majors in Humanities: History of Culture and advises six distinct interdisciplinary minors. He offers language tutoring in Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, Hindi-Urdu, and Nepali to highly motivated students and welcomes independent-study arrangements. Labs, Teams, and Digital Projects While no formal lab is mentioned, Slouber maintains an active academic blog and contributes to digital humanities initiatives that support open-access dissemination of South Asian manuscript materials and research resources.

• South Asian Studies
• Religious Studies
• Early medieval religions of India
• +5 more

Martha Ann Selby serves as the Sangam Professor of South Asian Studies and Comparative Literature at Harvard University, concurrently holding the position of Chair for the Department of South Asian Studies. Her academic appointment resides within Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences, where she maintains dual affiliations in South Asian Studies and Comparative Literature. Her scholarly work centers on representations of women, birth, and disease in classical Indian medical texts, while simultaneously exploring Sanskrit poetry and poetics, Prakrit literature, Old Tamil poetry, modern Tamil fiction, and Sanskrit medical literature. This interdisciplinary approach bridges historical medical discourse with literary traditions across multiple South Asian languages and eras. Professor Selby's publications demonstrate consistent focus on translating and interpreting South Asian literary heritage, particularly Tamil works spanning classical poetry to contemporary fiction. Her output reveals enduring commitment to making ancient medical knowledge and poetic traditions accessible to modern audiences, significantly advancing cross-cultural understanding within comparative literature and South Asian studies.

• Classical Indian Medicine
• Sanskrit Poetry
• Prakrit Poetry
• +3 more

David Brick is an Associate Professor in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Michigan, specializing in Sanskrit literature and pre-modern Indian studies. He joined the faculty on August 13, 2018 and is affiliated with the Center for South Asian Studies (CSAS). Education: Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin, 2009 Professor Brick's research centers on the classical Hindu legal tradition known as Dharmaśāstra, with particular expertise in widow-related practices including sati (widow-burning) and widow-asceticism, inheritance law, judicial ordeals, ritual expiation systems, and gift-giving traditions. His scholarly approach combines textual analysis of Sanskrit and Prakrit literature with insights from anthropology to illuminate social history in ancient and medieval India. His major publications include Brahmanical Theories of the Gift: A Critical Edition and Annotated Translation of the Dānakāṇḍa of the Kṛtyakalpataru (2015, Harvard Oriental Series), which provides the first critical edition and complete translation of a dānanibandha text, and Widows Under Hindu Law (2023, Oxford University Press), the first comprehensive study of widows' treatment within Dharmaśāstra literature. Professor Brick is currently collaborating with Patrick Olivelle on a diplomatic edition and annotated translation of an early commentary on the Yājñavalkya Dharmaśāstra, and is working on an English translation of the Anuśāsana Parvan (thirteenth book of the Mahābhārata) for the University of Chicago Press's Mahābhārata Translation Series. Teaching: Yearlong introductory and intermediate Sanskrit language sequences Survey course on ancient Indian history Courses on Hinduism and early Indian literature and religion

• Sanskrit literature
• Pre-modern Indian history
• Hindu legal tradition (Dharmaśāstra)
• +13 more

Dr. Amanda Culp is an Assistant Professor of Drama at Vassar College, specializing in the theatrical afterlives of Sanskrit drama. Her research bridges intercultural dramaturgy, South Asian performance traditions, and decolonizing theater studies. She holds advanced degrees from Yale University (MAR) and Columbia University (BA, MA, MPhil, PhD). Since joining Vassar in 2020, she has taught courses such as Indian Performance Traditions and Artaud and his Legacy . Her book project, Making Performance History , examines global productions of Kalidasa's Shakuntala . Dr. Culp serves as Vice President of Conference Planning for the Association for Asian Performance and collaborates with institutions like Black Box Okhla (New Delhi) and One Year Lease Theater Company. She co-directs their summer apprentice program, a transnational theater-making initiative spanning Japan, India, and Greece. Her scholarly writings appear in Theatre Journal , Asian Theatre Journal , and edited volumes like The Routledge Companion to Scenography . Her fieldwork has taken her to India, Denmark, Poland, and France, where she researched archival materials and performance traditions linked to Sanskrit drama.

• Intercultural Dramaturgy
• Translation and Adaptation Studies
• South Asian Theater and Performance
• +3 more

Steven Vose is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of History at the University of Colorado Denver's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. His research focuses on the religious traditions of South Asia, particularly Jain communities in western India, and their interactions with Islamicate and modern contexts. Education: Ph.D. in South Asia Studies from the University of Pennsylvania M.T.S. from Harvard Divinity School B.A. from St. Lawrence University Vose's research examines community formation, authority discourses, sectarian polemics, and intersections of gender, caste, and sect within Jainism and broader South Asian religious traditions. He also analyzes public expressions like pilgrimage, temple-building, and ritual, alongside material culture (manuscripts, inscriptions, art) and literary exchanges between Sanskrit, Prakrit, Gujarati, and Persianate languages. His publications include studies on Jain historiography, multilingual hymns, and intellectual responses to Islamicate rule, with a forthcoming book on Jainism during the Delhi Sultanate. Awards include the 2020 AIIS Edward Cameron Dimock, Jr. Book Prize. Scientific Awards: American Institute for Indian Studies (AIIS) 2020 Edward Cameron Dimock, Jr. Book Prize in the Indian Humanities Courses Taught: From Buddha to #BlackLivesMatter: The Past and Future of Nonviolence (HIST/ETST/INTS/PHIL/RLST 3003; HIST 5002) Race, Gender and Religious Nationalisms in Asia and the US (HIST/ETST/INTS/RLST/CHIN 4002; HIST 5002) Asian Philosophies & Religions (RLST/PHIL 3410) World Religions (RLST 2660) Religion, State, and Society in Modern India and South Asia: Empire, Colony, Nations (HIST 3483)

• Religious Traditions of South Asia
• Social and Cultural History of Late Medieval and Modern India
• Caste and Gender Studies
• +7 more

Prem Pahlajrai is an Associate Teaching Professor Emeritus of Hindi at the University of Washington, specializing in Asian Languages and Literature. His academic background includes a Ph.D. (2013), M.A. (2005) from the University of Washington, and prior degrees in Electrical Engineering (Georgia Institute of Technology, 1990) and Computer Engineering (Pune University, 1987). He focuses on Advaita Vedanta philosophy, Hindi language education, Sanskrit studies, and South Asian biographical and literary research. His affiliations include involvement with the Language Programs at UW, covering Bengali, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Pali/Prakrits, Sanskrit, Urdu, and Vietnamese. Though no specific grants or advising records are listed, his courses emphasize pedagogical approaches to South Asian languages and cultures. No laboratories or teams are explicitly mentioned in his profile.

• Hindi Language Pedagogy
• Advaita Vedanta
• Philosophy
• +3 more

Emily Hall is a Lecturer in the Department of Asian Languages & Literature at the University of Washington, part of the College of Arts & Sciences. She specializes in Korean language instruction and contributes to the university's broader language education initiatives across multiple Asian languages. Her teaching portfolio includes courses in Bengali, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Pali and Prakrits, Sanskrit, Urdu, and Vietnamese. Education: Details not explicitly provided in the text. Her research and teaching interests focus on Korean language pedagogy and the preservation of linguistic diversity in Asian language studies. She is affiliated with programs such as the Bilingual and Biliteracy Research Lab and contributes to the Early Buddhist Manuscript Project, though specific roles in these initiatives are not detailed. No articles or scientific awards are listed in the provided text. Emily’s advising and grant activities are not specified, though her role as a Lecturer emphasizes instructional responsibilities. She is based in SMI 020 and can be reached via email at emily4mi@uw.edu .

• Korean
• Language Education
• Asian Studies

Christian Novetzke serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington, specializing in South Asia, Comparative Religion, and International Studies programs. He is affiliated with the Department of Religion and contributes to language programs including Bengali, Hindi, Sanskrit, and others. Research Interests: His work focuses on South Asian religious practices, cross-cultural comparative studies, and interdisciplinary approaches to international relations. He emphasizes language preservation and pedagogy through programs like Pali/Prakrits and Urdu. Affiliations: Active in Asian Languages & Literature support, with social media engagement and newsletter contributions. Office: THO 427.

• South Asian Studies
• Comparative Religion
• International Studies
• +3 more

Corbett Costello serves as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Asian Studies at Hamilton College, appointed in 2024. His educational qualifications include: Ph.D. in South Asian Languages and Literature from the University of Washington, Seattle M.A. in South Asian Studies from Columbia University B.A. in art history with a minor in classics from the University of Texas at Arlington Costello's research engages deeply with North India's linguistic and literary landscapes, spanning ancient languages (Sanskrit and Prakrit), medieval dialects (Apabhramsha), and modern vernaculars (Hindi and Urdu). His current scholarship emphasizes classical, medieval, and modern texts within the Jain religious tradition, examining their intersection with religious, cultural, linguistic, and geopolitical contexts. This interdisciplinary approach bridges philology, religious studies, and sociohistorical analysis to illuminate textual evolution across eras.

• South Asian Studies
• Linguistics
• Religious Studies
• +3 more