Lan T. Chu

Lan T. Chu serves as Professor of Diplomacy and World Affairs at Occidental College, where she has held faculty position since 2005. Her office is located in Johnson 205 with regular availability on Tuesdays (11:30 AM-12:45 PM in person/Zoom) and Fridays (9:00-10:00 AM).

Her academic credentials include:

• B.A. and M.A. from New York University
• Ph.D. from George Washington University

Chu's research centers on religion's political dimensions, particularly the Catholic Church's global influence through faith diplomacy and norm entrepreneurship. She examines inter-religious dialogue, ideological frameworks, and democratization processes in communist regimes, with recent work analyzing religious responses to climate change and migration. Her scholarship applies constructivist theory to position religious institutions as transformative actors in international relations.

Analysis of her publication history reveals evolving scholarly priorities: early work (2005-2015) focused on church-state dynamics in Vietnam and China, while current research (2022-2025) emphasizes environmental stewardship and citizenship. This trajectory demonstrates increasing engagement with contemporary global crises through religious institutional lenses.

Her scholarly recognition includes:

• Foreign Language Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship
• Visiting Fellowship at University of Southern California
• Linda & Tod White Teaching Prize (2022)

As Faculty Director for Equity and Justice, Chu leads campus-wide inclusion initiatives while advancing three major book projects: Catholic Church's global policy influence (Routledge), religion and citizenship (Routledge), and Vietnamese religious freedom (Brill Press). Her mentorship in DWA 299 (Qualitative Methods) trains students in research design for political analysis.

Chu contributes to international scholarship as Country Expert for Gothenburg's Varieties of Democracy Project (2012-present) and editorial board member of Politics, Groups, and Identities, building academic networks that inform her classroom instruction on ideology and international relations theory.