Naisargi N. Dave is a Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Toronto. Her work spans sociocultural anthropology, queer theory, and animal studies, with a regional focus on India. She is affiliated with the Centre for South Asian Studies and the Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies. PhD, University of Michigan (2006) Research interests include interspecies ethics, affect theory, and the politics of imagination in South Asia. Her ethnographic work explores how activists navigate legal systems, emotional exhaustion, and intersectional inequalities. She has published extensively on queer communities and animal rights in India, arguing for ethics of indifference and creative relationality. Key awards: 2024 Gregory Bateson Prize for Indifference , 2013 Ruth Benedict Prize for Queer Activism in India , and an honorable mention for the Ruth Benedict Prize for her latest book. Advises graduate students in queer anthropology and animal activism Teaches courses on animality, literary anthropology, and affect Current projects include a book titled Murder: The Social Life of Violent Death in Queer India , examining violence against queer communities.
MICHELLE PANCHUK is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Philosophy Program Coordinator at Murray State University. Her work centers on religious trauma, analytic theology, and gender justice in religious contexts. She explores intersections between metaphysics, ethics, and social epistemology, particularly focusing on marginalized voices and hermeneutical injustice in religious systems. Her research addresses topics such as divine simplicity, skeptical theism, and the ethical implications of religious institutions. Recent publications highlight responses to religious trauma through liturgical practices and philosophical frameworks that integrate embodied cognition. She advocates for inclusive theological methodologies that center marginalized perspectives. Key themes in her work include: Conceptual distortions in religious trauma narratives Gendered interpretations of divine attributes Epistemic justice in theological discourse Her scholarship bridges analytic philosophy with practical theology, offering critical analyses of scriptural hermeneutics and divine hiddenness. She also investigates societal threats to vulnerable communities through a philosophical lens.
David Leech is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Religion and Theology at the University of Bristol, specializing in the intersection of historical and contemporary philosophy of religion with psychological dimensions of religious cognition. His academic credentials include: MA Hons from St Andrews M.Phil from Cambridge PhD from Cambridge Leech's research centers on affective religious knowing (the 'heart') as a sui generis cognitive mode, particularly through Cambridge Platonism. His work critically examines: Religious experience and psychological foundations Agnosticism and atheism in modern discourse Christian Platonism's historical development Critiques of philosophical naturalism He positions affective cognition as essential to understanding religious phenomena beyond purely rational frameworks. His publication trajectory reveals deepening interdisciplinary engagement, moving from historical analysis of Cambridge Platonists toward integrative models connecting philosophy, psychology, and theology. Recent works increasingly focus on the epistemological validity of religious affect and its implications for contemporary religious dialogue. Recognition for his scholarship includes: Manfried Lautenschlaeger Book Prize for 'The Hammer of the Cartesians' (2013) Leech has supervised 4 graduate researchers and actively recruits new students in his specialty areas. His AHRC-funded projects 'The Cambridge Platonists at the origins of Enlightenment' (2016-2019) and related initiatives demonstrate sustained commitment to collaborative research exploring philosophical theology's historical roots and modern relevance. As an active member of the British Society for the Philosophy of Religion, he regularly presents at international forums including the International Association for the Psychology of Religion conferences, fostering cross-disciplinary dialogue on religious cognition.
Tim Huffman is an Associate Professor and Interim Chair in the Department of Communication at Saint Louis University’s College of Arts and Sciences. His work bridges academic scholarship with community engagement, particularly in areas of social justice, homelessness, nonprofit organizing, and compassionate communication. He teaches courses such as Community-based Inquiry, Organizational Communication, and Qualitative Inquiry for Communication and Social Justice at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Ph.D., Hugh Downs School of Human Communication, Arizona State University Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership, Arizona State University M.A., Speech Communication, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville Dr. Huffman's research centers on socially just communication practices, especially among marginalized populations like homeless youth. He employs community-based and participatory research methods grounded in pragmatic and relational epistemologies. His scholarship emphasizes compassion, relationality, and ethical inquiry in organizational and social contexts. His recent publications reflect a strong trend in qualitative methodology, social justice communication, and the intersection of spirituality and ethics in public discourse. He has published in leading journals such as Qualitative Inquiry , Communication Monographs , and Journal of Applied Communication Research , and authored the textbook Qualitative Inquiry for Social Justice (2024). Outstanding Textbook Award (2024), National Communication Association Dr. Norman White Award for Engaged Scholarship and Service (2021) Fr. James Veltrie, S.J. Cura Personalis Faculty Excellence Award (2018) Spirit of the Billiken Awardee Mentor (2018) Multiple Top Paper Awards in activism, philosophy of communication, and spirituality Dr. Huffman is deeply committed to community service and applied scholarship. He advises and mentors student initiatives such as Labre Ministries and the Leadership and Social Change Learning Community. He co-founded the Social Justice Communication Collaborative and founded the Community Action Lab. He has secured no explicit grants mentioned but demonstrates sustained engagement through partnerships with organizations including the St. Patrick Center, St. Louis Continuum of Care, and the Housing is Healthcare Program. He is actively involved in local and national efforts to address homelessness, serving on the Board of Directors and co-chairing committees at the St. Patrick Center, participating in the St. Louis City Continuum of Care COVID-19 Task Force, and supporting the SLU Winter Emergency Shelter. These roles highlight his integration of academic expertise with direct community action.
Shay Welch is an Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Spelman College, specializing in feminist ethics, embodied cognition, and Native American epistemology. She has been a faculty member since 2011 and currently serves as Scholar-in-Residence for Atlanta's public art project focused on resistance to epistemic injustice. Key Roles: Chair of the Association for Feminist Ethics and Social Theory (ASET), board member of Emotions Matter (non-profit for destigmatizing BPD). Teaching: Courses on freedom, embodied knowledge, dance philosophy, Native American philosophy, and ethics. Her research integrates phenomenology, feminist theory, and somatics, with a focus on public performance art and democratic ethics. She is a leading voice in embodied critical inquiry, connecting dance and cognitive science. Recent Trends: 15 most recent publications emphasize intersections of epistemic injustice, disability studies, and performative knowledge systems, alongside contributions to feminist ethics and Native American epistemology. Scientific Awards: Carnegie Corporation and Rockefeller Foundation Distinguished Research/Creative Scholar (2020-2021). Welch actively mentors young women of color in philosophy, advocates for first-generation students, and explores the ethics of virtual reality, AI, and social freedom through collaborative and affective frameworks.
Diana Baker Smith is an artist and researcher at UNSW Art & Design , where she teaches across studio and theory courses in the Fine Arts program. Her practice interrogates the construction of historical narratives through settler-colonial institutions like museums, universities, and galleries, employing feminist methodologies and collaborative processes. Education: PhD Art & Design (UNSW Art & Design, 2017) Bachelor of Fine Arts (Time-Based Art, UNSW, 2008) Bachelor of Arts (Film Studies, First Class Honours, UNSW, 2008) Research Interests: Her work focuses on embodied history , archival disruption , and interdisciplinary art , with particular attention to fractured colonial narratives and water as both subject and medium. She positions herself as an artist-as-historian , reimagining forgotten histories through video art, performance, and installation. Scientific Awards & Grants: 2024 Judy Wheeler Commission ACME Studio Residency (London) Funding from Creative Australia, Create NSW, and the Copyright Agency Supervision & Collaborations: She supervises PhD and MFA candidates including Jade Muratore, Mel Deerson, and Shireen Taweel. Her collaborative career with the collective Barbara Cleveland has been instrumental in shaping her current solo practice. Exhibition Highlights: Her works have been showcased at the National Gallery of Australia , Museum of Contemporary Art Australia , and international venues like the Hayward Gallery (London) and National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Seoul). Key exhibitions include Know My Name: Australian Women Artists (2021) and the 20th Biennale of Sydney (2016).
