I received my masters degree from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, where I specialized in East Asia. After completing my degree, I spent several months living and studying in China. I went on to the University of Chicago Divinity School for my doctorate in the History of Religions program, and have returned recently from a trip to India where I researched various practices associated with the worship of snakes. While completing my doctorate, I have taught courses in Hinduism, Buddhism and Chinese religions at Columbia College in Chicago, and in the fall of 1998, I joined the faculty of the Department of Philosophy and Religion and the Croft Institute for International Studies at the University of Mississippi. My professional interests include the religious traditions of Asia, women's studies, international affairs, and indigenous religious practices.