The Department of Religious Studies is thrilled to announce that two new faculty will be joining us in the Fall 2024 semester.

Jeff Turner, who currently is an instructor at Utah Valley University, will be contributing to our projects and courses in the REL Digital Lab, among other areas. He has worked on a variety of Digital Humanities projects at the University of Utah during his doctoral work. His research analyzes the use of exclusionary mechanisms in US immigration law, particularly in relation to the category of polygamy, and the ways those mechanisms extended beyond the groups initially being targeted for exclusion. In Fall 2024, he will be teaching a graduate seminar (REL 504), which will incorporate digital tools and social theory in the study of religion.

Dr. Hannah Jung is an assistant professor at Utah Valley University and will be contributing to both Religious Studies and the Blount Scholars Program here in Tuscaloosa. She completed her dissertation at Brandeis University in History, focusing on questions of gender, family, and secrecy in Mormon polygamous families. For REL, she will be teaching American Religious History in Fall 2024.

We are excited to have these impressive new colleagues joining us!