We asked the faculty what they were up to this summer; after all, just because the Spring semester is done doesn’t mean they’re all off gardening. And so this is what we learned… Prof. Simmons was recently selected by UA’s College of Arts and Sciences for a funded residency at the National Humanities Center during the month of June. The center provides office space and library support to assist scholars in their research and writing. While there, she will spend […]
Tag: Merinda Simmons
Profs. Simmons and Altman Talk About the New MA Degree
Have you heard about the Religions Studies Project? It’s a great website and podcast based out of the United Kingdom. This week they are featuring a podcast episode with Profs. Mike Altman and Merinda Simmons all about our new Religion in Culture master’s degree program. Give it a listen and learn about our new program. We’re still accepting applications! […]
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Making Sense of a Sabbatical
In my Introduction to Religious Studies course, my students think a lot about “making the strange familiar and familiar strange.” With those lessons in mind, I thought I’d make a bit more familiar for students who won’t see me as much in the Spring a practice that happens within the academy—the sabbatical. After being awarded tenure (typically in year 5 or 6), professors can apply for a sabbatical by outlining a specific research project that would benefit from some time […]
#RELResearch: Professors Simmons, Loewen, and Altman Publish Together
If you pick up the most recent issue of the venerable journal Method and Theory in the Study of Religion you will find three essays from REL faculty discussing the recently published Norton Anthology of World Religion. Rather than a simple review of the multivolume work, the essays from Merinda Simmons, Nathan Loewen, and Mike Altman consider what the publication of the anthology means for the larger field of religious studies. Each essay puts the anthology into a larger context of how […]
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4 Tips For Applying to Graduate School from Dr. Simmons
On Monday, April 13th, the Religious Studies Student Association hosted an event where undergraduates gleaned insights about the ins and outs of applying to graduate school from the department’s very own Dr. Micheal Altman, Dr. Matthew Bagger, and Dr. Vaia Touna! In case you missed the event, Dr. Merinda Simmons has listed some advice of her own below! […]
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The Department is Winning the Internet Today
https://twitter.com/TMichaelLaw/status/598114826548846592 The Department has taken over the Marginalia Review of Books today. The popular site for reviews of work in religious studies is currently featuring interviews with both Prof. Merinda Simmons and me, Prof. Mike Altman. […]
#LoungeTweets: Dr. Simmons Tweets from the REL Lounge on Tuesday
It’s that time again. No, not exam time. It’s time for live tweets from the REL lounge! Take a break from the studying and see what’s going on with one of our amazing faculty members as they hang out in the REL lounge and think deep thoughts. No, that’s not right. Use #LoungeTweets. Dr. Merinda Simmons will hang out in the lounge from 2:00-3:00 on Tuesday Dec. 9 to answer questions, tweet about what’s happening in the lounge, and let us know […]
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ar·ti·facts with Prof. Simmons
The latest video in our second season of ar·ti·facts has been uploaded. This episode features Dr. Simmons and her Jane Austen action figure, a memento of days gone by. ar·ti·facts: A Memento of Departments Past with Prof. Merinda Simmons from UA Religious Studies. […]
A Good Book with Prof. Simmons
The latest video in our newest series, A Good Book, is now on Vimeo. This episode features Prof. Merinda Simmons discussing the influence of Judith Butler’s book Gender Trouble. A Good Book with Prof. Simmons from UA Religious Studies. […]
Meet the Press
Our own Dr. Merinda Simmons recently published a book, titled Changing the Subject: Writing Women Across the African Diaspora. In this post, she sat down for an interview to discuss the book, her work, and its relations to the academic study of religion. […]