Melnick Dyer, Alison
Alison Melnick
Associate Professor of Religious Studies
Associations
Religious Studies
Hedge Hall, Room 207
Asian Studies
About
B.A., Michigan; M.A., Ph.D., Virginia
Professor Melnick Dyer specializes in the history of Tibetan and Chinese Buddhism, with a focus on the uses of hagiography and revelatory literature in the historical record. She enjoys teaching a wide range of courses in Asian Religious traditions. Her research considers questions at the intersection of authority, gender, privilege, and the role of the religious institution in Tibetan and Chinese literature and society, and she writes about how women exercise authority in these contexts. Her current work focuses on the life of Mingyur Peldron (Tib. mi ‘gyur dpal sgron), an 18th century female Buddhist leader and teacher.
When not in her office, she can be found exploring Maine’s mountains and rocky shoreline.
Expertise
18th Century Tibetan History, Asian religious history, Chinese borderland religions, Gender and Authority in Tibet, gender and religion, Hagiography in Asian contexts, Privilege studies, Religion and Gender in Asia, Religions of China, Religions of South Asia, Tibetan religion, Tibetan religion and history