I am an Adjunct Instructor of Religious Studies at Heartland Community College, Central Methodist University, and Towson University, where I teach courses in world religions, Asian religions, and religion in American society. I hold a PhD in History of Religions from the University of Chicago, where I specialized in Buddhist studies. My recent and forthcoming research focuses primarily on Mahāyāna sūtra literature. 

My hometown is Decatur, Illinois, and I've lived in the Midwest my whole life. I exercise now more than I used to, and I used to make more music than I do now.