Dr. Zeff Bjerken, Professor and Chair

Zeff Bjerken is originally from Santa Barbara, and he has been teaching at the College since 1999. He teaches courses on the religions and cultures of India, Tibet, China, and Japan, on the sacred texts of Asia, and on theory and method in the study of religions.

Dr. Margaret Cormack, Professor

Margaret Cormack teaches courses on World Religions, Christianity, and Islam. The topics of her upper level seminars include Medieval Christianity and the Cult of Saints.

Louise Doire, Senior Instructor

Louise Doire regularly teaches course in World Religions, Evil & Suffering, Comparative Religious Ethics, Women & Religion, and the Christian tradition.

Dr. Katie Hladky, Assistant Professor

Katie Hladky is originally from Mantua, Ohio, and the 2011-2012 academic year is her first at the College of Charleston. Katie teaches courses on the history of American religions, African American religions, and gender and sexuality and religion.

Dr. John Huddlestun, Assoicate Professor

Dr. Lee Irwin, Professor

Lee Irwin recieved his PhD from Indiana University and began teaching at the College in 1991.  His area of focus is comparative religions of Native North American (including Maya and Aztec) and shamanism of Asia and Siberia and he also has a very strong interest in eastern religions (MA thesis on Taoism) and Islamic Sufism.

Dr. June McDaniel, Professor

June McDaniel is originally from New York, NY.  She recieved her PhD in History of Religions at teh University of Chicago and began teaching at CofC in 1988.  June teaches courses on the religious experience, especially in the Hindu tradition.

Dr. Elijah Siegler, Associate Professor

Elijah Siegler is originally from Toronto, Canada, and he has been teaching at the College of Charleston since 2004.  He is a historian of American religions, with expertise on new religious movements, religion and popular culture, and Asian religions in America.

Dr. Andrew Aghapour, Adjunct Faculty

Andrew Aghapour is an alumnus of the College of Charleston but he has returned to his alma mater to teach during the summer.  Andrew has taught world religion and religion, art and culture courses at the College.

Roddy Knowles, Adjunct Faculty

Roddy Knowles graduated from the College of Charleston in 2010 but he is in the process of getting his PhD from Boston University.  Roddy is origionally from Marietta, GA and has taught courses in American religious history, death and immortality, and world religions.

Todd LeVasseur, Visiting Instructor

Todd LeVasseur is a PhD candidate in the Department of Religion at the University of Florida, where he has studied religion and nature,  environmental ethics, and North American religious history. An alumnus of the College of Charleston, he has returned to his alma mater to teach during the 2010-11 academic year.

Dr. Donald Nielsen, Adjunct Faculty

Donald Nielsen began teaching at the College of Charleston as an adjunct instructor in Sociology (and now in Religious Studies) in the Fall of 2007.  He earned his PhD from the Graduate Faculty of Political and Social Science of the New School for Social Research in New York City.  Donlad has been teaching religion and society courses for our department.

Tracie Mitchum, Administrative Assistant

Tracie Mitchum graduated from the College of Charleston in 2006 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication.  She has been working at the College for since 2008.