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About Emily Wu

Emily S. Wu is a religionist and ethnographer with expertise in Chinese Religions, particularly in food, healing, and medical practices in Chinese and other East Asian religious contexts.  Her ongoing research and publications explore folk temple cultures and healing practices in Taiwan, China, and the East Asian diaspora in Northern California.  Besides teaching undergraduate courses in Dominican, she teaches graduate level courses on East Asian Religions, Asian religious practices, and interfaith dialogues in Graduate Theological Union (Berkeley, CA), Iliff Seminary (Online; Denver, CO), and Institute for Buddhist Studies (Berkeley, CA).  She currently serves as steering committee co-chair (2015-2020) of the Religions, Medicines, and Healing unit of American Academy of Religion.

 Dr. Wu’s teaching and community work also explore deeply into the diasporic, transnational, and cross-cultural experiences and understandings of health and healing, community-building, and social justice.  As the Assistant Director of Community Outreach and Project Development  for Dominican’s Service-Learning program, she works closely with non-profit community partners in Marin County to facilitate student engagement in the local community.  In addition to placing students in existing community partner programs, Dr. Wu also co-created and co-directs several community-based research and learning projects.  Furthermore, she has taken students to practice immersive global service-learning in a Tibetan monastery in Northern India, and organizes annual human rights advocacy trip to South Korea.

Positions

2019 - Present Adjunct Faculty, Institute of Buddhist Studies
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2018 - Present Adjunct Faculty, Iliff School of Theology
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2017 - Present Adjunct Faculty, Graduate Theological Union
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2015 - Present Assistant Director for Community Outreach and Project Development, Dominican University of California ‐ Service-Learning Program
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2013 - Present Adjunct Instructor, Holy Names University ‐ Department of Religious Studies
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2012 - Present Adjunct Associate Instructor, Dominican University of California ‐ Department of Religion and Philosophy
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2011 - 2014 Adjunct Professor, University of San Francisco ‐ Center for the Pacific Rim
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2010 - 2011 Adjunct Professor, University of San Francisco ‐ Department of Theology and Religious Studies
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Curriculum Vitae

Disciplines

Research Interests

Grants

2019 - 2020 Transforming Religion Major to Social Justice Major at Dominican University of California
Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion
Pedagogies for Social Justice and Civic Engagement
Role: Project Co-director
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Professional Service and Affiliations

2018 - Present Co-president of the Board, Asian American Alliance of Marin
2016 - Present Member, Grassroots Community Coalition for Immigrant and Civil Rights
2016 - Present Advisory Board Member, Marin Asian Advocacy Project
2015 - Present Member of Editorial Board, History and Perspective: A Journal of Chinese Historical Society of America
2012 - Present Member of the Board, Asian American Alliance of Marin
2010 - Present Member of Steeing Committee, American Academy of Religion, Religions, Medicines, and Healing Group
2017 - 2019 Committee Member, American Academy of Religion, Committee on Status of Racial and Ethnic Minorities in the Profession
2008 - 2009 Student Trustee and Member of Committee of Institutional Advancement, Board of Trustees, Graduate Theological Union
2006 - 2008 Student Representative, Student Advisory Council for the Deans, Graduate Theological Union
1998 - 1999 Trained Volunteer Phone Counselor, Suicide Prevention Center
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Honors and Awards

  • International Service Learning Summit, Grant for Minority-Serving Programs, March 2015
  • Service Learning Course Development Grant, Dominican University of California, Spring 2012
  • Newhall Teaching Fellowship, Graduate Theological Union, Spring 2007
  • Newhall Teaching Fellowship, Graduate Theological Union, Spring 2006
  • Newhall Research Grant, Graduate Theological Union, Spring 2006
  • Presidential Scholarship, Graduate Theological Union, 2003-2005
  • Graduate Scholarship, Boston University, 2001-2003

Courses

  • Religions and Philosophy of Asia
  • Service-Learning: Religions and Philosophy of Asia
  • Religion and Globalization
  • Meaning and Religion
  • Cross-Cultural and Spiritual Aspects of Humanhood
  • World Wisdom Traditions
  • Power Structure of Forgiveness
  • Global Service-Learning: Religion and Globalization

Education

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2010 Ph.D., Graduate Theological Union ‐ Cultural and Historical Studies of Religions
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2003 M.A., Boston University ‐ Religious and Theological Studies
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2000 B.S., University of California, Davis ‐ Psychology with Biological Emphasis
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Links

Contact Information

Dominican University of California
50 Acacia Ave.
San Rafael, CA 94901

Email: