As a faculty member in the religious studies department, I am fascinated with how people create and experience meaningful “worlds” while engaging other people, cultures, ideas, and practices. I’m a specialist in ancient religion, notably early Christianity of the first to fourth centuries, and I see myself as a social historian with a love of those things most people overlook in history. I hold a PhD degree from McGill University (yes, I’m originally from Canada) and have lived and taught in Canada, the UK, and on the west coast of the United States. My teaching at various universities has included a wide range of topics, including world religions, humor and religion, religious violence, and theories in the study of religion – and, of course, food and religion (I’m a foodie and love seeing how food shapes people’s experiences and communities). With about 20 years of teaching experience, I have had the joy of learning with students about the diverse and constantly changing world around us. I firmly believe that a university education should give agency to students to think critically and independently, while inspiring in them a desire to be life-long learners.