New Religious Studies faculty member Amy Allocco joins her departmental colleague, Pamela Winfield, in a major professional leadership role as co-chairs of the Religions of Asia section of the annual regional conference co-sponsored by the American Academy of Religion and the Southeastern Conference for the Study of Religion.
These two nationally-recognized bodies provide the principal forum for scholars in the region to present their current research on religion each year.
Winfield first became co-chair of the Religions of Asia group in the spring of 2009, and Allocco was nominated to the position by the outgoing chair the following year. Allocco’s expertise in South Asian religions complements Winfield’s focus on East Asian religions, and their collaboration brings organizational, logistical and thematic cohesion to the year-long process of organizing four annual conference panels on Asian religious thought and culture.
The two colleagues first intend to identify and network through active and relatively inactive scholars of Asian religions in the southeastern United States to further encourage participation and to strengthen the quality and variety of topics addressed in their section panels.
Their duties include compiling and updating this new list of scholars, preparing the annual Call For Papers, reviewing and selecting proposals, organizing panels, writing panel abstracts, attending and reporting on presentations, and participating in conference-wide planning activities.
This year’s Regional AAR / SECSOR conference will be held in Louisville, Ky., from March 4-6, 2011.