CV

GRANT H. POTTS
Associate Professor of Religion
Department of Philosophy, Religion, and Humanities
Austin Community College

EDUCATION/AWARDS:

• 2008 PhD in Religious Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.
• Dissertation Title: Redeeming Ritual: Ritual and Social Action in the work of Turner, Rappaport, Grimes, & Bell.
• Field Exam Topics: Philosophical Hermeneutics; Religion, Society, and Modernity; Ritual Studies
• Minor Tradition: Islam
• National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development Excellence Award, 2011
• Dean’s Scholar for the College of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, 2005 – 6.
• 1999 MA in Religious Studies from Arizona State University
  Thesis: “The Disappearing Mason: Interpreting Masonry through the 18th Century”
• 1996 BA in Religion and English Literature from Denison University, graduated summa cum laude, inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.

TEACHING:

• Austin Community College. Associate Professor of Religion (Fall 2009 – Current), Adjunct Professor of Religion (Fall 2008 – Summer 2009).  Taught PHIL 1304: Introduction to Comparative Religion (14 sections), PHIL 1317: History of Western Religions (2 sections), PHIL 1316: History of Eastern Religions (2 sections)
• St. Edward’s University, Adjunct Faculty, University Programs and Religious Studies (Summer 2009 – Current) Taught, RELS 1304: Introduction to Religions of the World (2 sections), RELS 2342: Special Topics, Religion and America (2 sections), CAPS 4360: Senior Capstone (2 sections), CULF 2321, American Dilemmas (2 sections)
• Pacific University, Instructor, English Department (Spring 2007).  Taught ENGW 201: Expository Writing (1 section)
• University of Pennsylvania, Critical Writing Fellow in Residence (Fall 2004 – Spring 2006), Instructor, English Writing Program (Fall 2001 – Spring 2002), Instructor, Religious Studies (Summer 2000, Summer 2001), Taught RELS 006: Understanding the Cult Controversy (1 section), RELS 009: Writing about Religion (6 sections), RELS 106: Modern Religious Thought (1 section)

TUTORING AND ACADEMIC SUPPORT:

• Fall 2008 – Spring 2009 Online Writing Lab Coordinator, St. Edwards University
• Fall 2006 – Spring 2009 Lead E-structor in Essay Center, Smarthinking.com, Washington, DC
• Fall 2005 – Spring 2006 Writing Tutor, Learning and Advising Center, Philadelphia University
• Fall 1999 – Spring 2001 Writing Advisor, Writing Center, The University of Pennsylvania (Fall 1999, Spring & Summer 2000, Spring 2001)
• Fall 2000 – Spring 2001 Fellow, Writing Across the University
  University of Pennsylvania, fellow for: RELS 006: Understanding the Cult Controversy (Fall 2000), RELS 104: Religion and the Search for Meaning (Spring 2001)

PUBLICATIONS/PRESENTATIONS/RESEARCH:

• Forthcoming: Chapter accepted, “Negotiating the Social in the Ritual Theory of Victor Turner and Roy Rappaport,” in Negotiating Rites, edited by Frank Neubert and Ute Huesken, to be published by Oxford University Press.
• Instructors Handbook for Roy Robson’s Think: World Religions, New York: Pearson, 2011).
• “Imagining Gaia: Perspectives and Prospects on Gaia, Science, and Religion.” Ecotheology 8.1 (2003): 30-49.
• “Church of All Worlds,” “Golden Dawn,” “James Lovelock,” “Masons, Fraternal Order of,” The Encyclopedia of Religion and Nature, edited by Bron R. Taylor, London: Continuum, 2005: 383-4, 706, 1013-4, 1053-4.
• Review of Michael York, Pagan Theology: Paganism as a World Religion, Alternative Spirituality and Religion Review 2.1 (2011).
• Review of Adrian J. Ivakhiv, Claiming Sacred Ground: Pilgrims and Politics at Glastonbury and Sedona, Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies 6.1 (May 2004): 134-6.
• Chaired Session, “Teaching Comparative Religion in Austin Community Colleges” at Annual Convention of the Texas Community College Teachers Association and Texas Community College Association, San Antonio, TX, January 29, 2011.
• Presented Paper, “Creativity, Exchange, and Institutionalization in a Ritual Magic Lodge” to the Western Esotericism Group at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion, San Diego, CA, November 17th, 2007.
• Presented Paper, “The Persistence of the Social: Ritual Theory, Improvisation, and Determinacy” to the Ritual Studies Group of the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion, San Diego, CA, November 17th, 2007
• Presented Paper, “’The Method of Science, The Aim of Religion: Science and Religion in a Ritual Magic Lodge,” at the Annual Meeting of the Society for the Anthropology of Religion, Phoenix, AZ, April 15th, 2007.
• Served on Panel for the New Religious Movement Group Junior-Senior Scholar Roundtable held at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion, Washington, DC, November 18, 2006.
• Respondent for Panel on “Words and Images in Motion: Liturgy, Devotion, Dance,” Graduate Humanities Forum of the University of Pennsylvania. 6th Annual Conference, February 16t, 2005.
• Presented paper, “Paganism, Imagination, and Nature: The Question of Universality” to Conference on Contemporary Pagan Studies held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion, Denver, CO, November 21, 2003.
• Presented paper, “Explicators of Gaia: Lovelock, Primavesi, Zell” to Nature Religions Group meeting in conjunction with the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion, Denver, CO, November 17, 2001.
• Presented paper, “Ensorcelled Confusion: Magic as a Slippery Category in The Understanding of Culture,” at the Western Regional Conference of the American Academy of Religion, San Francisco, CA, March 15, 1999.

MEMBERSHIPS/SERVICE:

• American Academy of Religion
• On Steering Committee for Ritual Studies Group (Spring 2009 to current), Student Departmental Liaison (Spring 2005 – Spring 2007), On Steering Committee for Rethinking the Field Consultation (2006/2007), On Steering Committee for Ritual Studies Group (Spring 2009 – current)
• Society for Phenomenology and Existential Philosophy
• Society for the Scientific Study of Religion
• Kelly Writers House, Coordinator for In Words Writing Group (Spring 2005 – Spring 2006)
• Graduate Student Associations Council, Departmental Representative (Fall 2000 – Spring 2001)

LANGUAGES:

• Reading Proficiency in French and German.