Dr. Kevin J. Wanner, WMU professor and Fullbright Scholar
By Katy TerBerg
Dr. Kevin Wanner, associate professor of comparative religion, has been approved as a candidate for the Fulbright Specialists Roster by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs, and the Council for International Exchange of Scholars.
The roster is a list of all approved candidates, eligible to be matched with incoming program requests for Fulbright Specialists from overseas academic institutions. He may remain on this prestigious list for up to five years.
As a candidate, Wanner will be considered a potential match for program requests in his area of specialty—Medieval Christianity, with a particular focus on the pre- and post-conversion religion and culture of Scandinavia.
Wanner teaches REL 2000: Introduction to Religion, REL 3050: The Christian Tradition, and, at the graduate level, REL 5000: Medieval Christianity. He also participates in a faculty team-taught section of REL 1000 called Religions of the World.
Wanner received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and religious studies from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1995, with a minor in sociology, followed by a master’s degree in religion in 1998 and a Ph.D. in the history of religions at the University of Chicago.
Between 1999 and 2009, Wanner published several scholarly articles, including “Off-Center: Considering Spatial Valences in Norse Cosmography” in Speculum: A Journal of Medieval Studies, and “God on the Margins: Dislocation and Transience in the Myths of Óðinn” in History of Religions.
Known for his forum style, Wanner has been described by students as “open and encouraging.”
“I wasn’t sure going into the class but it has turned out to be one of my favorite classes I’ve taken so far,” said a former student. “He’s very willing to take questions and explain things more clearly. It keeps class interesting. I learned to speak up in class during discussions.”
The J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board meets quarterly in Washington, D.C. Wanner will join a company of over 310,000 “Fulbrighters” dedicated to the shared understanding of education policies between countries.
Links:
Dr. Kevin J. Wanner’s profile
The Department of Comparative Religion’s homepage
Fullbright – International Educational Exchange Program
