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PROFESSIONAL OVERVIEW

Academic in the social sciences and recognized subject matter expert in my subfield. I specialize in qualitative research methods, digital ethnography, religion and popular culture, and alternative and emergent religions. Taught university courses and published in peer-reviewed journals. Multiple award and grant winner.

Education:

2012-2022

Doctorate of Philosophy—Religion, Department of Religion and Culture, Concordia University, Montreal. PhD Advisor: Professor Lorenzo DiTommaso. Thesis title: A Cabal of Outsiders: Negotiating the (Virtual) Boundaries of the Church  of Satan (2022)

• Dissertation accepted “as is” and oral defence ranked “outstanding” (the highest distinction)
• Published in anthologies and peer-reviewed journals
• Multiple grant and award winner
• Conducted ethnographic research for my thesis
• Presented papers at multiple professional academic conferences, in Canada and abroad
• Guest lectured at Cégeps, Universities, as well as non-academic venues on my specialization
• On-air appearance as a subject matter expert for radio, print, and television
• Workshop leader, “How to Start a Graduate Journal,” GradProSkills
• Student representative, Comité conjoint du doctorat en sciences des religions
• Student representative, Advisory Search Committee—Chair, Department of Religion
• Awarded Certificate of Recognition for Graduate Student Service and Leadership
• Awarded Certificate of Excellence—PhD for my various efforts to enhance graduate student life by volunteering for the conference, journal, and graduate religion association committees

Comprehensive Exams:

• Religion and Media/Material Culture
• The Marginal Body in Religion
• Religion and Popular Culture

2015

Guest PhD-Candidate— Norwegian Institute of Science and Technology (NTNU). Spent six months at the NTNU researching under the supervision of Dr. Jesper Aagaard Petersen, an expert in Western Esotericism.

• Co-authored article with Dr. Petersen for the Oxford Handbook on New Religious Movements vol II
• Invited speaker on my research topic
• Fine-tuned my thesis topic in terms of its contribution to the field, ethics protocol for research with informants, methodological approaches, and the innovative claims in the dissertation
• Analyzed and critiqued related works in my field

2012

Master of Arts—History and Philosophy of Religion, Department of Religion and Culture, Concordia University, Montreal

• Published first academic peer-reviewed article in 2011
• Presented at professional and graduate academic conferences
• Volunteered for graduate associations (conference, journal, student association)
• Certificate:
  • seminar on University Teaching
  • workshop Writing for Publication, GradProSkills
  • workshop Ethical Approach to Research, GradProSkills

2008

Bachelor of Arts—Honours in Religion, Department of Religion and Culture, Concordia University, Montreal

• Graduated with Honours
• Presented at the Excellence in Undergraduate Research Day
• Received certificate of Excellence in Undergraduate Research
• Dean’s List

Experience:

2010-2020

Teaching and Teaching Assistantships—Concordia University, Montreal

As a PhD candidate, I taught undergraduate courses designed to emphasize transferrable skills and high student engagement, focusing on marginal worldviews. Classes ranged from 80 to 150 students.

Teaching

• Religions of the West, Concordia University (2016)
• Witchcraft, Magic, and Religion, Concordia University (2014, 2016)
• Cults and New Religious Movements, Concordia University (2013) 

Teaching Assistantships

• Food and Religion (2021)
• Religion and Practice (2019, 2021)
• Modern Islam (2021)
• Introduction to Islam (2020)
• History of Satan (2010, 2011, 2015, 2020)
• Cults and New Religious Movements (2012, 2018, 2019)
• Religions of the West (2018)
• Encountering World Religions (2013, 2018)
• Religions of Asia (2013)
• Encountering Religions (2013)
• Witchcraft, Magic, and Religion (2012, 2013)

2018-2021

Blind peer-reviewer for professional academic journals in my field. Topics: religion and popular culture, new religious movements, ritual studies, modern religious Satanism, Paganism, magic.

2012-2019

Administrative Assistant to the Chair—Institute for Canadian Jewish Studies

The mandate of the Institute for Canadian Jewish Studies is to share knowledge with the Jewish community and within academia. Specific tasks include:

• Coordinating conferences and events
• Assisting with the publication of the Canadian Jewish Studies journal
• Cataloging and shelving entries to the Avriel Butovsky Research Library
• Printing and mailing the newsletter and journal
• Processing membership forms and payments
• Answering inquiries by telephone and email
• Maintaining website with events, publications, and scholar profiles

2010-2015

Various—Annual Graduate Interdisciplinary Conference

I held various officer titles for the conference, and under my leadership, the conference reached a new level of excellence. I spearheaded these particular initiatives:

• Branding the conference and related activities under one acronym (AGIC)
• Creating, building, and launching a dedicated website for the conference
• Building and managing all social media for the conference
• Circulating the Call for Papers
• Answering inquiries
• Acting as primary liaison for all conference presenters
• Maintaining detailed financial oversight, from fundraising to invoices and reimbursements, while remaining diligent with how conference funds were managed
• Overseeing the roles of volunteers
• Recruiting new volunteers in order to ensure the continued success of this all-important graduate conference

2010-2013

Editor in Chief—Journal of Religion and Culture, Graduate Journal

Over the course of three years, I held three different positions, each with their own unique responsibilities. In all cases it was imperative to meet the academic excellence and ethics compliance for the peer-review process.

• Fundraising, budget control, invoices, and reimbursements
• Formatting and editing articles up to publication standard
• Coordinating the entire publication process, from circulating the Call for Papers, to article submission, to peer-review, to editing and formatting, to final publication
• Implementing online publication using the Open Journal System

Awards, Fellowships, and Grants:

2014-2017

• Social Science and Research Council Doctoral Fellowship Award (SSHRC)
• Fonds de recherche du Québec—Société et culture bourse de doctorat (in name only)

2014-2015

• Faculty of Arts and Science Merit Scholarship, Concordia University
• Quebec Student Mobility Bursary from the Ministère de l’Enseignement Supérieur, Recherche, Science et Technologie (MESRST)

2012-2015

• Faculty of Arts and Science Graduate Fellowship, Concordia University
• Religion and Diversity Project Graduate Research Grant

2012-2013

• Faculty of Arts and Science Concordia Merit Scholarship, Concordia University
• Multiple conference and travel awards 

 

Publications:

Articles/Book chapters

[Forthcoming]

• “Anton LaVey: Interview from John Fritscher’s ‘Popular Witchcraft: Straight from the Witch’s Mouth’ (1972–2004).” In Oxford Reader on Modern Religious Satanism. Edited by Per Faxneld and Johan Nilsson. Oxford University Press.
• “‘The Book of Coming Forth by Night,’ By Michael Aquino, Founder of the Temple of Set.” In Oxford Reader on Modern Religious Satanism. Edited by Per Faxneld and Johan Nilsson. Oxford University Press.

2017

• “Satanic Total Environments: Playing with Art and Artifice,” La Rosa di Paracelso. Special issue: Diabolus in singulis est: The Devil, Satan and Lucifer, edited by Michele Olzi, Christian Giudice, and Roberto Revello. OJS || ISSN: 2532-2028.

2016

• Reprint. “Blood, Sweat, and Urine: The Scent of Feminine Fluids in Anton LaVey’s The Satanic Witch.” In The Bloomsbury Reader in Religion, Sexuality and Gender. Edited by Donald L. Boisvert and Carly Daniel-Hughes. Bloomsbury Academic.
• Co-authored with Jesper Aagaard Petersen. “Modern Religious Satanism: A Negotiation of Tensions.” In Oxford Handbook on New Religious Movements, Vol. II. Edited by James R. Lewis and Inga Bårdsen Tøllefsen. Oxford: OUP.

2013

• “Blood, Sweat, and Urine: The Scent of Feminine Fluids in Anton LaVey’s The Satanic Witch,” International Journal for the Study of New Religions, 4.2: 177-199.

2011

• “Death and Dying in the Satanic Worldview,” Journal of Religion and Culture, 22.1: 33-53.

Book reviews

2018

• Review of: Ronald Hutton. 2018. The Witch: A History of Fear, From Ancient Times to the Present. Hampshire: Yale University Press. In American Academy of Religion: Reading Religion.

2016

• Review of: Asbjørn Dyrendal, James R. Lewis, and Jesper Aa. Petersen. 2016. The Invention of Satanism. New York: OUP. In Correspondences, 4: 152-154.
• Review of: Reuben van Luijk. 2016. Children of Lucifer: The Origins of Modern Religious Satanism. New York: OUP. In American Academy of Religion: Reading Religion.

Other

2022

• “A Cabal of Outsider: Negotiating the (Virtual) Boundaries of the Church of Satan.” PhD Dissertation. Concordia University. https://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/id/eprint/990255/

 

Conference Presentations:

2016

• “Satanic Total Environments: Playing with Art and Artifice,” Unravelling Religion, Interdisciplinary Graduate Student Conference. Queen’s University, Kingston.

2015

• “Magic and Media: Centralizing the Material in Church of Satan Ritual,” American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting. Atlanta, Georgia.
• “Magic and Media: Centralizing the Material in Church of Satan Ritual. Centre for Studies in New Religions (CESNUR). Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia.

2014

• “Blood, Sweat, and Urine: The Scent of Feminine Fluids in Anton LaVey’s The Satanic Witch,” Centre for Studies in New Religions (CESNUR). Baylor University, Waco, Texas.
  
• “Une tribu d’exclus: les membres de l’Église de Satan négocient un espace liminaire dans la société,” 82ième congrès de l’Association francophone pour le savoir (Acfas). Concordia University, Montreal.
• “Autonomy, Language, and Religion: How Quebec Satanists Negotiate the Chartre des valeurs québécoises,” Religion and Diversity Workshop: New Religions in Quebec. McGill University, Montreal.
• “Blood, Sweat, and Urine: The Scent of Feminine Fluids in Anton LaVey’s The Satanic Witch,” Unravelling Religion: Interdisciplinary Graduate Student Conference. Queen’s University, Kingston.

2013

• “’I-Theism’ in the Church of Satan: Self-Religiosity in Secular Societies,” American Academy of Religion’s Annual Meeting. Baltimore, U.S.A.
• “The Reluctant Player: Negotiating Tensions in the Study of Religious Satanism,” Center for Studies in New Religion Conference: Changing Religious Movements in a Changing World. Dalarna University, Falun, Sweden.

2012

• “Death and Dying in the Satanic Worldview,” International Arts and Humanities Conference. Honolulu, Hawaii.

2010

• “Death and Dying in the Satanic Worldview,” 15th Annual Graduate Interdisciplinary Conference. Concordia University, Montreal.

Media Appearances and Guest Lectures:

2022

• Guest lecture. “Satanic Sexuality.” Sex and Religion. Meaghan Matheson. St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, NS.

2021 

• Guest lecture. “Modern Religious Satanism.” Spirits, Ghosts, and Demons. Jeremy Cohen. McMaster University, Hamilton.
• [Since 2012]. Guest lecture. “The Church of Satan and Western Esotericism,” History of Satan, L. DiTommaso, Concordia University, Montreal.
• Consultant. Subject matter expert. Julian Paszkiewicz, Assistant Producer, BBC Radio 4.

2020

• Guest lecture. “Modern Religious Satanism,” Cults and New Religious Movements. L. DiTommaso. Concordia University, Montreal.
• Guest lecture, “Satanic Magic,” Witchcraft, Magic, and Religion, S. Palmer. Concordia University, Montreal.

2019

• Interview, “The Satanic Temple Canada,” by Rachel Brown, Global News.
• [Since 2011]. Guest lecture (Spring and Fall). “Death and Dying in the Church of Satan,” Death and Dying in Religion, A. Koumouzelis, Marianopolis College, Montreal.

2018

• Guest lecture, “New Religious Movements: Satanism,” New Religious Movements, S. Palmer, McGill University, Montreal.
• Guest lecture, “Death in the Church of Satan,” Death and Dying, S. Palmer, Concordia University, Montreal.

2016

• Interview, “Contemporary Religious Satanism,” Emergent Spiritualities, D. Webster, University of Gloucestershire, UK [Skype].
• Consultant on religious Satanism, Television, “Believer,” hosted by Reza Aslan, CNN.

2015

• Guest speaker, “Shemhamphorash! Magic and Materialism in the Church of Satan,” Forum Nidrosiae, M. Palmer, Trondheim, Norway.
• Interview, “‘You have taken them alive!’ Pig’s head in a pentagram left outside Montreal Police Brotherhood building,” Postmedia News [Email].
• Interview, “Contemporary Religious Satanism,” Emergent Spiritualities, D. Webster, University of Gloucestershire, UK [Skype].

2014 

• Interview, “The Satanic Statue Controversy,” Philosophy and Religion Video Interviews, D. Webster, University of Gloucestershire, UK [Skype].
• Guest lecture, “Research Methods: Satanism,” Research Methods, A. Koumouzelis, Marianopolis College, Montreal.
• Guest lecture, “Satanic Sexuality,” Sex and Religion, D. Boisvert, Concordia University, Montreal.
• Guest lecture, “Women in New Religious Movements,” Women in Religion, A. Ross, Concordia University.

2013

• Guest lecture, “Death and Dying in the Church of Satan,” Death and Dying in Religion, B.J. Purdie, Concordia University.
• Radio interview for, “Cued for Thought,” CJLO, 1690 a.m.
• Interviewed for, “The New Satanism: Less Lucifer, More Politics,” Josh Sanburn, Time.com.
• Guest speaker, “Six Sermons about Satan,” curated by Anthony Easton, VF Events.

2012

• Guest lecture, “New Religious Movements,” Religions of the West, S. L. Turriff, Concordia University.
• Radio interview with Tommy Schnurmacher on CJAD, 800 a.m.

2011

• Quoted in, “Satan’s Favourite Time of Year,” Karen Seidman, Montreal Gazette.
• Radio interview, “Pourquoi pas dimanche?” Patrick Garneau, Radio-Canada.
• Quoted in, “Satanism isn’t for devil worshippers,” Derek Abma, Post Media News.
• Featured in, “How to Bury a Satanist,” Eric Marapodi, CNN.com.
• Radio interview, “Nick at Night,” CJAD, 800 a.m.
• Television interview, “Newsmakers,” Mutsumi Takahashi, CTV News.
• Featured in, “Sympathy for the Devil?” Beth Lewis, Concordia Now, producing international coverage of the Lewis article in various print and Internet media.

Miscellaneous:

• Over a dozen years managerial experience in healthcare administration
• Worked as a nanny, housekeeper, and pet sitter for over a decade
• Experience in radio broadcasting and sketch-writing (Cypher, CKUT 90.3 F.M)

References Upon Request