Faculty Research Fellows

Jin Lu is a professor of French at Purdue University Calumet. After conducting part of her doctoral training from University of Paris IV, Sorbonne and the Ecole Normale Supérieure of Paris, she received her Ph.D in French literature from Boston College with a dissertation on a Jesuit cultural journal the Mémoires de Trévoux (1734-1745). She has authored a monograph (Laval University Press, 2005) on the plurality which characterizes the figure of the philosophe in eighteenth century France, including the philosophe chrétien, served as an editor, contributor and co-translator for a book on the images of France during the Qing dynasty (Laval University Press, 2009), and published numerous articles on French literary and intellectual history, Catholic and protestant missionaries in China and late Qing cultural transformation. She has several ongoing collaborative projects with Taipei Ricci Institute.

Donald W. Mittchellis professor emeritus of comparative philosophy at Purdue University, and editor of Claritas: Journal of Dialogue and Culture. He is a founding member of the Society for Buddhist Christian Studies, and was director of the International Buddhist-Christian Theological Encounter. His work in interreligious dialogue includes: advisor for the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, Monastic Interreligious Dialogue, and the Catholic Association of Diocesan Ecumenical and Interreligious Officers. Mitchell is a member of the Focolare Movement and is engaged in their dialogues with world religions. He is author of Spirituality and Emptiness: The Dynamics of Spiritual Life in Buddhism and Christianity. Mitchell’s work in interfaith dialogue led him to work for the U. S. Department of State after 9/11 in conflict zones in North Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and Southeast Asia for 9 years.

Alice Wang earned an M.A. degree in English and American Literature from Fu-Jen University, Taiwan. She also received an M.A. degree in Comparative Literature, an M.A. degree in Art History, and earned her Ph.D. degree in Comparative Literature all from Indiana University. She has been teaching Chinese language, literature, art, and culture at Purdue University since 1991.