Faculty

Harvey Aronson is a licensed therapist in private practice, meditation teacher and translator with many years of involvement in Buddhist studies and meditation and is a founding director of Dawn Mountain.

Dr. Bruera obtained his medical degree from the University of Rosario, in Argentina. He trained in Medical Oncology and relocated to the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada where he directed the clinical and academic palliative care programs until 1999.

Dr. Carroll directs the Boniuk Center for Religious Tolerance at Rice University in Houston, Texas where she is also Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Religious Studies. She is a recognized expert on issues of religious tolerance, philosophy of religion, American religion, and religion in public life.

Thomas R. Cole is the Beth and Toby Grossman Professor and Director of the McGovern Center for Health, Humanities, and the Human Spirit at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. He is also a Professor of Humanities in the Department of Religious Studies at Rice University. Cole graduated from Yale University (B.A.

Harvey L. Gordon is Clinical Professor of Urology and Medical Ethics at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr.Gordon is a graduate of Cornell University and New York University School of Medicine. He has taught and practiced since 1967 at Baylor College of Medicine and at The Methodist Hospital.

Co-Founder/President, Contemplative Network (CN), Inc. an interdenominational Christian contemplative prayer organization that encourages interfaith collaboration and scientific research. Inspired at Gethsemani Trappist monastery, at the time home to Thomas Merton. Appointed by Trappist monk Thomas Keating, Commissioned Presenter/Co-coordinator, Contemplative Outreach Ltd.

Tracy Xavia Karner is the chair of the Department of Sociology and an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Houston. A widely published sociologist and award winning teacher, Professor Karner previously held the position of director of the University of Houston 's ground-breaking interdisciplinary Visual Studies program and is a leading authority on the construction of the self: the process through which individuals and groups explore, define, express, and transform their identities.{C}

Dr. Kripal is the J. Newton Rayzor Professor and Chair of Religious Studies at Rice University.  He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago Divinity School in 1993.

Amy L. McGuire, J.D., Ph.D. is an assistant professor of medicine and medical ethics with the Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy at Baylor College of Medicine. She received her B.A. in psychology, summa cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania in December 1995, her J.D., summa cum laude, from the University of Houston in 2000, and her Ph.D.

Dr. Pargament is professor of clinical psychology at Bowling Green State University. He received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Maryland and interned in clinical psychology at Rutgers Medical School. He completed a two-year post-doctoral fellowship in psychiatric epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Dr.

Mark Trahan is an Honors graduate from the University of Houston where he presently is a member of the Adjunct faculty in the Graduate College of Social Work. His area of expertise is in Trans-theoretical Practice. He is also a member of the Psychiatric Response Team at Memorial Herman Hospital System, Prevention and Recovery Center.

Dr. Bing You received both his M.D. (China) and his Master of Medicine Science of Acupuncture and Moxibustion degree from Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in Sichuan, China. He also received advanced training in Tui-na (Chinese Body work) at Shanghai University of TCM, and had the distinct honor, as a sixth generation Tai- Chi disciple, to received Master-to-Disciple Tai-Chi training from Masters Jinhui Song, Ziyi Li, and Mogen Lin. In 1995, .Dr You became a teacher himself as he began instructing Chinese medical students and international students in Acupuncture, Tui-na, Qi-Gong and Tai-chi Sword at Chengdu University of TCM. In 1996, in, honor of his many achievements, he was recognized as the Provincial Outstanding Young Physician in Sichuan Province.