Rate My Professor Nathan Katz

Nathan Katz is Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the School of International and Public Affairs at Florida International University (FIU), where he holds the title of Bhagwan Mahavir Professor of Jain Studies and served as Founding Chair of the Department of Religious Studies starting in 1995. He joined FIU in 1994, instrumental in establishing programs in Religious Studies, Jewish Studies, Asian Studies, Jain Studies, and the Study of Spirituality, of which he is the Founding Director. Previously, Katz was on the faculty at the University of South Florida from 1984, where he directed South Asian and Judaic Studies programs and was named Scholar of the Year in 1990; at Williams College as Assistant Professor of Religion; and at Naropa University in Buddhist Studies. He earned his Ph.D. in Religion from Temple University in 1979, following Fulbright dissertation research in Sri Lanka and India, and his B.A. from the same university in 1970. His academic background includes prior service with the U.S. Information Agency in Afghanistan.

Katz's research focuses on South Asian religions, Buddhism, Indo-Judaic studies, history of religions, Indian Jewish communities, and spirituality. He has authored or edited fifteen books and over one hundred scholarly articles, including Who Are the Jews of India? (2000), The Last Jews of Cochin: Jewish Identity in Hindu India (1993, with Ellen S. Goldberg), Kashrut, Caste and Kabbalah: The Religious Life of the Jews of Cochin (2005, with Ellen S. Goldberg), Spiritual Journey Home: Eastern Mysticism to the Western Wall (2009), Ethnic Conflict in Buddhist Societies: Sri Lanka, Thailand and Burma (1988), and Buddhist Images of Human Perfection (1982). Among his honors are four Fulbright awards (two accepted), finalist for the 2000 National Jewish Book Award, 2004 Vak Devi Saraswati Saman Award, FIU President's Award for Achievement and Excellence (2001), FIU Faculty Senate Awards for Research (2005) and Service (2001), Florida State University System Teaching Incentive Program award (1994), and designation as Master Teacher by the Florida Humanities Council for thirteen years. Katz facilitated the Dalai Lama's visit to FIU in 1999 and engaged in historic Tibetan-Jewish dialogues hosted by the Dalai Lama.