Andrew Nguy joined the doctoral program in Asian Religions in 2024 and is exploring the factors that induce change in Chinese Buddhist liturgies, particularly in the late-imperial period (1368–1911). This project seeks to explain the ways in which transmissions of ritual learning occur. Drawing from both historical sources and performances of contemporary Buddhist rituals, Andrew’s previous work examined ritual performance as pedagogy and won the 2023 Khyentse Foundation Award for Excellence in Buddhist Studies. 

When he is taking a break from studying rituals, he enjoys perusing Buddhist exegeses and translating scriptures. He previously won a Fulbright U.S. Student Grant (2019-20) to study tea cultures in SE China at Fujian Normal University and served as a full-time translator at the Fo Guang Shan Institute of Humanistic Buddhism (2023-24) for the Fo Guang Dictionary of Buddhism, focusing on terminology from the Huayan school and the Abhidharmakośa.

A Portland, OR native, Andrew holds a BA in Asian Studies from Pomona College and a MA in East Asian Studies from Yale University, where he spearheaded interest groups in East Asian calligraphy and tea.