Arihanta Institute Welcomes Dr. Carol Rodríguez Gutiérrez as Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Engaged Jain Studies
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Arihanta Institute Welcomes Dr. Carol Rodríguez Gutiérrez as Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Engaged Jain Studies
06/15/2026
Arihanta Institute is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Carol Rodríguez Gutiérrez as our new Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Engaged Jain Studies. Dr. Rodríguez joins us for a one-year fellowship beginning June 1, 2026, during which she will advance original research, public scholarship, and educational programming in Engaged Jain Studies.
About Dr. Rodríguez
Dr. Rodríguez Gutiérrez earned her PhD from the University of Florida in 2026. Her research spans two complementary areas that exemplify the spirit of Engaged Jain Studies. The first is the ethical and narrative world of medieval Jain didactic literature, with particular attention to representations of women and virtue in texts such as the Līlāvatīsāra. The second is the lived religion of transnational Jain communities, especially the intersections of food culture, ahiṃsā, gender, and religious identity among Jains in the United States and the wider diaspora. In addition to advanced competency in Sanskrit, Spanish, and English, she has studied Gujarati, Portuguese, and Mandarin.
The Fellowship Year Ahead
During her fellowship, Dr. Rodríguez Gutiérrez will pursue an ambitious program of research and public scholarship, including:
- Academic conference presentations
- Peer-reviewed publications developing the field of Engaged Jain Studies
- An online research colloquium that brings together scholars and community members
- Contributions to the Arihanta Institute blog, sharing her research with a broad public audience.
Dr. Rodríguez Gutiérrez's combination of rigorous language training, ethnographic sensitivity, and commitment to public scholarship makes her an ideal fit for Arihanta Institute's mission of fostering academically grounded, engaged Jain studies. Please join us in warmly welcoming Dr. Rodríguez Gutiérrez to Arihanta Institute.