Shigeo H. Kanda is a Professor of Religious Studies in the Department of Religious Studies. He is also a member of the University's Asian American Studies Program and Asian Studies Committee. He was initially appointed in 1970 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy. He was Religious Studies Chair during the 1977-81, 1985-90, and 1993-94 academic years; Coordinator of the Humanities Program during the1985-89 academic years; and Asian Studies Coordinator in 1973-75. He earned a B.A. in Psychology ( Minor in Philosophy ) from Texas Christian University, an M.Th. from Claremont School of Theology , and the Ph.D from Claremont Graduate University. He was a Visiting Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley, Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, and Haverford College. Kanda taught at the University of California, Santa Barbara and Cornell College (Iowa) and a Visiting Professor at the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley, CA. He holds membership in the American Academy of Religions, Association of AsianStudies, Society of Asian and Comparative Philosophy, Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies, and Society for the Study of Japanese Religions.

Kanda's teaching specializations are: East Asian Buddhism, Japanese Religions, Bible, Asian American Studies, Japanese American Religions, Cross-Cultural studies and Methodology. He co-authored a book, The Self and System: Views from the East and West and published articles and book reviews in the areas of Buddhism, Japanese Religions, and Asian American religions. He received several NEH stipends and teaching grants. Effective Fall 2001, Kanda will serve as a FERP faculty.