Judith Simmer-Brown is a Distinguished Professor of Contemplative and Religious Studies Emerita at Naropa University. She has expertise in Tibetan Buddhism, Women and Buddhism, Buddhist-Christian dialogue, Western Buddhism and Contemplative Education. She is an acharya — a senior Buddhist teacher — in the Shambhala Buddhist tradition and was a senior student of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. She serves on the board of the Society of Buddhist-Christian Studies, and is on the steering committee of the Contemplative Studies Group of the American Academy of Religion. Previously she was a member of the Lilly Buddhist-Christian Theological Encounter.

Life

She was raised as a minister's daughter in Nebraska, and graduated from Cornell College in Iowa (BA History and Religion); Florida State University (MA Religious Studies); and Columbia University Religious Studies, ABD. After studying at University of British Columbia in Buddhist Studies, she received her PhD from Walden University. Previously, she taught at Bensalem College and at Fordham University, Western Washington University, Fairhaven College, and Whatcom Community College. In 1980, she married Richard Brown and has two children and three grandchildren.

Writings