A. Whitney SanfordSanford.Whitney.pic2

Professor

Areas of Interest/Research

Specializations: Religious perspectives on the environment; Cultural and religious aspects of food, water, and agriculture; Hinduism; Gandhi

Background

A. Whitney Sanford is a professor in the Religion Department at the University of Florida. She  teaches and researches in two main areas: Religion and Nature and Religions of Asia, and her current work lies at the intersection of religion, food (and agriculture), and social equity. She is currently conducting ethnographic research on the St. Johns River in Florida, exploring human attachment to place and water. Her work is featured in “River of Dreams: The St. Johns River and Its Springs” at the Matheson History Museum in Gainesville, FL. “Outdoor Sanctuary: Whitney Sanford and her Students Find Religion in Nature” highlighted Professor Sanford and her work in January 2017.

Her books include Living Sustainably: What Intentional Communities Can Teach Us about Democracy, Simplicity, and Nonviolence (University Press of Kentucky, June 2017), Growing Stories from India: Religion and the Fate of Agriculture (University Press of Kentucky, 2012) and Singing Krishna: Sound Becomes Sight in Paramanand’s Poetry (SUNY 2008). Her journal articles have appeared in publications including JAAR, Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, International Journal of Hindu Studies, Worldviews, and Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature, and Culture.

Personal webpage: whitneysanford.com

Blog: Floridawaterscapes

Education

  • PhD (Religious Studies) University of Pennsylvania, May 1995
  • MA  (Religious Studies) University of Pennsylvania, May 1990
  • BA   (English/Philosophy) Bowdoin College, May 1983

Contact Information

Email: wsanford@ufl.edu
Phone: (352) 392-1625
Office: AND 107

Mailing address:
University of Florida
107 Anderson Hall
P.O. Box 117410
Gainesville, FL 32611-7410