Fellow
Daniel John Diaz is a rising senior at Columbia University, where he studies Cognitive Science with a specialisation in Machine Translation. Interested in the intersection of scripture, cognitive science, and modernity, his senior project analyses generated translations of Shabkar’s Flight of the Garuda. His main research interests include mysticism, nondualism, and the emergence of postmodern religious identity.
Before pursuing his passion for interfaith work in New York, Daniel studied Diplomacy and International Relations at Ateneo de Manila University, where he served as Vice President for Advocacy of a student cultural organization and interned at the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C. In Manila, he volunteered with local Coptic Orthodox and Antiochian Orthodox communities. At Columbia, he has done outreach for the Afghan Student Alliance and the Columbia University Buddhist Association.
Daniel’s engagement with religious studies has led to literacy in numerous languages, including Hebrew, Greek, Syriac, Arabic, Persian, Tibetan, Georgian, Old English, Chinese, and Sanskrit. He is committed to advancing scholarship on the development of religious identity in the 21st century and exploring how nondual traditions interface with modern life.