Diana Pasulka

Social Sciences Advisory Board

Dr. Diana Walsh Pasulka is a professor of religious studies at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. Her scholarship primarily centers on Catholic history, with a special emphasis on the intersection of new religious movements. Her book American Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, and Technology (Oxford University Press) was a breakout success that brought attention to the U.S. governments focus and study of UFOs and UAP. Her research spearheaded the new emphasis in academia on UFOs. 

Dr. Pasulka’s academic contributions are recognized through her collaborations with prestigious publishing houses, including Oxford University Press, Routledge Press, and Macmillan Press. Her work has merited attention from mainstream media, with notable mentions in Vice, Vox, Fox News, The Los Angeles Review of Books, and Publisher’s Weekly. Furthermore, Dr. Pasulka’s expertise is sought after in intellectual platforms and podcasts such as Vox Media’s Ezra Klein, and Lex Fridman’s podcast.

She has authored significant monographs, namely American Cosmic, Encounters, and Heaven Can Wait. Dr. Pasulka also has an impressive portfolio as a co-editor, focusing on the nuanced relationship between digital technology and religious practices and beliefs.

Dr. Pasulka spearheads the translation project, in cooperation with the Vatican Apostolic Archive (formerly The Secret Archive) of the canonization records of Saint Joseph of Copertino. Beyond academia, she offers her knowledge as a consultant to film and television.

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