Diane Riggs

Dr. Diane Riggs is a faculty specialist I in the Department of Comparative Religion at Western Michigan University.

Riggs conducted her dissertation research in Kyoto at Ryūkoku University and the International Research Center for Japanese Studies. She also studied at the Inter-university Center for Japanese Language Education in Yokohama. Riggs' dissertation, "The Cultural and Religious Significance of Japanese Buddhist Vestments," is the first full length study of Japanese Buddhist robes that integrates textual sources with historical and contemporary material culture. Her research interests include the integration of religious practice with material culture and the agency of women in supporting this culture.

Riggs is responsible for coordinating and teaching REL 1000 and REL 2010. She has also taught courses in Indian, Chinese and Japanese religious traditions; Buddhist meditation traditions; and Zen Buddhism. She recently received a 2019 College of Arts and Sciences Dean's Appreciation Award.