Amy Li Pate
Graduate Student in Religion and Culture
Amy Li Pate is a first-year student in Religion and Culture. She received her BA in Anthropology and Classics from the University of Alabama, where she focused primarily on Linguistic Anthropology and AncientGreek language/philosophy. She received an MTS from Vanderbilt Divinity School, where she also received certifications in Religion and the Arts in Contemporary Culture and in Asian Studies.
Her research interests lie in the intersection between religion, politics, and fine arts. She is primarily focused on how power constructs itself in church spaces, and what ways politics and culture integrate themselves into congregational life. She is also interested in how religion is used in art of resistance and liberation and how seemingly “secular” art is a space for the sacred and Divine.
In her free time, she is a hobby collector, engaging in activities ranging from knitting to baking to sewing. Additionally, she takes any chance she can to engage with music performance through musicals, choirs, and instruments. She also enjoys playing video games with her husband, Carter, and taking care of her fur babies.
Course Advisor: Dr. Jill DeTemple
Fellowships and Awards:
2026 – Academic Achievement Award (Vanderbilt Divinity School)
2026 – Frederich Buechner Prize for Outstanding Thesis (Vanderbilt Divinity School)
2024-2026 – Carpenter Scholar (Vanderbilt Divinity School)
2024 – Departmental Classics Student of the Year (University of Alabama)
2023 – Departmental Greek Student of the Year (University of Alabama)
2022 – Outstanding First Year Greek Student (University of Alabama)
2022-2024 – Charles D. Perry Scholarship in Classics (University of Alabama)