Amy H. Sturgis holds a Ph.D. in intellectual history from Vanderbilt University and teaches at Lenoir-Rhyne University and the innovative Mythgard Institute. According to several fan sites, Sturgis was the first professor in the world to offer a college course devoted to the Harry Potter series – a class she has offered at the undergraduate and graduate level for a decade. A specialist in Science Fiction/Fantasy and Native American Studies, Sturgis is the author of four books, the editor of six others, and the writer of over forty published scholarly and mainstream essays and articles, including contributions to Hogs Head Conversations: Essays on Harry Potter, Harry Potter Smart Talk, Harry Potter: Still Recruiting, and the forthcoming Harry Potter for Nerds: Volume 2. She is a frequent public speaker at universities, schools, conferences, and genre conventions, with over 200 presentations to her credit. In 2006, she was honored with the Imperishable Flame Award for Achievement in Tolkien/Inklings Scholarship. She also contributes regular "History of the Genre" features to and narrates contemporary science fiction stories for the UK-based podcast StarShipSofa, which in 2010 became the first podcast in history to win the prestigious Hugo Award.

Links:

• Official Website
• Goodreads Author’s Page
• Mythgard Institute
• StarShipSofa
• Upcoming Harry Potter-Related Talk by Dr. Sturgis (free and open to the public): “Finding Dumbledore's Mother: Harry Potter in the (Native) American Context” on October 29, 2012 at Harry Potter Fest 2012