A religious studies senior explores how neurodivergent experiences challenge long‑standing theories of religion—while balancing full‑time work and a lifelong drive to create a more compassionate world
Misty Glenn | Credit: Rudy Uhlman
By Jessica Krueger, CLA Student Writer - April 27, 2026
“My sleep paralysis demon is not me engaging with God,” Misty Glenn said, lightheartedly, as she reflected on her own research and debates within the field of religious studies. Glenn is interested in how the experiences of neurodiverse individuals complicate dominant theories of religion—theories, for instance, about how religion functions, is maintained, and is experienced. “Theories of religion,” Glenn explained, “don’t always make sense when contextualized through neurodivergence.”
Glenn is a senior majoring in religious studies at the College of Liberal Arts. She is also working on a certificate in peace studies, a multi-disciplinary, undergraduate program that teaches students crucial leadership, problem solving, and conflict resolution strategies necessary to achieve peace in any setting. “The world has been on fire my entire life,” Glenn said. “I want to fix things and after a certain age, you realize that if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.”
This upcoming spring, Glenn will be presenting her research at the American Academy of Religion’s Pacific Northwest conference. Glenn’s paper, titled “Divine Creations,” discusses how the foundational theories used in religious studies exclude neurodivergent perspectives and how scholars should create a new theory of religion to welcome more perspectives and become more inclusive. Glenn is particularly interested in comparing Eastern versus Western religions within this framework.
Glenn wrote her research paper during a capstone class she took with Amy Koehlinger, an associate professor of history, philosophy, and religious studies. “I appreciate Koehlinger,” Glenn said, “because she meets you on a personal level, wherever you’re at. She is a great sounding board and wants the best for her students.”
Throughout her undergraduate studies, Glenn has also worked with instructors Mark Ward and Linda Richards. Ward is a veteran of the U.S. Foreign Service who teaches global conflict resolution for the School of History, Philosophy, and Religion and Richards specializes in the history of war and nuclear science. Richards is also a coordinator of the peace studies program.
“I’m a regular student. I just work hard,” Glenn said about herself, but this is clearly an understatement. Glenn supports her schooling by working a full-time, overnight job. That leaves her to focus on her studies during the day. Glenn is not unknown to arrive early for her 8 a.m. classes and engage with professors in early-morning philosophical conversations—having clocked out from work only an hour before, at 7 a.m.
After graduating high school, it was always Glenn’s dream to complete a post-secondary degree, but finances and difficult family circumstances made this almost impossible. Growing up in Ojai, California, Glenn was the head of her household from an early age. She briefly studied art history at Ventura Community College but dropped out so that she could work full time and support her family, especially her younger siblings.
Still, Glenn found ways to explore. After her siblings graduated high school, Glenn bought a one-way ticket to Italy and lived there for a year with a close friend. After returning to the U.S., Glenn worked full-time at a hotel, then at a daycare for children whose parents were receiving outpatient drug addiction treatment. When Glenn’s job was phased out during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, she decided it was time to go back to college. Having also faced a serious health scare in her mid-twenties, “the future,” Glenn said, “felt uncertain. In 2020, I finally ran out of excuses to pursue my dream.”
To start, Glenn took classes in art history at Linn Benton Community College in Corvallis. After taking a religious studies course, however, Glenn decided to switch her focus. In 2023, Glenn transferred to Oregon State University to finish her degree. “I chose OSU,” Glenn said, “because there was such a wide variety of religious studies classes offered. I felt excited about all of the possibilities."
“The field of religious studies is so important,” Glenn said, “because it teaches you to look at all sides of an issue. It teaches you how to have an open mind, and how to approach people who are not like you with empathy, humanity, and compassion.”
Glenn first discovered her interest in religion as a child when she would attend church services with her Catholic grandmother. In church, Glenn enjoyed people watching and taking in the sights and sounds of the religious space.
Glenn’s favorite religious thinkers, currently, are Émile Durkheim and Barbara J. King. “I appreciate Durkheim,” Glenn said, “because he believed that there is no such thing as a bad religion, that religions are just serving a human need.” Glenn also appreciates Durkheim’s belief in the importance of community. “As for King,” Glenn said, “I appreciate her emphasis on togetherness and belonging.”
Glenn plans to graduate from OSU in 2027. After this, she intends to pursue graduate studies, with the hopes of one day teaching or working for a humanitarian cause of some sort. No matter her future path Glenn hopes to make the world a better place.