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Donald R. Davis, Jr. is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Asian Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. He earned his PhD from the University of Texas at Austin. His primary research interests include Sanskrit, Dharmaśāstra, legal studies related to religion, and the historical contexts of law in medieval India. Davis has conducted extensive examinations of legal practices through historical texts and inscriptions, focusing particularly on Malayalam literature. His scholarly work includes the published book 'Boundaries of Hindu Law: Tradition, Custom, Politics in Medieval Kerala' and a collection titled 'The Train Wings' featuring translated works of Malayalam writer M. Mukundan. He also co-edited 'Hindu Law: A New History of Dharmaśāstra' contributing to understanding how ancient texts relate to contemporary issues in policy and ethics. Moreover, he is engaged in translating and analyzing the Mitākṣarā, a significant legal commentary, while supervising graduate students exploring the intersections of law, religion, and history in India. Davis remains actively involved in the academic community and offers courses on various topics relating to Jainism, Bhagavata Purana, and the translation of Indian texts.
General requirements for the Graduate School at UT Austin apply to all programs unless otherwise specified.