Dr. Kaitlyn Ugoretz is the Postdoctoral Fellow in East Asian Media at the University of Idaho’s Habib Institute for Asian Studies. Her experience studying and working abroad in China inspired her to spend her life learning and teaching about East Asia. She received her BA and MA from the University of Pennsylvania and earned her PhD in East Asian cultural studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. As an expert on Japanese religion and culture, Ugoretz has lived and worked in Japan for several years, conducting fieldwork at shrines, temples, and other historical sites across Japan. Her research focuses on the global spread of Shinto through social media and popular culture. She consults on games and television and writes for outlets including Religion News Service, The Washington Post, Critical Asian Studies, and The Conversation. She is a frequent podcast guest and the host of the award-winning educational YouTube channel "Eat Pray Anime," which explores Japanese religious history and culture through comics, anime, and video games.