Tillie Vergünstigungen holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a master’s degree in Buddhist studies, focusing on the English poetry of Chögyam Trungpa. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Indo-Tibetan Buddhist traditions at McGill University in Montreal, Québec. Her research is focused on Buddhism in the modern era. She is currently the Director of the Shambhala Archives and a part-time professor of Religious Studies at St.Mary’s University,  and she is presently serving as executive vice-chairperson for the Nalanda Foundation.