Julie R. Dargis, Ph.D.

Julie R. Dargis, Ph.D., is Faculty at the California Institute for Human Science, where she teaches academic writing, supports graduate student research and scholarship, and currently serves as Chair of the Faculty Senate. Since 2016, she has worked closely with CIHS students, helping emerging scholars develop clear, grounded, and meaningful academic voices.

Dr. Dargis brings more than three decades of experience in international humanitarian assistance and organizational leadership. Her professional expertise includes designing, implementing, and evaluating community-based education, training, and capacity-building programs, particularly in regions affected by war, displacement, political instability, and natural disasters.

At CIHS, Dr. Dargis brings together her background in humanitarian leadership, integral health, contemplative practice, writing, and student-centered mentorship. Her teaching and advising emphasize clarity of expression, embodied inquiry, ethical scholarship, and the development of research that is both intellectually rigorous and personally meaningful.

PUBLICATIONS

Pit Stop in the Paris of Africa (2013) is a collection of essays and verse highlighting Julie’s most memorable experiences from her work overseas.

White Moon in a Powder Blue Sky (2016) considers the subtle sciences through the application of quantum physics and “thought experiments” to promote personal, professional, and spiritual growth.

Borderland: An Exploration of States of Consciousness in New and Selected Sonnets, published by Hermes House Press in February 2018.

See You in My Dreams: A Daughter’s Journey with her Father through Dementia in Sonnets, released in November 2018.

Be Your Own Guru: Meditations on Science and Spirituality as a Pathway to Personal Wellness, released in November 2020.

Be Your Own POKER Guru (2025) explores the emotional regulation, discipline, resilience, and self-awareness required for long-term success through scholarly research and interviews with professional poker players and coaches.

Be Your Own Poker Goddess (2025) delves more deeply into the emotional and intuitive dimensions of poker, considering intuition, attachment theory, shadow work, and self-trust as pathways to personal growth.

Intergalactic Poker (2026) is a science fiction account that brings a playful and imaginative crystalline lens to game theory, play, and wellness. Through poker as a metaphor for consciousness, uncertainty, and the unseen patterns that shape human experience, the book explores how games can become portals for insight, transformation, and self-discovery.

The Wonder and the Wow!: Communication with Human and Non-Human Intelligence (2026) reflects Dr. Dargis’s lifelong engagement with language, creativity, and spirit, exploring communication across multiple domains as a practice of attention, discovery, healing, and meaning-making.