Lama Palzang

Faculty

Lama Palzang, Dean

Lama Palzang is a Nyingma lama who was born in the Gyarong region of Tibet, where from a very young age, he was trained in the dharma under Jigme Tenpa Dargye Rinpoche. He was formally educated at Minyak Lhagang Monastery in Kham and trained in the Longchen Nyingtik tradition under his root teachers, Khenchen Chodrak Rinpoche and Kyabje Chatral Rinpoche. He completed a traditional three year retreat under Kyabje Chatral Rinpoche in Beyul Yolmo, Nepal. Since 2002, Lama Palzang has assisted Tarthang Rinpoche with large-scale dharma projects in Asia. Lama Palzang teaches classes on Buddhist Studies and Nyingma Meditation and guides traditional dharma retreats at the Institute.

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Khenpo Kalsang

Faculty

Khenpo Kalsang, Instructor

Khenpo Kalsang Dhundrup is a distinguished Tibetan Buddhist scholar, poet, and educator deeply interested in cross-cultural learning and monastic education. Khenpo Kalsang was conferred his Khenpo degree from Namdroling Monastery in 2023. His practical experience includes teaching at Adzom Monastery in Nepal and collaborating on innovative educational initiatives with SINI. With a focus on early childhood education and the role of women in traditionally male-dominated settings, Khenpo Kalsang is dedicated to modernizing monastic education while preserving its core values. His unique blend of traditional wisdom and open-mindedness positions him as a transformative figure in Buddhist education for future generations. In 2024, Khenpo Kalsang was selected as an awardee of the Buddhist Ministry Initiative, part of the Harvard Divinity School International Fellows Program, sponsored by the Ho Foundation. His fellowship focused on monastic education and learning new methods of teaching diverse audiences.

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Hugh Joswick

Faculty

Hugh Joswick, Instructor

Hugh Joswick, Ph.D., has been studying and practicing at Nyingma Institute under Tarthang Tulku’s senior students since the mid-1990’s. He has also co-edited several books under the close direction of Tarthang Tulku, including Caring and the Lotus Trilogy books. He holds a Ph.D. from Yale University, and a B.A. and M.A. from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. He has taught philosophy at the university level and is currently the Managing Editor of Mangalam Press, the publishing arm of Mangalam Research Center for Buddhist Languages, which focuses primarily on scholarly works in the fields of Buddhist and Religious Studies. Hugh brings a gentle approach and skillful style of inquiry to his teaching.

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Olivia Hurd

Faculty

Olivia Hurd, Instructor

Olivia Hurd, B.F.A, is a textile artist and retired children’s publisher. She was a co-founder of the Peaceable Kingdom Press, a children’s publisher featuring art from children’s books, which she ran for many years. She is a long-time meditation practitioner and has been a student at the Nyingma Institute since 1997. Olivia says, “In my years studying at Nyingma Institute, my life has taken a wonderful turn. I’ve increased awareness of whatever activity is at hand and the importance of how I do it. Most importantly, I feel that my sensitivity for others has grown.” Her teaching style is heartfelt.

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Suellen Ehnebuske

Faculty

Suellen Ehnebuske, Instructor

Suellen Ehnebuske is a long-time student and meditation instructor with the Nyingma Institute. She appreciates the opportunity of sharing this great wisdom tradition and practice with aspiring meditation practitioners.

Before retiring in 2015, Suellen worked as creative director and visual designer in the children’s specialty market. She completed UC Berkeley’s ESL certification program in 2017 and teaches in the SF East Bay area. Currently, she is working with recently arrived refugee youth at Oakland International High School.

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Pauline Yu

Faculty

Pauline Yu, Instructor

Pauline Yu encountered meditation in 2006 during her final year at UC Berkeley, where she studied Art History and Philosophy. In 2007, she joined the Nyingma Mandala community as a full-time work-study volunteer.

Since then, Pauline has been studying, practicing, and working under Tarthang Tulku’s senior students. In 2010, she completed Nyingma Institute’s 1,200-hour Path and Practices of Liberation program.

Pauline has also completed several teacher training programs: Kum Nye Teacher Training (2021); Knowledge of Freedom Teacher Training (2024); Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program certified by the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley (2025).

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Emily Provosty

Faculty

Emily Provosty, Assistant Instructor

Emily has been a full-time volunteer at the Nyingma Institute since 2020. She has had the opportunity to engage with the transformative teachings taught at the institute since then, and has developed a deep respect and reverence for the dharma.

She has completed the Kum Nye Teacher Training, the Knowledge of Freedom teacher training, and has taken the Path of Liberation, Knowledge of Freedom, and Dimensions of Mind programs.

She completed a Master of Social Work degree in 2017, and she has a passion for physical, mental, and emotional healing through many types of methodologies. She also loves doing yoga, petting cats, and lounging on the beach in her spare time.

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