Chia-ju Chang, born in Taiwan, is currently Professor of Chinese and Zen Contemplative Studies and a Zen meditation instructor at Brooklyn College, City University of New York. She has been practicing kōan Zen for over thirty years. She trained under Kurt Spellmeyer (Kankan Rōshi) at Cold Mountain Sangha in the Rinzai–Ōbaku lineage of Zen Buddhism (Linji–Huangbo). She was ordained in 2006, and her dharma name is Guanxue (Observing Snow).

Her work bridges the arts, literature, cultural studies, animal studies, environmental humanities, and Zen meditation. She has led many Zen workshops in academic and community settings and served as a board member and Chair of Humanities, Arts, and Ethics for World Meditation Day. 

At Brooklyn College, Professor Chang established the Minor in Chinese and Zen Contemplative Studies. Beginning in 2024, she established the Online Zen Circles Community, dedicated to nurturing shared Zen practice in the midst of daily life.