Philip Lutgendorf is an American Indologist. He is Professor of Hindi and Modern Indian Studies at the University of Iowa. His areas of work and interest include the epic poem Ramcharitmanas, the life and works of Hindu poet Tulsidas, the worship of Hanuman, Indian popular cinema, and the Indian tea culture. He is currently translating the Ramcharitmanas into English: this translation will be published by the Murty Classical Library of India in seven volumes. He serves as the President of American Institute of Indian Studies.