She received her Ph.D. in Education from UC Berkeley with a Designated Emphasis in Women, Gender and Sexuality. She has an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.A. in Asian American Studies from UC Davis. Funie's research and community interests revolve around the general topic of knowledge construction and empire. She is interested in approaching this broad field from a myriad of angles including colonial education and language, American Buddhism and race, Taiwan independence, and critical animal studies. Prior to her academic work, she was an elementary school teacher in LA Unified. She also serves on the board of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship.