Former Beauty Queen Dr. Bich Lien (Dr. Elizabeth Vo) who was born in Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam and moved to America as a child has received a PhD in Buddhist philosophy from the University of Kelaniya, becoming not just the first Vietnamese-American but also first Bhikkuni with a doctorate in Sri Lanka.

Bikhuni Dr. Bich Lien always understood the important of education at any age and stage in life and that a Buddhist monk or a nun is no exception to the rule, and after some soul searching decided to go to Sri Lanka to study Buddhism at the University of Kelaniya.

Bikhuni Dr. Bich has a strong dream about the path of development for Buddhist in the United States. Having returned to the States, she established the Lotus International Meditation Center in Calafornia where among other things she teaches meditation, the dharma and Pali languages.