BuYun Chen

BuYun Chen is an Associate Professor of History at Swarthmore College with affiliations in Asian Studies. She specializes in premodern China, focusing on gender, science/technology, craft, and material culture. Her work bridges historical methodologies with interdisciplinary analysis, particularly through studies of fashion and textiles. She holds a B.A. from Barnard College and M.A./Ph.D. from Columbia University.

Education:

• B.A., Barnard College
• M.A., Columbia University
• Ph.D., Columbia University

Research: Dr. Chen’s current research examines craft production in the Ryukyu Kingdom (17th–19th centuries) and its intersection with statecraft. Her book Empire of Style: Silk and Fashion in Tang China (2019) explores cultural patronage and material culture. She emphasizes global frameworks in teaching courses like fashion theory and the history of science/technology.

Publications & Awards:

• Recipient of Stanford Humanities Center fellowship (2021–2022)
• Max Planck Institute visiting scholar (2016–2018)
• Henry Luce Foundation grant (2015)

Teaching & Engagement: Chen integrates interdisciplinary approaches in her pedagogy, including a first-year seminar on global science history. She co-led the 2015 “Makers and Markets” workshop at Columbia University’s Weatherhead East Asian Institute, linking fashion history to socio-economic dynamics.