Iris Ma

Iris Ma is Associate Teaching Professor and Assistant Dean of Experiential Learning at the University of Notre Dame's Keough School of Global Affairs. She is currently on leave for the 2024 fall semester. Her academic background includes a PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), an MA from the National University of Singapore (NUS), and a BA from Fudan University in Shanghai, China. Prior to joining Notre Dame in 2019, she held positions as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas at Austin and visiting assistant professor at Southwestern University.

Ma's research examines Chinese cultural history through interdisciplinary lenses, with primary focus areas including:

• Literary traditions of late imperial and modern China
• Gender representation in historical and contemporary contexts
• Cross-Strait cultural dynamics and identity formation
• Martial arts literature as socio-political narrative
• Cinematic expressions of Chinese cultural heritage

Her work analyzes cultural products across print, screen, and digital media to trace the evolution of popular discourse.

Her recent scholarly publications focus on Republican-era Chinese literature, particularly exploring narrative techniques in martial arts fiction, the construction of Taiwanese literary identity, and representations of female heroism. These works demonstrate consistent thematic attention to how historical narratives shape contemporary cultural understandings.

No scientific awards, student advising relationships, or research grants are mentioned in available materials.