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Jonathan Lee, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Asian American Studies Department at San Francisco State University. A Chinese-Vietnamese-and-Cambodian American scholar, he specializes in Asian American religious studies, folklore, and history. His family survived the Cambodian genocide and arrived in the U.S. in 1981. He earned his doctorate in Religious Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara (2009), an M.A. from the Graduate Theological Union (2002), and three B.A./B.S. degrees from UC Riverside (1999). Ph.D. Religious Studies, UC Santa Barbara (2009) M.A. Religious Studies, Graduate Theological Union (2002) B.A. Religious Studies, UC Riverside (1999) B.A. Ethnic Studies, UC Riverside (1999) B.S. Sociology, UC Riverside (1999) His research interests include Asian American religious studies and history, Chinese/Sino-Southeast Asian American Studies, and Cambodian/Vietnamese American studies. He has published extensively on these topics, including 16 books and over 500 articles. His work explores Hakka identity, Mazu worship, and Southeast Asian diasporic communities. Lee serves as editor-in-chief of Chinese America: History & Perspectives and has collaborated on projects like Encyclopedia of Asian American Folklore and Folklife . He advocates for anti-racist pedagogy and consults for Silicon Valley corporations on equity and inclusion. Recent research trends show emphasis on transnational religious practices (2015-2021), Southeast Asian American diaspora studies (2010-2014), and Asian American identity formation through folklore (2012-2016).

• Asian American religious studies and history
• Chinese and Sino-Southeast Asian American Studies
• Asian American folklore and folklife
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Peter K. Marsh is a Professor of Music, specializing in Musicology & Ethnomusicology at the Department of Music, California State University, East Bay. His research focuses on Mongolian music and culture, with expertise in ethnomusicology and area studies. He holds a Ph.D. from Indiana University, an M.A. in Ethnomusicology from Wesleyan University, and a B.A. and B.M. from Lawrence University. Marsh is a leading scholar on Mongolian music, particularly the music and culture of Mongolia and Inner Asia. His book, *The Horse-head Fiddle and the Reimagination of Tradition in Mongolia* (2014), explores the evolution of folk fiddles in Mongolian music. He has authored studies on Mongolian popular music, including hip-hop and pop, and presented at major conferences like the Society for Ethnomusicology and the Association of Asian Studies. His work bridges traditional and modern musical practices, emphasizing globalization's impact on cultural expression. Marsh has served as a lecturer at significant events, including the Smithsonian Folklife Festival (2002) and the Stanford University Asian Art Festival (2010). He founded the American Center for Mongolian Studies, supporting U.S. academic research in Mongolia. His research spans fieldwork in Siberia and Mongolia, focusing on shamanistic song traditions and cultural preservation. His recent articles (2012–2022) reflect a sustained engagement with Mongolian music's global dimensions, urban youth culture, and the interplay between tradition and modernity. He has also contributed to initiatives linking music with broader sociocultural contexts, such as the Deer Stone Project (2002–2004). No scientific awards are explicitly mentioned in his profile. His advising and grants include academic collaborations and directorship roles. He is affiliated with the Department of Music and involved with Mongolian cultural organizations, emphasizing interdisciplinary and global perspectives in his work.

• Ethnomusicology
• Musicology
• Asian Music
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Leela Prasad is the St. Purandar Das Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies at Brown University, joining in 2024 after 25 years at Duke University. She specializes in the anthropology of ethics, South Asian religious thought, and Gandhian philosophy. Her research bridges oral narratives, colonial history, and contemporary social justice, with a focus on gender, diaspora, and prison ethics. She holds a PhD in Folklore & Folklife from the University of Pennsylvania (1998). Education: PhD (1998) University of Pennsylvania; MA (1991) Kansas State University; MA (1988) University of Hyderabad; BA (1986) Osmania University Her major works include *Poetics of Conduct* (Columbia, 2007), winner of the American Academy of Religion’s Best First Book Award, and *The Audacious Raconteur* (Cornell, 2020). She co-curated the *Live Like the Banyan Tree* exhibition (1999) and directed documentaries on Indian American experiences and Gandhi-inspired prison narratives. Her honors include a Guggenheim Fellowship (2023–24), two Fulbright-Nehru awards (2020, 2022), and grants from the NEH and American Philosophical Society. As President of the American Academy of Religion, she advocates for interdisciplinary religious studies. Teaching focuses on South Asian religions, Indian cinema, and carceral ethics. Current projects include a docufiction film on Gandhi’s legacy and a collaborative biography reconstructing the life of a historically marginalized South Indian woman.

• Anthropology of Ethics
• Human Rights and Social Justice
• Gender Studies
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Edward Y. Millar serves as Adjunct Professor at Niagara University's College of Arts and Sciences and Curator of Folk Arts at the Castellani Art Museum, focusing on Buffalo-Niagara region cultural heritage through fieldwork, exhibition development, and digital content creation. He holds board positions with New York Folklore and the Lewiston Council on the Arts. His research centers on foodways, folk art, folk music (particularly ballads), folk narrative, and occupational folklife, emphasizing community-based documentation of cultural traditions. Recent projects include the 'Knowing Land' exhibition exploring Tuscarora Nation culture-environment connections and the 'Survive, Remember, Thrive' documentary series on Armenian heritage in Western New York. Publications demonstrate consistent ethnographic approaches to cultural preservation, with recurring themes in occupational cultures, food identity, and innovative museum practices bridging folk and fine art contexts. His work frequently involves collaborative community partnerships for exhibition and digital content development. Millar received the Archie Green Fellowship (2020) from the American Folklife Center for documenting Ransomville Speedway dirt track racing culture. He has organized major conferences including the 2017 New York Folklore Conference and 2018 American Folklore Society Conference. Professional activities include co-facilitating workshops on folklore-heritage engagement and presenting on pandemic-era fieldwork adaptations. He collaborates with cultural institutions like the Library of Congress and New York State Archives on community documentation initiatives.

• foodways
• folk art
• folk music
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Marsha MacDowell is a Professor in the Department of Art, Art History, and Design at Michigan State University (MSU) and serves as Curator at the MSU Museum. She holds a B.F.A, M.F.A., and Ph.D. from MSU. Her roles include coordinating the Michigan Traditional Arts Program, founding the Great Lakes Folk Festival, and co-founding the MSU Museum Studies program. She has curated over 30 exhibitions globally, including at the Smithsonian Institution and the Nelson Mandela Museum. Her research focuses on quilting traditions, folk art, and cultural heritage preservation. Notable projects include the Quilt Index , a digital repository, and international collaborations like the Ubuntutu quilt tributes to Desmond and Leah Tutu. She has led educational initiatives such as the Folkpatterns youth program and served on boards including the American Folklore Society and the American Quilt Study Group. Her work bridges art, education, and community engagement, emphasizing inclusive practices and global cultural exchange. Recent research explores quilts’ roles in health, aging, and social justice. She has advised numerous museum partnerships and contributed to exhibitions highlighting marginalized communities’ artistic contributions.

• Folklore Studies
• Quilting Traditions
• Cultural Heritage Preservation
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