Sophie Volpp is a Professor in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures and Comparative Literature at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research focuses on Chinese literature from the 16th to 19th centuries, with particular emphasis on theatricality, material culture, and literary objects. She is the author of *Worldly Stage: Theatricality in Seventeenth-Century China* (2011) and *The Substance of Fiction: Literary Objects in China, 1550-1775* (2022). Her current projects include a book on the National Peiping Library’s preservation efforts during the Sino-Japanese War and an analysis of referents in *The Story of the Stone*. Her scholarly work bridges literary analysis and cultural history, examining themes such as gender, power, and spectacle in late-imperial China. She has translated works by pre-modern women poets and dramatists, contributing to gender-centric scholarship in East Asian studies. Her publications span journal articles and edited volumes, addressing topics like Qing-era theatrical design, material circulation in classical novels, and cross-cultural influences in literary production. Her research has been published in venues such as *Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies* and *Journal of Asian Studies*.
Susan L. Burns is a Professor at the University of Chicago, where she holds appointments in the Department of History, Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, and The College. She currently serves as Department Chair and Chair of the Undergraduate Studies Committee. Education: PhD, University of Chicago (1994) Her research focuses on Japan’s nineteenth-century social history, emphasizing intellectual and cultural practices, the intersection of medicine and public health, gender analysis, and legal discourses. She explores continuities between Japan’s early modern and modern eras, particularly how medical and legal frameworks shaped national identity. Recent publications span leprosy’s impact on citizenship, the rise of medical marketplaces, and gendered dimensions of reproductive health. Her digital humanities work on Mapping Medical Tokyo integrates GIS and text mining for historical analysis. Scientific Awards: Fulbright-Hays Fellowship IIE Fulbright Japan Foundation Japan Society for the Promotion of Science National Endowment for the Humanities She has secured grants for research on medical commodities, psychiatric practices, and the spatial dimensions of Meiji-era health policies. Her courses include Gender and Japanese History and Medicine and Culture in East Asia .
Kären Wigen is the Frances and Charles Field Professor in History at Stanford University, specializing in Japanese history and the history of cartography. She holds a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of California, Berkeley (1990). Her research spans: Historical geography of East Asia Early modern Japanese regional economies Geographies of the imagination Transnational maritime histories Critical cartography and spatial analysis Her publications include eight major works from 1992-2025 analyzing spatial transformations in Japan and global metageography, with recent projects focusing on temporal dimensions in cartographic representation. She co-edited Seascapes (2007) and Cartographic Japan (2016), and serves as Director of Stanford’s Mellon Fellowship of Scholars in the Humanities since 2022.
Takashi Miura is an Associate Professor at the University of Arizona specializing in Japanese religions from the early modern to modern periods. His work explores millenarian movements, Shinto practices, and Buddhist visual culture. He holds degrees from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa (B.A./M.A.) and Princeton University (Ph.D.). Dr. Miura's research examines religious innovations like the rise of 'yonaoshi' renewal gods and deified peasants. His 2019 monograph Agents of World Renewal analyzes apocalyptic concepts in Japanese history. Current projects include a study on early modern peasant deification and its societal impacts. He teaches courses on Buddhism and Japanese religious practices, including EAS 160A1 and JPN 220. His publications span academic journals and edited volumes, addressing topics from Meiji-era polemics to post-war new religions. His work frequently bridges textual analysis with visual and material culture studies.
David Armitage is the Lloyd C. Blankfein Professor of History at Harvard University, where he serves as Chair of the Committee on Degrees in Social Studies and teaches intellectual history and international history. He also holds affiliations with the Harvard Department of Government, Harvard Law School, and is an Honorary Professor at the University of Sydney and Queen's University Belfast. Previously, he chaired Harvard's Department of History (2012-14, 2015-16) and taught at Columbia University for eleven years before joining Harvard in 2004. Armitage was born in Britain and educated at the University of Cambridge and Princeton University. His academic journey includes: Undergraduate studies at University of Cambridge PhD at Princeton University Teaching position at Columbia University (1993-2004) Professorship at Harvard University (2004-present) Honorary positions at University of Sydney, Queen's University Belfast, and St Catharine's College, Cambridge Professor Armitage specializes in intellectual history, international history, and global history, with particular expertise in the history of political thought, empires, and international law. His scholarly approach emphasizes the longue durée perspective, seeking to understand historical phenomena across extended time periods rather than narrow chronological frames. He has been a leading voice in advocating for historians to engage with "big history" that spans centuries, arguing that contemporary challenges like climate change and economic inequality require historical understanding that transcends the short-term thinking prevalent in modern politics and policy. His extensive publication record demonstrates consistent engagement with foundational texts and concepts in political theory, declarations of independence, civil wars, and oceanic history. Armitage's work shows a clear trajectory toward increasingly global and interdisciplinary approaches, connecting intellectual history with legal, political, and environmental frameworks. His scholarship bridges early modern and contemporary history, examining how historical concepts continue to shape modern international relations and political thought. Armitage's significant contributions to historical scholarship have been recognized with prestigious awards: Caird Medal from the National Maritime Museum (2006) for "conspicuously important work ... of a nature that involves communicating with the public" Walter Channing Cabot Fellow from Harvard (2008) for "achievements and scholarly eminence in the fields of literature, history or art" LittD from Cambridge University (2015), the university's highest degree, for "distinction by some original contribution to the advancement of science or of learning" As an advisor and mentor, Armitage has guided numerous graduate students through doctoral programs at Harvard and previously at Columbia. His scholarly leadership extends to co-editing two major book series with Cambridge University Press ( Ideas in Context and Cambridge Oceanic Histories ), serving on the Steering Committee of the Center for Early Modern Political Thought at the Folger Shakespeare Library, and contributing to various academic organizations. His work has attracted significant research funding supporting his global historical investigations. Professor Armitage is deeply involved in collaborative scholarly initiatives, particularly through his work with the Harvard Academy for International and Area Studies, where he serves as a Senior Scholar. His research often involves interdisciplinary teams examining oceanic histories, international law, and global political thought. He has been instrumental in developing the "Cambridge Oceanic Histories" series, which brings together scholars from multiple disciplines to explore the historical significance of oceans as connective spaces rather than barriers.
Jisoo M. Kim is the Korea Foundation Associate Professor of History, International Affairs, and East Asian Languages and Literatures at George Washington University. She holds leadership roles as Founding Director of the GW Institute for Korean Studies (2017–present) and Founding Co-Director of the East Asia National Resource Center (2018–present). She also serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Korean Studies . Her work focuses on gender, sexuality, law, emotions, and affect in Korean history, with expertise in legal culture, forensic medicine, and rights-claiming in East Asia. Dr. Kim earned her M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. in East Asian Languages and Cultures from Columbia University. She teaches courses such as Gender, Power, and Sexuality in East Asia and History of Korea , emphasizing intersectional approaches to Asian studies. Her research explores legal performance, emotional dimensions of justice, and the role of women’s voices in historical legal contexts. Notable works include The Emotions of Justice: Gender, Status, and Legal Performance in Chosŏn Korea (2016), awarded the 2017 James B. Palais Prize, and co-edited volumes like The Great East Asian War and the Birth of the Korean Nation (2016). Her publications span legal history, comparative frameworks between Korea and Europe, and the evolution of legal systems under colonialism. Current projects include Criminalizing Intimacy: Marriage, Concubinage, and Adultery Law in Korea, 1469–2015 . Kim’s academic contributions bridge historical analysis with contemporary debates on law, gender, and identity, supported by leadership in interdisciplinary research centers and scholarly journals.
Professor James Gerien-Chen is a historian of modern Japan, China, and Taiwan in the Department of History at the University of Florida, holding a Ph.D. from Columbia University (2019). Previously, he served as the Dorothy Borg Postdoctoral Research Scholar at Columbia University's Weatherhead East Asian Institute. His educational background: Ph.D. in History, Columbia University, 2019 Gerien-Chen specializes in comparative empires and imperialism, migration and diaspora, and borderlands and urban history. His current book project analyzes Japanese imperial expansion in colonial Taiwan and South China Sea port cities during the early 20th century, examining Japanese subject migration patterns and Sino-Japanese legal debates over nationality. This research demonstrates how mobility and legal categorization shaped Japanese imperialism, Chinese state formation, and overseas Chinese networks. His scholarly contributions have been recognized through prestigious awards: Fulbright Program fellowship Social Science Research Council grant American Council of Learned Societies/Henry Luce Foundation support At the University of Florida, he teaches survey courses on modern Japan and East Asia alongside specialized courses on empires, migration, borderlands, and capitalism, with office located in 204 Keene-Flint Hall (Phone: 352-392-0271).
Tyran K. Steward is an Assistant Professor of History at Williams College, specializing in African-American and Modern U.S. History. His research intersects political, labor, and social history with analyses of popular culture and sport, particularly focusing on racial dynamics in the North during the early twentieth century and the American Interwar Period. Education: B.A., Morehouse College (2000) M.A., Eastern Michigan University (2009) Ph.D., Ohio State University (2013) Steward’s forthcoming book, The Benching of Willis Ward , examines the 1934 racist benching of a Black football player at the University of Michigan, using this incident to trace the emergence of black conservatism and northern Jim Crow structures. His work highlights how sports serve as critical sites for racial hierarchy and political reimagining. His publications include analyses of racial liberalism in academia, Black women's citizenship struggles, and reviews of seminal works in African-American Studies. Steward has advised senior theses on topics like reparations and Black internationalism, and previously held a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship at Carleton College.
Melissa McCormick, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Japanese Art and Culture at Harvard University, holds a Ph.D. in Japanese Art History from Princeton University (2000) and a B.A. in art history and Japanese from the University of Michigan (1990). She has taught at Columbia University as the Atsumi Assistant Professor of Japanese Art (2000-05) and at Harvard since 2005, where she was promoted to Professor with tenure in 2009. She has held visiting professorships at the University of Zurich and Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Brazil. Education : University of Michigan (B.A.), Princeton University (Ph.D.), Gakushūin University (1996-98) Affiliations : Harvard Art Museums, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NHK Documentaries, Getty Foundation Her research explores the interplay of text and image in Japanese art, focusing on emaki (narrative scrolls), The Tale of Genji , and Buddhist themes. Her 2018 monograph The Tale of Genji: A Visual Companion and 2009 book Tosa Mitsunobu and the Small Scroll in Medieval Japan established new frameworks for analyzing scroll format and narrative. Current projects examine Buddhist nun-artist Ōtagaki Rengetsu and bridal manuscript traditions. Selected articles highlight her work on Hakubyō (ink-line painting), medieval Genji genealogies, and the poetics of chigo (novice) tales. She has contributed to exhibitions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Dartmouth College’s Hood Museum. Scientific Awards : Mellon Fellowship in the Humanities (1990) At Harvard, McCormick teaches courses ranging from introductory surveys ( Arts of Japan ) to advanced seminars on gender, tea culture, and museum research. She co-curated the 2019 Tale of Genji exhibition at the Met, which received critical acclaim, and developed an edX course with over 20,000 enrollments. Her consultancy work extends to opera and dance companies, including Japan Society and Asia Society of Texas.
David Der-Wei Wang serves as Edward C. Henderson Professor of Chinese Literature and Comparative Literature at Harvard University, holding dual appointments in the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations. He directs the CCK Foundation Inter-University Center for Sinological Studies and holds prestigious Academician positions at both Academia Sinica and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His distinguished career includes prior faculty roles at National Taiwan University (1982-1986) and Columbia University (1990-2004), with continuous Harvard affiliation since 1986. His academic credentials include: B.A. in Foreign Languages and Literature, National Taiwan University M.A. in Comparative Literature, University of Wisconsin-Madison (1978) Ph.D. in Comparative Literature, University of Wisconsin-Madison (1982) Wang's research pioneers interdisciplinary approaches to Modern and Contemporary Chinese/Sinophone Literature, Late Qing fiction, and colonial Taiwanese studies. His work critically examines historical trauma , cultural identity formation , and transnational literary networks , particularly through the lens of political upheaval and diasporic experiences. Special attention is given to mid-20th century Chinese intellectuals navigating ideological crises, with methodologies blending comparative literary theory and historical analysis. His eight major publications (1997-2020) reveal consistent thematic evolution toward global frameworks for Chinese literary studies. Early works like Fin-de-Siècle Splendor established foundations in Late Qing modernities, while later volumes including A New Literary History of Modern China and Why Fiction Matters expand into transnational Sinophone networks and contemporary sociopolitical relevance. The corpus demonstrates increasing emphasis on diasporic perspectives and decolonizing methodologies across Chinese literary historiography. Wang's scholarly recognition includes: Academician, Academia Sinica Academician, American Academy of Arts and Sciences Changjiang Scholar Award (2008) Humanitas Visiting Professorship at CRASSH, Cambridge (2013-14) As Director of the CCK Foundation Inter-University Center for Sinological Studies, Wang coordinates international research initiatives connecting North American and Taiwanese institutions. This leadership role facilitates collaborative projects in digital humanities and comparative Sinology, supporting emerging scholars through cross-institutional fellowships and academic exchanges focused on reimagining Chinese studies through global perspectives.
William H. Nienhauser, Jr. is the Halls-Bascom Professor of Classical Chinese Literature in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, College of Letters and Science. He is a leading authority on early Chinese literature, historiography, and poetry, with a particular focus on Sima Qian’s Shiji and the poetry of Du Fu. He has held visiting and research positions in China, Japan, Germany, and Taiwan, and remains academically active, including a 2018 appointment as Visiting Professor at Nankai University. His research interests include early traditional Chinese fiction, historiography, chuanqi and zhiguai tales, and the application of modern Western critical theories to Chinese literary texts. He is deeply engaged in the translation and annotation of classical works, especially the Shiji , often in collaboration with graduate students. His scholarship bridges philology, literary theory, and historical contextualization, contributing significantly to the global understanding of pre-modern Chinese literature. Nienhauser’s publications reveal a sustained focus on textual analysis, narrative structure, and the interplay between history and literature. His work spans from early Shijing poetry to Tang dynasty fiction, with a strong emphasis on Sima Qian’s historiographical methods and legacy. He has also contributed foundational reference works and critical editions, shaping the field of Chinese literary studies. His scientific awards reflect the international recognition of his scholarship: Woodrow Wilson Fellowship ACLS Fellowship NEH Fellowship Fulbright-Hayes Fellowship Japan Foundation Fellowship German Research Foundation Fellowship Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Fellowship Humboldt Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award (2003) Nienhauser has advised numerous graduate students in collaborative research projects, particularly on the Shiji and Du Fu. He has secured major fellowships and grants from prestigious organizations including the NEH, ACLS, Fulbright-Hayes, and the Humboldt Foundation, enabling extended research and translation work. His editorial roles, especially as a founding editor of Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews (CLEAR), have been instrumental in advancing the field. While no formal lab or research center is mentioned, Nienhauser leads a major international collaborative translation project on the Shiji , involving scholars and students across institutions. His seminars and graduate courses foster a close-knit research community focused on classical Chinese texts.
Martha Easton is an Associate Professor of Art History and Program Director of Museum Studies at Saint Joseph's University. She specializes in medieval art and architecture, with a focus on illuminated manuscripts, gender and hagiography, feminist theory, and medieval collecting practices. Easton is a founding member of the Material Collective, a collaborative dedicated to innovative approaches to visual culture, and has lectured extensively at institutions like the Met Cloisters. Education : PhD in Fine Arts (Institute of Fine Arts, New York University) with major fields in Early Christian and Medieval Art; minor in Japanese Art Certificate of Curatorial Studies (Institute of Fine Arts/The Metropolitan Museum of Art) MA in Fine Arts (Institute of Fine Arts, New York University) BA in History (Carleton College) Her research explores intersections of gender, medievalism, and the afterlife of medieval art in modern collections. She is currently writing a book on John Hays Hammond Jr., a scientist-collector who built Hammond Castle, and has published widely on feminist art history, medieval eroticism, and the Material Collective’s collaborative scholarship. Scientific Awards : Michael J. Morris Grant for Scholarly Research (2020-21) Teaching Innovation Grant (2020) Senior Research Fellowship, Center for the History of Collecting (The Frick Collection, 2015) Samuel H. Kress Foundation Travel Grant (1998) Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellowship (1996-97) Easton has taught at institutions including Seton Hall University, Bryn Mawr College, and New York University, and her work bridges medieval scholarship with modern curatorial practices and feminist reinterpretation of historical narratives.
Michael Como Tōshū Fukami is an Associate Professor of Shinto Studies at Columbia University's Department of East Asian Languages & Cultures. He holds a BA from Harvard University (1985) and a PhD from Stanford University (2000). His research focuses on the transmission of rituals, deities, and technologies to Japan, particularly during the Asuka to Heian periods. Current projects include a monograph on urbanization and materiality of religious performance in 8th–9th century Japan. His teaching includes courses such as the Colloquium on Major Texts in East Asia and Graduate Seminar in Japanese Religion. Research interests span cultural transmission, local religious traditions, and theological innovation tied to urbanization. Recent publications examine medieval Shintō, immigrant deities in ancient Japan, and the role of violence in Buddhist formation. He has held office at Columbia’s 307 80 Claremont and is listed among faculty in the department. No awards are explicitly mentioned in the provided text.
Atsuko Ueda is Professor of East Asian Studies at Princeton University, specializing in modern Japanese literature and culture. Her expertise spans literary historiography, Meiji-era linguistic reforms, and postwar literary criticism related to war responsibility. She maintains an office in 214 Jones Hall and is currently on leave for the 2025-2026 academic year. Education: Ph.D. in Comparative Literature, University of Michigan M.A. in Comparative Literature, University of Michigan B.A. in Comparative Literature and Japanese (High Honors and High Distinction), University of Michigan Research Focus: Professor Ueda's scholarship critically examines intersections of language, nation, and race in Japanese intellectual history. Her work analyzes how linguistic standardization during the Meiji period constructed national identity while embedding racial hierarchies, and how postwar critics grappled with literature's relationship to wartime responsibility. She emphasizes that race is indispensable for understanding Japanese imperialism and nationalism. Publication Trends: Her research demonstrates consistent engagement with Japan's modern intellectual transformations, moving from early work on postwar literary politics to foundational studies of Meiji linguistic engineering. Recent publications reveal growing emphasis on race as a critical category in Japanese historical discourse, challenging conventional narratives of language reform and national identity formation. Academic Engagement: While specific advising details are not provided, Professor Ueda actively contributes to graduate education in East Asian Studies through course instruction and research supervision. Her editorial work on critical Japanese texts and co-edited volumes demonstrates significant scholarly leadership in the field.
Andrew Campana is an Assistant Professor of Asian Studies at Cornell University's College of Arts and Sciences, specializing in modern and contemporary Japanese literature and media. His research explores the possibilities and limitations of expression during media transitions, with particular focus on poetry, digital media, and disability studies. His academic journey includes a Ph.D. in East Asian Languages and Civilizations from Harvard University and an Honors B.A. in East Asian Studies from the University of Toronto. Campana's first book, Expanding Verse: Japanese Poetry at the Edge of Media , published by the University of California Press in 2024 as an open access work, examines Japanese poetic practice from the 1920s to the present as poets engaged with evolving media technologies including film, tape recording, television, and the internet. As a researcher, Campana's work bridges literary studies, media studies, game studies, and disability studies, with current projects exploring how poetry became a key site of digital experimentation in Japan. His research methodology combines traditional literary analysis with hands-on creative practice, informed by his experiences at MIT's Trope Tank laboratory. His scholarly interests span Japanese media history, disability representation in literature and gaming, digital poetics, and gender studies. His research has received significant media attention, including features in the Cornell Chronicle ('Poets in Japan Experiment at the Edge of Media' and 'Japanese Poets Open New Ways of Thinking About Media'), The Statesman, and interviews on NPR's Academic Minute and the Curiosity Daily podcast discussing his work on gaming and accessibility. As an educator, Campana teaches courses including 'Introduction to Japan,' 'Japanese Poetry,' and 'The Glitch: Errors, Disability, and the Edges of Digital Media' (ASIAN 4703/6703), guiding students through interdisciplinary explorations of Japanese literature, media, and digital culture. His teaching reflects his commitment to understanding media transitions through both theoretical and practical lenses.
