Find Academic Supervisors

Jennifer C. Hsieh is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Michigan, affiliated with the Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies. Her research investigates sensory practices in institutional and technological settings, focusing on urban East Asia. She holds a PhD from Stanford University (2017), MA from Columbia University (2009), and BA from Harvard College (2007, magna cum laude). Her interdisciplinary work combines ethnography, history, and experimental methods (e.g., audio recordings, GIS) to explore multisensory social configurations. Her current book project, From Festival to Decibel: Making Noise in Urban Taiwan , examines how noise becomes a regulatory object entangled with citizenship and geopolitical belonging. She has held fellowships at institutions including the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science and Harvard’s Fairbank Center. Research interests include sensory studies, science/technology studies, urban environments, and East Asian cultural politics. She founded the Sensory & Technology Lab to explore creative anthropological methods, hosting events like the Voices of the Rainforest cinema concert with Steven Feld. Awards: SSRC International Dissertation Fellowship, Wenner-Gren Fieldwork Award Teaching: Courses on sound, music, and noise; emphasizes experimental methods and sensory ethnography. Lab: Sensory & Technology Lab fosters collaborative research in film, music, and media.

• Sensory Studies
• Anthropology of the State
• Science and Technology Studies
• +4 more

Sinfree Makoni is a Professor in the Department of Applied Linguistics and Director of the African Studies Program at Pennsylvania State University, with additional academic appointments as Extraordinary Professor at the University of the Western Cape and North-West University, and Visiting Professor at Nelson Mandela University. His career includes a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan's Centre for Afro-American Studies and a Carnegie Diaspora Fellowship at Laikipia University, Kenya. Education: Ph.D., Applied Linguistics, University of Edinburgh (1989) B.A. (Hons), English Linguistics, University of Ghana, Legon Makoni's research critically engages with decolonial frameworks in linguistics, focusing on: Language Policy/Planning : Colonial legacies and grassroots resistance in Africa Southern Epistemologies : Centering non-Western knowledge systems Discursive Power : Terrorism narratives, health communication, and human rights Language & Society : Aging, security, and music in postcolonial contexts His publications demonstrate consistent emphasis on deconstructing colonial linguistic hierarchies through monographs like Innovations and Challenges to Applied Linguistics from the Global South (2020) and edited volumes on decolonial pedagogy. Awards: Carnegie Diaspora Fellowship (Laikipia University) As architect of the African Studies Global Forum and co-editor of the Global Forum on Southern Epistemologies book series, he fosters Global South scholarly dialogue. He currently serves as Associate Editor for Applied Linguistics .

• Language Policy and Planning
• Decoloniality
• Southern Epistemologies
• +5 more

Alejandro L. Madrid is the Walter W. Naumburg Professor of Music at Harvard University. A distinguished cultural theorist of sound and music, he specializes in Latin American and Latinx studies, blending musicology and ethnomusicology through multi-methodological approaches. His work spans popular, folk, and art musics, with nine books and acclaimed articles establishing him as a leading scholar in Ibero-American music studies. Currently researching sound archives and the aural turn in The Archive and the Aural City: Sound, Knowledge, and the Politics of Listening Authoring a book on Silvio Rodríguez’s Nueva Trova album Días y flores Collaborating with Momenta Quartet on a 5-CD project of Julián Carrillo’s microtonal string quartets for Naxos Scientific Awards : Humboldt Research Award Guggenheim Fellowship Dent Medal Premio de Musicología Casa de las Américas (Cuba) Premio de Musicología Samuel Claro Valdés (Chile) Top honors from AMS, LASA, IASPM, SEM, and ASCAP Foundation As editor of Oxford University Press’s Currents in Latin American and Iberian Music series, he shapes scholarly discourse. Recently served as music advisor to filmmaker Peter Greenaway for Eisenstein in Guanajuato (2015), set in early 1930s Mexico.

• Musicology
• Ethnomusicology
• Latin American Studies
• +12 more

John Finn serves as Associate Professor and Department Chair of the Department of Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology at Christopher Newport University's College of Arts and Sciences. He holds joint appointments with the Honors Program, Center for Crime Equity and Justice Research and Policy, and Center for Sustainability in Education. PhD in Geography, Arizona State University MA in Geography, University of Missouri BA in International Studies, University of Missouri Finn's research examines the socioeconomic, environmental, and health consequences of persistent racial segregation in the United States, with particular focus on Hampton Roads, Virginia and Latin American contexts including Cuba and Brazil. His work integrates urban geography, environmental justice, and human-environment interaction through field research methods. His 2024 solo exhibition 'Living Apart: Geography of Segregation in the 21st Century' at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art demonstrates his innovative approach to translating academic research into public engagement. Finn's recent publications reveal strong thematic focus on urban renewal impacts, environmental justice mapping, and Latin American geographies, with increasing emphasis on climate gentrification and spatial epidemiology. 2024 SCHEV Outstanding Faculty Award (Virginia's highest faculty honor) 2021 Alumni Society Award for Teaching and Mentoring 2020 Faculty Excellence Award in Scholarship Class of 2013 Faculty Development Award (2019) Finn has secured over $200,000 in research funding and delivered more than 100 invited lectures across North America, Latin America, and Europe. His work bridges academic research and practical applications through partnerships with medical schools, planning associations, and environmental organizations. He maintains active research teams focused on mapping segregation patterns and analyzing environmental health disparities in coastal Virginia.

• Urban Geography
• Racial Segregation
• Environmental Justice
• +5 more

Stephen S. Hudson is an Assistant Professor of Music Theory at Occidental College. He holds a B.A. from the University of California, Davis, and a Ph.D. from Northwestern University. Appointed in 2022, he specializes in metal music studies and R&B/Soul harmony. Education: B.A., University of California, Davis; Ph.D., Northwestern University Hudson’s research focuses on embodied experiences of rhythm, timbre, and song form in metal music, as well as harmonic complexity in R&B and Soul. His work has been featured in Music Theory Spectrum , Metal Music Studies , and Current Musicology . Recent publications include articles on Drake’s harmonic loops and Meshuggah’s groove structures. He is authoring two books: Heaviness in Metal Music (Oxford University Press) and a study of Meshuggah’s riffs (Lever Press). As Vice President of the Pacific Southwest chapter of the American Musicological Society, he advocates for inclusive music theory pedagogy that extends beyond classical traditions. His teaching emphasizes tools for songwriters and producers. Hudson maintains an active interest in classical and baroque cello performance, reflecting his engagement with both historical and contemporary music practices.

• Metal Music Studies
• Music Theory
• Rhythm and Timbre Analysis
• +3 more

Marié Abe is an Associate Professor in the Department of Music at the University of California, Berkeley, where she joined the faculty in 2023 after twelve years at Boston University. Her research explores how auditory culture produces social space through the political and affective dimensions of sound in contemporary Japan, Okinawa, Ethiopia, and the United States. Her educational background includes: B.A. in Ethnomusicology/Cultural Anthropology, Swarthmore College (2001) M.A. in Ethnomusicology, University of California, Berkeley (2004) Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology, University of California, Berkeley (2010) Abe's research investigates how culturally specific listening practices elucidate power dynamics, human difference, and spatial understandings. Her work spans sound studies, ethnography, human geography, and affect theory, with fieldwork focusing on Japanese street music, US military bases in Okinawa, and sonic connections between Japan and Ethiopia during the Korean War. She emphasizes long-term ethical engagements with interlocutors and draws from locally grounded epistemologies. Her scientific awards include: Peabody Award (2008) for co-producing NPR program 'Squeezebox Stories' Reischauer Center for Japanese Studies Fellowship, Harvard University (2010-2011) Newhouse Center for the Humanities Fellowship, Wellesley College (2013-2014) International Research Center for Japanese Studies Fellowship, Kyoto, Japan (2018-2019) Abe has advised over a dozen doctoral students at Boston University across diverse geographical contexts including Senegal, Ghana, Cambodia, and Japan. She pioneered public ethnomusicology through the BU Global Music Festival and co-founded the Peabody Award-winning radio documentary 'Squeezebox Stories'. As an active accordion performer, she engages with indie pop, Ethiopian jazz, and free improvisation ensembles, performing at major international festivals including Bonaroo and New Orleans Jazz Festival.

• sound and space
• ethnography
• human geography
• +6 more

Brian Larkin is Professor of Anthropology at Barnard College, Columbia University, and Codirector of Columbia's Center for Comparative Media. He holds a PhD from NYU (1998) and studies media technologies through anthropological frameworks. Research examines media infrastructures in Nigeria: Religious media in Islamic and Christian contexts Nigerian film (Nollywood) circulation Urban soundscapes and loudspeaker culture Infrastructure politics and colonial legacies Authored Signal and Noise: Media, Infrastructure, and Urban Culture in Nigeria (Duke, 2008) and co-edited Media Worlds: Anthropology on New Terrain (California, 2002). Current work explores the relationship between media forms, religious transformations, and urban experience in postcolonial contexts.

• Media Anthropology
• Urban Culture
• Religious Movements
• +3 more

Kenneth David Jackson is a Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies for Portuguese at Yale University. His academic career includes a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1973). He specializes in Portuguese and Brazilian literatures, with a focus on figures like Camões, Machado de Assis, and Fernando Pessoa, as well as modernist and vanguardist movements. His research extends to ethnomusicology and Portuguese cultural influences in Asia. Dr. Jackson has authored over a dozen books and edited numerous volumes, including Goa: A post-Colonial Society Between Cultures (2018) and Machado de Assis: A Literary Life (2015). His work often explores colonial legacies, inter-arts literature, and the intersection of culture and history in Portuguese-speaking regions. He has organized international symposia on topics such as Brazilian concrete poetry and Iberian modernisms. Jackson serves on the International Advisory Board of the Centro Interuniversitário de Estudos Camonianos at the University of Coimbra, Portugal. His interdisciplinary approach bridges literary analysis, cultural studies, and historical inquiry.

• Portuguese Literature
• Brazilian Literature
• Colonial Studies
• +3 more

Joyce Marie Jackson is the James J. Parsons Endowed Professor in the Department of Geography & Anthropology at Louisiana State University (LSU), part of the College of Humanities & Social Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. from Indiana University and additional studies from Atlanta University and LSU. Her research focuses on African American folklore, music traditions, and cultural identity in the U.S. South. Jackson explores topics such as spirituals, blues, gospel quartets, Mardi Gras Indian rituals, and diasporic religious practices. Her work bridges anthropology, musicology, and cultural studies, often examining how African cultural heritage manifests in Southern U.S. communities. Notable contributions include studies on the Fazendeville community displacement, Easter Rock rituals, and the cultural significance of New Orleans second-line traditions. Jackson teaches courses on urban ethnography, African American folklore, and ritual theory. Jackson’s publications span academic journals, encyclopedias, and music documentation projects. She has contributed to Smithsonian Folkways recordings and Louisiana state cultural initiatives. Her research frequently highlights marginalized voices and historical preservation efforts in Louisiana and the broader South.

• African American Studies
• Folklore
• Musicology
• +3 more

Robin Moore is a Professor of Ethnomusicology at the University of Texas at Austin. His research focuses on the intersections of music, race, nationalism, and socialist art aesthetics in Latin America and the Caribbean. He has authored significant works including Nationalizing Blackness , Music and Revolution , and Music of the Hispanic Caribbean . Key Research Areas: African Diaspora music, Cuban music, Caribbean music, race relations in music, music curriculum reform Academic Contributions: Co-author of Danzón: Circum-Caribbean Dialogues in Music and Dance , which explores the hybrid origins of danzón and its influence on early jazz in New Orleans Scientific Awards: Béla Bartók Award for Outstanding Ethnomusicology Book Robert M. Stevenson Award from the American Musicological Society

• Music of the African Diaspora
• Music of Cuba
• Music of the Hispanic Caribbean
• +5 more

Dr. Brandon A. Boyd serves as Associate Professor and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Missouri's College of Music, holding the Marie M. and Harry L. Smith Endowed Chair. He directs the MU University Singers, Sankofa Chorale, and Choral Union Symphonic Chorus while teaching graduate courses in choral conducting, literature, and arranging. His research focuses on community-building through choral singing, with specific interests in organizing choirs for homeless populations, studying the social and physical effects of choral singing on senior citizens, and creating authentic field experiences for music therapy and choral education students. His work extends internationally through partnerships with Bolivian universities and domestic community initiatives including prison choirs and senior citizen ensembles. As a composer and arranger, Dr. Boyd's works appear in publications by Hinshaw Music, Gentry Publications, GIA, and Kjos Music Press. He curates the 'Brandon A. Boyd Choral Series' with Hinshaw Music and serves as Executive Choral Editor for Gentry Publications. His compositions primarily focus on African-American spirituals and traditional arrangements, often incorporating gospel elements and contemporary rhythmic signatures. Notable performances include collaborations with the London Symphony Orchestra, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, Nashville Symphony, Missouri Symphony, and St. Louis Symphony, with multiple appearances at Carnegie Hall as conductor, composer, and collaborative pianist. Marie M. and Harry L. Smith Endowed Chair National ACDA Composition Initiative committee member Executive Choral Editor of Gentry Publications Dr. Boyd maintains active community engagement through initiatives like the Santa Fe Desert Chorale's 'Giving Voice to the Voiceless' program, where he served as Composer-in-Residence and created the Interfaith Community Shelter Street Choir for homeless populations. His international work includes conducting workshops at Universidad Católica Boliviana and Universidad Evangelica in Bolivia through Partners of the Americas. He directs significant choral community partnerships including the Tallahassee Senior Choir, RAA Middle School Partnership Choir, and MTC Women's Prison Glee Club, demonstrating his commitment to music's social impact beyond traditional academic settings.

• Choral Music Education
• Community Choir Development
• African-American Spirituals
• +6 more

Gusti Komin Darta is a Visiting Professor and Guest Director of Gamelan Galak Tika at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Born in 1978 in Bali, he is a renowned composer, performer, and educator in Balinese music, known for blending traditional and modern gamelan styles. He teaches at MIT and other U.S. institutions, leading ensembles like Saiban and Gamelan Galak Tika. His expertise includes the gendér wayang, reyong, and kendang instruments, with over 25 years of teaching experience globally. Research interests focus on innovative approaches to Balinese gamelan music, emphasizing its evolution through contemporary compositions and cross-cultural collaboration. His work challenges conventional performance techniques, pushing boundaries for musicians. A master of gendér wayang and a rebellious innovator, Komin’s compositions are celebrated for their experimental nature. He actively engages in community-based music education, bridging traditional Balinese practices with modern pedagogical methods.

• Balinese Music
• Gamelan Performance
• Ethnomusicology
• +3 more

Lindsay Bernhagen serves as Interim Program Director for the Master's in Community and Organizational Leadership and Sustainability and Resilient Food Systems, and Lecturer in the Ed.D. in Educational Sustainability at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point's College of Professional Studies. She is also a Global Affiliate Scholar in the Ed.D. program. Her educational background includes: Ph.D. in Comparative Studies, The Ohio State University, 2013 M.A. in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, The Ohio State University, 2008 M.A. in Ethnomusicology, The Ohio State University, 2008 B.A. in Music, Luther College, 2005 Bernhagen's research centers on higher education, gender studies, professional development, and emotional labor. She investigates the gendered nature of academic work, particularly in educational development, and advocates for equity and inclusion. Her interests also extend to leadership development, sustainability, and AI applications in coaching. Her publications (2014-2023) consistently address the intersection of gender, labor, and academic development. She has pioneered work on "pink-collar" labor in academia and the emotional demands of educational development roles, recently exploring AI's potential to enhance human leadership. Scientific Awards: None listed. Bernhagen advises doctoral students and has extensive consulting experience in leadership, strategic planning, and DEI. She has held administrative roles including Director of the Center for Inclusive Teaching and Learning and Diversity Officer for Academic Affairs. She has built the Center for Inclusive Teaching and Learning at UW-Stevens Point and served as Editor-in-Chief for To Improve the Academy. Her community involvement includes the Ice Age Trail Alliance and JusticeWorks.

• Higher Education
• Gender Studies
• Professional Development
• +4 more

Dr. George Cole is an Associate Professor of Spanish at Texas Tech University's Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures (CMLL) Department. He specializes in Hispanic Caribbean literature and culture (Cuba and Puerto Rico), Afro-Caribbean religious practices, and Hispanic speculative genres like fantasy, horror, and science fiction. His work bridges literature, theater, and cultural anthropology, with a focus on Yoruba religious traditions and their representation in art. Education: B.A. in French Language and Literature, University of Puerto Rico M.A., Washington State University Ph.D., Arizona State University (2005) Research Interests: Dr. Cole explores Afro-Cuban cultural identity, Latin American drama and poetry, and transgressive genres such as detective fiction and graphic novels. His recent projects examine intersections between supernatural elements and criminal narratives. He also investigates the role of Santería in Cuban cinema and literature. Awards: Nominated for AriZoni Theatre Award (Best Supporting Actor, 2002 & 2004) Three-time 'Outstanding Faculty Member' recognition from Texas Tech's College of Arts & Sciences (2005–2007) Leadership & Service: Dr. Cole has served as Director of Spanish and Portuguese Graduate Studies (2018–2025), Interim Director (2022), and Co-Director of the Hispanic Studies Collection. He also holds editorial roles at Dura and Revista Temas Americanistas . Creative Works: His poetry collections Círculos concéntricos (2014) and Hojas sueltas (2015), and the cyberpunk noir short story collection Cadáveres en la oscura ciudad y otros relatos (2023) showcase his narrative versatility. He has authored plays like La indocumentada (2008) and directed six theater productions at Texas Tech.

• Hispanic Caribbean Literature and Culture
• Afro-Caribbean Religious Practices
• Hispanic Fantasy, Horror, and Science Fiction
• +7 more

Makoto Harris Takao is an Assistant Professor of Musicology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with an affiliated appointment in East Asian Languages and Cultures. He holds a joint PhD in History and Musicology from the University of Western Australia and has held postdoctoral positions at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and the Freie Universität Berlin. His research bridges Japanese religious history, global music historiography, and the history of emotions, focusing on transcultural dynamics in early modern Japan and contemporary East Asia. Education: B.A. (Japanese Studies), B.A. Hons (Asian Studies), and Ph.D. (History and Musicology) from the University of Western Australia. Research interests include Kirishitan (Japanese Christian) transculturation, global baroque music, and the interplay between music and colonial/postcolonial politics. His current book projects explore 16th-century Japanese Christian soundscapes and the Okinawan singer Amuro Namie’s entanglement with postcolonial pop politics. He also performs on the viola da gamba in revival projects of early modern Japanese-Christian music. Awards include the Bruce Mansfield Prize in Religious History and an honorable mention from UIUC’s Humanities Research Institute. He serves on the American Musicological Society’s Education Committee and the editorial board of Early Music . Teaching focuses on global music history, the Baroque era, and Japanese popular music. Courses include Global Baroque: Music, Power, and the ‘European’ Tradition and History of Japanese Popular Music .

• Japanese Religious History
• Conceptual History
• Popular Music Studies
• +4 more