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Bernard (Ben) Arps is Professor of Indonesian and Javanese Language and Culture at Leiden University's Institute for Area Studies within the Faculty of Humanities. His research focuses on the interface of humanities and humanistic social sciences, particularly examining how language, performance, texts, and media contribute to 'worldmaking' - the processes through which people and institutions shape realities for themselves and others. Geographically centered on Southeast Asia with a core focus on Indonesia and the Malay world, Arps specializes in Java and its diasporas. His scholarly interests include religious encounters (particularly between Islam and local vernacular traditions), philological theory as applied to performance and new media, narrativity in song and audio media, and the theoretical foundations of area studies. Arps has conducted extensive fieldwork in Indonesia since 1979, totaling over four years, primarily in Central and Eastern Java regions including Surakarta, Yogyakarta, Banyuwangi, and Cilacap. His current book projects explore the Quest narrative pattern across religious traditions (focusing on Dewa Ruci), the sociopolitical formation of languages through media and performance (using Osing in Banyuwangi as a case study), and the Asian Muslim epic of Amir Hamza. Arps teaches primarily in Leiden's BA programme in South and Southeast Asian Studies, BA in International Studies, and MA programme in Asian Studies. Former chair of the Department of Languages and Cultures of Southeast Asia and Oceania (1995, 1999/2000, 2003-2006, 2008) Previously taught at School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London (1988-1993) Held visiting positions at NIAS (2001/02), ANU (2005), University of Michigan (2006/07), NUS/ARI (2011/12), UNS (2017), and IIAS (2018/19) Arps has supervised doctoral, Master's, and Bachelor's dissertations across Indonesian, Malay, Singapore, Cambodian, and Thai studies, with particular expertise in Javanese, Sundanese, Betawi, Balinese, Sasak, Mentawai, and Minangkabau cultures and languages. His work spans religion, performance, media, literature, sociolinguistics, lexicography, and education.

• Southeast Asian Studies
• Indonesian Language and Culture
• Javanese Language and Culture
• +9 more

Julian Millie is a Professor in Indonesian Studies at Monash University, Faculty of Arts, where he coordinates and teaches in the Indonesian Studies program. His academic work bridges anthropology, religious studies, and Southeast Asian studies, with a focus on the social and political dimensions of Islamic practice in Indonesia. His research centers on embodied Islamic routines, including preaching, ritual, and commemoration of regional Islamic figures. He has led major ARC-funded projects such as Preaching Islam: politics, performers and publics and Glocalisation and sub-national Islams , and currently leads the international project Islamic Bureaucracies and Pious Publics in Turkey and Indonesia . Anthropology of Indonesia Islamic Culture and Society Ritual and Religion Public Islam and Preaching Social Change in Muslim Societies Political Anthropology His recent publications (2023–2024) reveal a continued focus on Islamic consumerism, reformist critiques of consumption, ritual embodiment, and the politics of Islamic education. These works span journals like Asian Studies Review and edited volumes on preaching and Malay-Indonesian Islamic studies, showing strong interdisciplinary reach into sociology, cultural studies, and education policy. Julian Millie has contributed to scholarly discourse through editorial roles, including guest editorships for Asian Studies Review (2023) and International Journal of Cultural Studies (2013). His media engagements highlight his commitment to public anthropology, commenting on the state of Indonesian studies in Australia and Islamic education policy. He is actively involved in research grants, including current funding from 2020 to 2025, and has collaborated with scholars across Australia, Indonesia, and Turkey. While no formal advisees are listed, his leadership in research projects suggests mentorship and team coordination. He is a central figure in the study of contemporary Indonesian Islam, contributing to both academic and public understanding.

• Anthropology of Indonesia
• Islamic Culture and Society
• Religion and Politics
• +7 more

Nancy J. Smith-Hefner is a Professor and Department Chair of Anthropology at Boston University, on leave during 2024-25. She specializes in linguistic anthropology, focusing on religion, gender, and youth culture in Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia and Cambodia. Her research explores intersections of language, identity, and morality among Muslim youth, addressing topics like gender diversity, middle-class subjectivities, and cultural debates. Education: PhD, MA, and BA from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Key research areas include: linguistic anthropology, gender/sexuality studies, youth culture, Islam in Southeast Asia, and diasporic communities. She has authored Islamizing Intimacies (2019) and Khmer American (1999), edited Waithood (2020), and her work is supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, Spencer Foundation, and the Fulbright Program. Current projects include a monograph on youth romance in Indonesia, analyzing 'experience-near' narratives of young Javanese individuals. Courses taught span sex/gender studies, Southeast Asian modernity, linguistic anthropology, and global sexualities.

• Linguistic Anthropology
• Gender and Sexuality
• Courtship and Marriage
• +5 more

Michael Hawkins serves as Associate Professor and Department Chair in the Department of History within Creighton University's College of Arts and Sciences. His research centers on empire, Islam, and agency in Asia with particular focus on historical time and Southeast Asian colonial dynamics. Education: PhD (2009) Northern Illinois University MA (2004) Boise State University BA (2002) Brigham Young University Hawkins' scholarship critically examines colonial power structures through lenses of time, gender, and cultural representation. His work reveals how imperial forces constructed notions of historical progress while indigenous communities negotiated agency within colonial frameworks. Special attention is given to American military rule in the Philippines' Muslim South, where he analyzes intersections of violence, masculinity, and temporal frameworks that shaped colonial governance. Recent publications demonstrate consistent thematic evolution from early examinations of Bud Dajo massacre narratives toward contemporary analyses of counterinsurgency warfare and colonial exhibitions. His research trajectory shows deepening engagement with spatial-temporal dimensions of empire, moving from textual analysis of historical consciousness to material studies of world's fair exhibits and military operations. Professional recognition includes: Magis Faculty Research Grant (2014) supporting Southeast Asian historical research Magis Core Development Grant (2013) for curriculum innovation J. William Fulbright Research Grant (2007-2008) enabling extended fieldwork in the Philippines Hawkins maintains active mentorship of undergraduate researchers while directing departmental operations. His grant portfolio reflects sustained institutional investment in Philippine and Southeast Asian studies, with particular emphasis on decolonizing historical methodologies. The authorship of both specialized linguistic resources (Tagalog Verb Dictionary) and broad historical analyses (Making Moros) demonstrates methodological range across cultural, military, and intellectual history.

• Empire
• Islam
• Agency in Asia
• +6 more

Andreas Weber is an Associate Professor at the University of Twente's Digital Society Institute , specializing in the Knowledge, Transformation & Society (KiTeS) research group . His work examines the long-term historical and global relationship between Science, Technology, and Society , with particular focus on colonial histories of natural history, chemistry, and sustainability , as well as computational technologies for contextualizing digitized archives . He leads the HAICu project (2023–2029) on digital cultural heritage and coordinates STS PhD training for the Netherlands Graduate Research School (2019–2024). MA & PhD in History (2005 & 2012), Leiden University Assistant Professor (2017–2023), University of Twente Andreas' research integrates digital humanities with colonial science history , emphasizing global histories of minerals , digital humanism , and AI's societal context . His 15 most recent publications (2016–2025) explore topics like colonial bias in natural history collections , FAIR data implementation , and semantic annotation of handwritten archives , spanning disciplines from history of science to computer science and museum studies . He has received 7 scientific awards , including multiple Best Teacher Awards (2020–2023) and the IEEE eScience Best Poster Award (2018). Andreas supervises PhD and postdoctoral projects while engaging in media commentary on colonial heritage issues and co-organizing international conferences like Hydrogen Pasts and Futures (2024).

• Science and Technology Studies
• History of Science
• Digital Humanities
• +4 more

Sean Williams is a Professor of Ethnomusicology at The Evergreen State College, specializing in interdisciplinary cultural studies. He holds a Ph.D. in Music from the University of Washington (1990), an M.A. (1985), and a B.A. from UC Berkeley (1981). His research focuses on liminality, cultural identity, and the intersection of music with language, religion, and food, particularly in Irish and Sundanese contexts. Teaching with a collaborative approach, Williams emphasizes experiential learning through music performance, critical analysis, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. He has taught programs in Irish Studies, including a study abroad in Ireland, and integrates insights from physics, philosophy, and other disciplines into his curriculum. His award-winning book and edited volumes explore topics like Irish traditional music, Sundanese vocal practices, and music's role in cultural revival. Research Interests: Liminality, ethnomusicology, cultural anthropology, Irish Studies, Sundanese music, music education, and interdisciplinary pedagogy. Recent Offerings: Programs on Ireland's history, liminal spaces in media, and expressive culture in America. Upcoming: Ireland in History and Memory (2025-2026). His publications span ethnomusicological research, music and religion, and culinary anthropology, reflecting a commitment to linking cultural practices across borders. Despite no listed awards, his work is noted for its interdisciplinary rigor and impact on pedagogical innovation. Williams currently advises no listed students but collaborates extensively with colleagues across departments. No grants or labs are explicitly mentioned, though his work suggests involvement in cultural preservation projects and international fieldwork.

• Ethnomusicology
• Liminality
• Cultural Anthropology
• +5 more

Dr Alexander Wain is an Academic Editor (Islam) at the School of Divinity, University of St Andrews since 2021. A specialist in eastern Islamic studies, his research focuses on the Malay Muslim world (Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore) and China's Hui-hui Muslim community. He holds a DPhil in Theology from the University of Oxford (2015), where his thesis examined Sino-Muslim roles in Maritime Southeast Asia's Islamic conversion. Previously, he served as a Research Fellow at the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS) in Kuala Lumpur for six years. His current research includes a major project re-evaluating Melaka's early history and Muslim culture as Southeast Asia's first great sultanate. He contributes to the St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology and engages in community outreach in the UK and Malaysia. Key research interests span Islamic theology, historiography, and the archaeology of Islamic civilizations. His publications explore topics like disease explanations in Islamic thought, Malay religious terminology, and political Islam in Malaysia. Award-winning works include analyses of Sufi orders in Java and the role of Chinese Muslims in historical conversions. His interdisciplinary approach bridges theology, history, and cultural studies, emphasizing cross-cultural exchanges between Iran and the Malay world. Grants and collaborations are central to his work, though specific funding details are not provided here. He is actively involved in academic networks and public engagement to contextualize Islamic history within contemporary issues.

• Islamic Studies
• Southeast Asian History
• Islamic Theology
• +3 more

Marc Benamou is a Professor of Music and Director of the Javanese gamelan ensemble at Earlham College, located in Richmond, Indiana. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, alongside degrees from Oberlin College and Université de Paris X. His research focuses on ethnomusicology, with primary specialization in Javanese gamelan music and Peruvian saxophone orchestras. He has conducted fieldwork in Indonesia, Peru, and France, and his work explores aesthetics, musical meaning, and cross-cultural comparisons. Recent projects include a National Endowment for the Humanities-funded initiative to transcribe and analyze Javanese gamelan lyrics from cassette recordings. Benamou’s teaching emphasizes global musical traditions beyond the Western canon, including courses on African, Japanese, and South American musics. He speaks French, Indonesian, and Spanish fluently, and has presented his research internationally in countries like Argentina, Italy, and Israel. His interdisciplinary interests span music and food, gender studies in music, and the intersection of musicology and linguistics. He has collaborated with institutions such as the Institut Seni Indonesia in Surakarta and participated in faculty research initiatives in Japan and the U.S. Benamou’s career combines academic rigor with artistic practice, having performed as a singer of Javanese music and a classical trumpet player. His dedication to Earlham’s liberal arts mission is evident in his emphasis on student-centered learning and fostering cross-cultural connections among students. He has mentored students like Yasmine Lee and Tinisha Newland in research on African-American classical musicians, blending scholarly inquiry with community engagement.

• Ethnomusicology
• Javanese Gamelan Music
• Peruvian Music
• +3 more

Arlo Griffiths is a Professor of Southeast Asian History at the French School of the Far East (EFEO), with a focus on epigraphy, Vedic studies, and Southeast Asian languages. He trained in Indic studies at Leiden and Harvard, earning his doctorate in 2004 on the Paippalāda tradition of the Atharvaveda. His career includes lecturing at the University of Groningen and the University of Leiden, as well as teaching at the University of Lyon 3 and the EPHE in Paris. Active in Southeast Asian epigraphy, particularly Sanskrit, Old Khmer, Cham, and Javanese inscriptions Specializes in critical editions of unpublished documents and their historical analysis Engaged in studying tribal languages like Munda (Austroasiatic) and Pyu His research spans medieval Buddhist monasticism, trade networks, and the intersection of religion and politics in Southeast Asia. Recent publications analyze maritime links between India and Southeast Asia, Buddhist vihāras in Campā, and the role of inscriptions in documenting cultural exchange. Griffiths supervises PhD students at the EPHE and contributes to collaborative projects like the International Intensive Courses in Old Javanese. He resides in Lyon, France, and is affiliated with the UMR Histoire et Sources des Mondes Antiques.

• Vedic Studies
• Sanskrit Philology
• Southeast Asian History
• +5 more

Vera Hohaus is a Senior Lecturer in Linguistics at the University of Manchester, affiliated with the School of Arts, Languages, and Culture and the Department of Linguistics and English Language. She obtained her PhD from Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen and has trained at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and the University of British Columbia. Her research investigates how meaning emerges from the interaction of syntactic structure, lexical information, composition principles, and context. She specializes in crosslinguistic variation and its implications for language acquisition and processing. Current projects examine scalarity representation, comparison constructions, tense-modality architecture, and the grammar of alternatives. Recent publications focus on temporal ambiguity processing, crosslinguistic pragmatics, comparative semantics, and modality across languages. Her work demonstrates methodological diversity combining theoretical frameworks with experimental approaches. She leads the Psycholinguistics Laboratory and Fieldwork Hub, mentoring students in research methods and linguistic analysis. Her collaborations span multiple international institutions including the University of Oxford and University of British Columbia.

• Theoretical Linguistics
• Fieldwork
• Crosslinguistic Variation
• +4 more

Lauren Zentz is an Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics in the Department of English at the University of Houston's College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. Her research focuses on the intersection of language, politics, and digital media, with particular expertise in nationalism, state formation, online communication, and language socialization. Ph.D. from University of Arizona M.A. from University of Ottawa B.A., B.S. from University of Florida Dr. Zentz specializes in issues related to nationalism and state formation, online communication, political activism, and language socialization and identity. Her current research project, titled 'The Discourses of Internet Political Organization' (DIPO), examines how political activists organize on social media platforms. She has conducted ethnographic studies resulting in her book 'Narrating Stance, Morality, and Political Identity: Building a Movement on Facebook' (Routledge, 2021). Her ongoing book project, 'Echo Chambers and Epistemological Bubbles: Corporate Media, Neoliberal Governance, and Communicative Flirtation with the End of Democracy,' analyzes mass media discourses surrounding the transition from the Trump to Biden presidencies. Her scholarly work demonstrates consistent focus on how digital communication shapes political identity and national discourse. The trajectory of her publications reveals evolving attention from Indonesian language policies and nationalism to contemporary U.S. political discourse on social media. Her research methodology combines ethnographic approaches with discourse analysis, often drawing on frameworks of 'small stories' and 'stance' to unpack how individuals signal beliefs and construct identities online. $2,300 CLASS Project Completion Grant, University of Houston (2020) $6,000 Research Progress Grant, CLASS, University of Houston (2017) $10,000 Grant from Hobby Center for Public Policy, University of Houston (2016) Runner-up, Ton Vallen Award, Babylon Center for the Study of Superdiversity (2016) New Faculty Research Grant, University of Houston (2015) Dr. Zentz teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses including 'Bakhtin & the Internet,' 'Socializing the Nation in the Internet Age,' 'Discourse Analysis,' 'Introduction to the Study of Language,' and 'Language Socialization.' She is affiliated with the Society for Linguistic Anthropology, Council on Anthropology and Education, American Association for Applied Linguistics, and the Multilingual Diversity in a Changing Indonesia Network.

• Nationalism and State Formation
• Online Communication
• Political Activism
• +5 more

I Nyoman Wenten serves as Adjunct Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he directs the Music of Bali Ensemble. He simultaneously holds the position of Chair of Balinese and Javanese Music and Dance at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), maintaining dual institutional affiliations focused on Southeast Asian performing arts preservation and pedagogy. His academic credentials include a Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology from UCLA, an advanced degree from the National Academy of Dance in Yogyakarta, Java, and foundational training at the Music and Dance Conservatory in Bali. Wenten specializes in Balinese and Javanese traditional music and dance with particular emphasis on Gamelan orchestration. His four-decade career bridges performance, cultural diplomacy, and cross-disciplinary collaboration, exemplified by his work on the 2018 documentary BALI: BEATS OF PARADISE where he fused traditional Gamelan with contemporary pop elements alongside Grammy-winning artist Judith Hill. His research actively combats the diminishing practice of sacred Balinese musical traditions through innovative pedagogical approaches. As director of UCLA's Music of Bali Ensemble, Wenten mentors undergraduate students across diverse academic disciplines in the complex techniques of Balinese gamelan—metal percussion orchestras that narrate Hindu epics like the Mahabharata and Ramayana. His ensemble serves as both cultural sanctuary for Southeast Asian diaspora students and musical expansion for Western-trained musicians, preparing performers for international stages beyond campus boundaries. Wenten's professional impact extends through diplomatic channels where he previously directed music, dance, and language programs for the Indonesian Cultural Center under the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia, while maintaining extensive performance history across five continents including collaborations with institutions throughout the United States, China, Japan, and Europe.

• Ethnomusicology
• Southeast Asian Music
• Balinese Music
• +3 more

Jarrah Sastrawan is a Lecturer in the School of Culture, History & Language at the Australian National University (ANU). He holds a PhD from Sydney University alongside B.Lib.Stud., M.Sc., and M.A. qualifications. His research focuses on Southeast Asian history, particularly Javanese historiography, epigraphy, and precolonial cultural dynamics. He actively supervises research students and contributes to interdisciplinary collaborations across Southeast Asia. Education : Bachelor of Library Studies (Honours) Master of Science Master of Arts PhD in History (University of Sydney) Research Interests : Sastrawan explores historical practices in premodern Java, including the reinterpretation of inscriptions (e.g., Sangguran Charter), the analysis of chronicles like Pararaton, and the intersection of natural disasters with cultural memory. His work also addresses precolonial manuscript networks, the socio-political dimensions of Javanese literature, and the interplay between environmental events and societal structures. His recent focus includes the historiography of looted manuscripts and the textual reconstruction of pre-Islamic Malay literary traditions. Grants & Collaborations : Engages in ANU's global collaborations, particularly in Southeast Asia, focusing on epigraphic surveys (e.g., Hindu-Buddhist inscriptions in Central Java) and interdisciplinary disaster history projects. His work frequently combines textual analysis with archaeological evidence to reconstruct historical narratives. Labs/Teams : Prominent contributor to the Online Inventory of Ancient Nusantara Epigraphy project and collaborates with international teams on volcanology-historical projects (e.g., Samalas eruption studies).

• Southeast Asian History
• Historiography
• Javanese Literature
• +4 more

Assoc Prof Jan Mrázek is an Associate Professor in Southeast Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore (NUS), where he has been teaching since 2003. His research spans travel writing, Javanese performing arts, and Czech colonial encounters in Southeast Asia. Education: PhD in Southeast Asian Studies from Cornell University; undergraduate degrees in Art History (Southeast Asia) and Japanese Language/Literature from the University of Michigan. Research Focus: Intersections of travel, maritime life, colonialism, and cultural representation. His work explores Czech travelers' narratives in Indonesia and the evolution of Javanese wayang kulit in modern media. Recent Publications examine container shipping as historical metaphor, Czech ethnographic paradoxes in Malaya, and the phenomenology of gamelan performance. He also founded the NUS Singa Nglaras Gamelan Ensemble . Teaching emphasizes experiential learning through travel, music, and creative writing, challenging students to question colonial legacies and engage with non-Western epistemologies.

• Southeast Asian Studies
• Travel Writing
• Gamelan Music
• +4 more

Manuel Perea Lara is a Professor at the University of Valencia, affiliated with the Faculty of Psychology and Speech Therapy and the Department of Behavioural Science. He leads research at the ERI Reading Research institute and the READit Cognitive Neuroscience and Reading group, focusing on behavioral science methodology in language processing. He obtained his PhD from the University of Valencia in 1993 with a thesis titled Influencia de los factores de vecindad sobre el acceso léxico análisis experimentales y de simulación , supervised by Dr. Arcadio Gotor Sicilia. His research explores cognitive mechanisms in reading, including: Orthographic processing and visual word recognition Cross-linguistic studies of writing systems Eye movement dynamics during reading Development of literacy skills in children Neurocognitive aspects of language in neurodiverse populations Experimental methodologies in psycholinguistics Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2024-2025) reveals strong emphasis on masked priming paradigms, cross-script comparisons (Arabic, Chinese, Javanese), literacy development interventions, and cognitive processing in autism. The work demonstrates advanced methodological rigor in exploring orthographic encoding, attentional mechanisms, and bilingual language processing. No awards or supervised students are mentioned in available materials. His laboratory conducts innovative research using techniques like event-related potentials (ERPs) and behavioral experiments to investigate reading mechanisms across different populations and writing systems.

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Reading Research
• Visual Word Recognition
• +3 more