Catherine Raymond

Catherine Raymond is a Professor of Art History in the School of Art and Design at Northern Illinois University (NIU). She serves as Director of the Center for Burma Studies and leads the Inventory of Lao Buddhist Iconography (PIIL) project in collaboration with the Lao PDR Ministry of Information and Culture.

Her educational background includes a Ph.D. in Art and Archaeology and Indian and Southeast Asian studies from La Sorbonne (Université de Paris III), where she studied under prominent scholars Jean Boisselier, Madeleine Giteau, and Denise Bernot. She also earned a DREA in Burmese Languages and Civilizations from the Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales.

Dr. Raymond's research focuses on Theravada Buddhist iconography, with special emphasis on Burmese art within the broader context of South and Southeast Asian civilizations. Her work spans multiple countries including Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Laos, with recent attention to the former Buddhist kingdom of Arakan.

Her notable achievements include:

• 2017 Presidential Engagement Professor award at NIU
• 2004-05 Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation grant from the US State Department

As Director of the Center for Burma Studies, Dr. Raymond curates the Burma collection at the NIU Art Museum and develops digital approaches to teaching Burmese art. Her current research includes leading the five-year PIIL project in Laos, which involves documenting Buddhist iconography and training Lao conservators of Buddhist mural paintings, particularly at the royal monastery of Vat Sisaket in Vientiane.