Michelle Liu

Miranda S. Michelle Liu (she/her/hers) is a Teaching Professor in the English Department at the University of Washington, affiliated with the Program in Writing and Rhetoric. She holds a B.A. from UC Irvine (1995) and a Ph.D. from Yale University (2003). Her primary role involves teaching writing courses that interrogate identity, history, emotion, and storytelling in the digital age. She recently completed two terms with the Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau, presenting talks on national narratives ('The Country that Fiction Built') and Asian American cultural belonging ('What Laughter Tells Us: Asian Americans, Comedy, and Belonging').

Her research focuses on 20th-century American cultural productions, analyzing how race and gender shape narratives of national identity. She examines Asian American representations in late 19th-early 20th century media as reflections of U.S. geopolitical ambitions. Pedagogically, she explores writing's role beyond academia, investigating how different mediums influence communal empathy and identity formation.

No specific awards or grants were listed in the provided materials. She maintains active engagement with public humanities through speaking engagements and academic writing.