Mike Hawkins

Mike Hawkins is a Lecturer in Southeast Asian Studies at the University of Michigan, affiliated with the Center for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS), Program in International and Comparative Studies (PICS), and Asian Languages & Cultures. His research focuses on historical and political geography in Southeast Asia, particularly the Philippines, examining American imperial legacies, decolonization geopolitics, and urban labor dynamics in Manila. He holds a PhD in Geography from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2022), an MA (2017), and a BA in Political Science (2013).

Key research themes include the Port of Manila's political evolution across colonial, post-independence, and contemporary eras, combining archival and ethnographic methods. Recent courses include 'From Colonialism to Climate Change: Surveying Southeast Asia' and 'Globalization and Uneven Development.' His work has been supported by the ACLS-Mellon Dissertation Completion Fellowship and Fulbright Student Research Award.

Though no formal advisees are listed, his research bridges historical and contemporary issues in labor, empire, and urban spaces. No lab affiliations are explicitly mentioned, but his interdisciplinary work spans multiple academic programs at the University of Michigan.