SHAO Dan

Shao Dan is an Associate Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, holding dual appointments in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures and the Department of History. She also serves as an Associate Professor in the Center for the Study of Global Gender Equity and the Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies. As Head of East Asian Languages and Cultures, she leads curricular and administrative initiatives.

She earned a PhD in History from the University of California Santa Barbara and an LLM from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Law.

Her research interests focus on historical and contemporary boundaries in Chinese society, with an emphasis on legal frameworks, gender studies, and transnational dynamics. Key topics include cultures of law in China, nationality law evolution, medical ethics in the early PRC, and U.S.-East Asia relations. She bridges East Asian and Western scholarly perspectives, particularly in understanding borderlands and ethnic groups.

Shao Dan’s grants include the Chancellor’s Call to Action grant (2022-2023), the Andrew Mellon New Directions Fellowship (2012-2015), and the ACLS Fellowship (2011-2012). Her projects often address systemic injustices and interdisciplinary collaborations, such as the INTERSECT initiative and the 'Yellow Peril Redux' study.

• Conrad Humanities Scholar Award (2012-2016)
• IPRH Fellowship (2011-2012)
• Beckman Fellowship (2009-2010)
• An-Wang Postdoctoral Fellowship (2003-2004)

In academic service, she has directed graduate and undergraduate programs in EALC, led grant initiatives, and contributed to committees like the Interseminars Initiative and the Center for East Asian and Pacific Studies Advisory Board. Her work integrates policy analysis, historical critique, and gender equity advocacy.

Shao Dan collaborates in research teams focused on transnational issues. Current projects include "Cross-cultural Understanding of Power Harassment" (with Law and Psychology scholars) and "Yellow Peril Redux" (economic and cultural analyses of U.S.-Asia relations).