Harry Miller is a faculty member in the Department of History at the University of South Alabama since 2002. He holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University and specializes in Ming and Qing dynasty history, East Asian intellectual history, and cultural narratives. B.A., Wesleyan University (1988) M.A., Columbia University Ph.D., Columbia University (2001) His research focuses on state-gentry dynamics, dynastic transitions, and the interplay between historical interpretation and literary expression in early modern China. He has authored books on Ming-Qing political conflicts and translated classical Chinese texts, while currently crafting a historical novel set in 17th-century China. Publications reflect expertise in Ming-Qing intellectual history, factional politics, and cross-cultural narratives. He oversees the USA in Japan study abroad program and teaches courses spanning Asian civilization, film, and specialized seminars on China, Japan, and democratic transitions.
Richard Vinograd is the Christensen Fund Professor in Asian Art and a Professor in the Department of Art & Art History at Stanford University. He has held this position since 2003 and previously served as Chair of the Department of Art & Art History (1995–2002 and 2009–2010). He has also held academic roles at the University of Southern California and Columbia University. Education: B.A. in Art History from UCLA (1970), M.A. and Ph.D. in History of Art from UC Berkeley (1972, 1979). Research focuses on Chinese portraiture, landscape painting, urban cultural spaces, and inter-media studies. Notable publications include Boundaries of the Self: Chinese Portraits, 1600–1900 (1992) and Chinese Art & Culture (2001). He has authored over 30 journal articles and contributed to exhibitions and catalogues. Recent courses include Chinese Buddhist Painting: Visions and Practices and New Landscapes of China: Ecologies, Media, Imaginaries . Awards: Fellowships: Stanford Humanities Center (2012–2013; 1993–1994) Shimada Prize Lecturer in Asian Art (1994) Mellon Fellowship for Chinese Studies (1986–1987) Advises doctoral and master's students, including Erica Yao and Jill Lyu. Active in curriculum development and interdisciplinary programs like the Center for East Asian Studies.
Thomas P. Kelly is an Assistant Professor in East Asian Languages and Civilizations at Harvard University, where he holds a position in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. He earned his PhD from the University of Chicago (2017) and BA from the University of Oxford (2009). Previously, he served as a Junior Fellow in the Society of Fellows at the University of Michigan. As President of the Society for Ming Studies, he actively contributes to scholarly networks in early modern Chinese studies. His research focuses on Chinese literature, material culture, and pre-modern media studies, particularly exploring the interplay between writing and material objects in the Ming and Qing periods. His monograph The Inscription of Things: Writing and Materiality in Early Modern China (2023) examines how writers engaged with materiality through inscriptions on objects. Current projects include The Unfinished Book , analyzing manuscript culture during the Ming-Qing transition, and a study of performance theory via Pan Zhiheng’s essays. His work spans late imperial drama, fiction, poetry, and prose. Key research themes include the materiality of literature, rituals in performance, and the poetics of incompletion. His publications investigate topics such as mourning rituals in early Qing theater, the cultural significance of seal carvers’ biographies, and the role of objects in Ming-Qing literary imagination. He frequently critiques the relationship between textual production and social dynamics, emphasizing how material forms shape literary meaning. His articles demonstrate a focus on interdisciplinary approaches, blending literary analysis with art history, anthropology, and cultural studies. Notable works include explorations of Hong Sheng’s Palace of Lasting Life , Su Shi’s ink-making practices, and Fang Yongbin’s calligraphic materiality. His 2024 article ' The Crying Statue in Early Qing Drama ' delves into contested staging practices of theatrical mourning rituals. Though no formal grants or labs are listed, his academic leadership (e.g., Society for Ming Studies presidency) underscores his role in fostering collaborative research. His work bridges textual analysis with broader cultural histories, positioning material objects as central to understanding Chinese literary and intellectual traditions.
Wei Shang serves as the Du Family Professor of Chinese Culture within Columbia University's Department of East Asian Languages & Cultures, maintaining his office in 404 Kent Hall. Academic background: BA, Peking University (1982) MA, Peking University (1984) PhD, Harvard University (1995) His research centers on pre-modern Chinese literary traditions, with concentrated expertise in Ming and Qing dynasty fiction and drama. He investigates cultural transformations through print culture, book history, and intellectual frameworks, producing seminal works like "Rulin Waishi" and Cultural Transformation in Late Imperial China (2003) and Writing on Landmarks: From Yellow Crane Tower to Phoenix Pavilion (2020). Recent publications reveal consistent interdisciplinary exploration connecting literary analysis with visual culture, imperial rituals, and perspective techniques, particularly examining how fictional narratives engage with court ceremonies and dynastic transitions. He has significantly contributed to scholarly discourse through editorial leadership, including co-editing Dynastic Crisis and Cultural Innovation: From the Late Ming to the Late Qing and Beyond (2005) and directing a special issue of the Journal of Chinese Literature and Culture on Literature and Visual Culture in Early Modern China (2015).
Carol H. Shiue is a Professor of Economics at the University of Colorado at Boulder, specializing in economic history and development with a focus on China. Her research explores market integration, human capital accumulation, and kinship networks in pre-modern and modern China. Affiliation: University of Colorado at Boulder Education: PhD (Yale University, 1999), BS (MIT) Previous Positions: University of Texas-Austin, visiting scholar at Princeton, Stanford, World Bank, and Russell Sage Foundation Her research interests include: Comparative world development Commodity, labor, and capital market integration Human capital accumulation and long-run growth Inequality, migration, and spatial economic activity Geographic Information Systems Intergenerational networks Dr. Shiue's recent work analyzes intergenerational mobility in China (1300–1900) using genealogical data, and investigates how political shocks like the Ming collapse affected human capital strategies. Her publications span top journals including the American Economic Review and Journal of Economic History . Scientific affiliations and awards include: National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) Institute of Behavioral Science Fellow, Hoover Institution Fellow, Russell Sage Foundation Her research has received funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Dr. Donatella Guida is a full Professor of Chinese History at the University of Naples 'L'Orientale' , Department of Asia, Africa and the Mediterranean, since 2021. She directs the University Study Center 'Matteo Ripa' and serves as a member of the Asia, Africa and Mediterranean Doctoral School. Her academic career includes roles as Associate Professor (2014-2021), qualified for Full Professorship in 2018, and researcher since 2004. Specialist in Ming and Qing China's social and intellectual history Philological analysis of historical and literary texts Focus on imperial legitimacy strategies and 'us-them' cultural dynamics Her research trajectory examines how Chinese historical texts constructed self/other relationships through: travel diaries, dynastic historiography, and female biographies. Key themes include: Ming legitimacy through historiography and foreign relations Yuan-Ming continuity in Mongol rule Gender roles in official histories Recent publications address: Border symbolism in China-Vietnam relations Matteo Ripa's 18th-century travel narratives Comparative philosophy between Logos and Dao Notable scientific awards include: 2024 Research Grant for Foreign Scholars in Taipei 2018 National Translation Award for Li Ruzhen's novel 1998-2000 Chiang Ching-kuo postdoctoral fellowship She has advised multiple PhD students including Adele Cozzani and Anna Chiara Trapani. Current projects include PRIN 2022 'Environmental Anomalies & Political Legitimacy in Global Eurasia'.
Jonathan Hay is the Ailsa Mellon Bruce Professor of Fine Arts at New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts. He holds a PhD from Yale University (1989) and a B.A. from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London (1978). His research focuses on Chinese art history, emphasizing interconnections between artistic practices, visual culture, and broader socio-political contexts. Key areas include late-imperial China, decorative arts, and the integration of non-Western perspectives into art historical discourse. Education: PhD, Art History, Yale University, 1989 B.A., School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, 1978 Hay’s work challenges traditional Eurocentric methodologies, advocating for dialogue with scientific thought and non-Western traditions. His books include Shitao: Painting and Modernity in Early Qing China (2001) and Sensuous Surfaces: The Decorative Object in Early Modern China (2010, supported by a Guggenheim Fellowship). He has received awards such as the Guggenheim Fellowship and a prizewinning contribution to The Artful Recluse catalog. Research Interests: Complexity in art history, cross-cultural exchanges, macrohistorical frameworks, Ming-Qing trauma studies, and the role of ornament in decorative arts. Hay leads initiatives like the IFA Portals digital project, including the Historiography and Chinese Pictorial Art portals. He also co-founded the China Project Workshop, fostering dynamic discussions on Chinese art. Awards: Guggenheim Fellowship (for Sensuous Surfaces ) Prize for The Artful Recluse: Painting, Poetry, and Politics in 17th Century China catalog His current projects include a monograph on 10th-century artist Guo Zhongshu and a theoretical work ARTWORK: Topologies of Artistic Form .
Christopher Agnew is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of History in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Dayton. He teaches courses on West and the World, as well as the history of pre-modern and modern East Asia, with a strong focus on China during the Ming and Qing dynasties. His research centers on the descendants of Confucius, social and economic change in north China, ritual and memory in Qufu, and maritime commerce in seventeenth-century Northeast Asia. He has served as director of the International Studies Program and continues to lead the History Department with academic and administrative commitment. Ph.D., University of Washington, 2006 His recent publications reflect a consistent engagement with late imperial Chinese society, particularly the intersection of lineage, power, and cultural memory. Articles span topics from bureaucratic politics to migrant rebellions and the construction of Confucian heritage, showing a deep interdisciplinary approach combining social, economic, and cultural history. His scholarly output demonstrates a long-standing focus on the Kongs of Qufu and their role in Chinese history, increasingly incorporating genealogical and spatial analyses. He also contributes to pedagogical discourse, particularly in global engagement and critical thinking in historical education. Christopher Agnew has held leadership roles in academic programming and departmental administration, contributing to curriculum development and international studies. While no formal advising list or grant history is provided, his active publication record suggests ongoing research and mentorship. He has not received any explicitly mentioned scientific awards or fellowships in the provided text. His work is associated with the Department of History at the University of Dayton, where he contributes to both undergraduate education and faculty leadership. No separate lab or research team is mentioned, but his publications suggest independent and deeply archival research.
Tomoyasu IIYAMA is a Professor at Waseda University's School of Humanities and Social Sciences, specializing in premodern Chinese history with a focus on the Jin-Yuan period and Mongol rule in China. His research examines how local elites in North China maintained status through dynastic transitions using stone inscriptions and genealogical records. Dr. IIYAMA earned his PhD in Literature from Waseda University, where he has been teaching since 2009. His field research across North China has documented hundreds of stone inscriptions that reveal patterns of social continuity and change during periods of foreign rule. His research interests center on how ethnic identity, kinship organization, and political power intersected in premodern China. He investigates how local elites in North China navigated the transitions between Jurchen (Jin Dynasty), Mongol (Yuan Dynasty), and native Chinese (Ming Dynasty) rule, often maintaining status through strategic adaptation while preserving cultural identity. His work demonstrates how stone inscriptions serve as crucial historical sources for understanding social history beyond official dynastic narratives. Dr. IIYAMA's publications reveal a consistent focus on how local societies in North China maintained continuity despite dramatic political changes. His work on genealogical steles shows how families preserved historical memory across dynastic boundaries, with particular attention to how ethnic identity was constructed and reconstructed over time. His recent research examines how late Qing families reclaimed Mongol ancestry as a strategy for social advancement. Waseda Research Award (High-Impact Publication), 2020 Dr. IIYAMA has supervised numerous graduate students through Waseda's Asian History Seminar and Oriental History Research Seminar programs. His research has been supported by multiple Japanese government grants, including several from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. He has led extensive field research projects documenting stone inscriptions across North China, building comprehensive databases of epigraphic evidence. He directs field research teams that survey and document historical stone inscriptions across North China, with particular focus on Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Hebei provinces. These teams combine historical expertise with on-site documentation to preserve and analyze these crucial historical sources before they are lost to environmental damage or development.
Dennis Joe is a Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, specializing in late imperial China (Ming-Qing dynasties). His work bridges social, legal, and book history, with a focus on knowledge production through local gazetteers and printed materials. Education: Ph.D., University of Minnesota J.D., University of Minnesota M.A., University of Minnesota B.S-Art., University of Wisconsin Research Focus: Imperial Chinese legal education Evolution of libraries and schools Financial dynamics of Ming-era publishing Surname practices in Ming bureaucracy Local gazetteer compilation as historical methodology Scientific Awards: Fetzer Fellow (2015-16) Bibliothèque nationale de France Profession Culture Fellow (2010) National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Stipend (2010) An Wang Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard's Fairbank Center (2004-2005) Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships (1997-99) Mentorship: Has advised PhD/Master's students including John Tobin, Zhaoshen Wang, and Chaoying Li.
Wai-yee Li is the 1879 Professor of Chinese Literature at Harvard University, where she has taught since 2000. Her research bridges early Chinese thought, late imperial literature, and cultural history, with special emphasis on Ming-Qing transitions. She holds office hours in Spring 2025, indicating ongoing academic engagement. Li's scholarship explores intersections of gender, material culture, and historical trauma across dynastic shifts. Primary research domains include: Cultural memory in late imperial China Gender representation in crisis narratives Material culture and literary symbolism Translation and interpretation of classical dramas Historiographical methods in premodern texts Her publications demonstrate consistent focus on how literature processes historical catastrophe and cultural identity. Recent book publications (2022-2025) examine material culture in late imperial China, Ming-Qing theatrical farces, and gender dynamics in classical friendship paradigms. Her translational work includes landmark editions of The Peach Blossom Fan and courtesan memoirs. Notable honors include: Elected Academician of Academia Sinica (2014) AAS Joseph Levenson Prize (2016) AAS Patrick D. Hanan Translation Prize (2018) Guggenheim Fellowship ACLS Fellowship NEH Grant Radcliffe Institute Fellowship Li has secured research funding from the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation, Geiss Hsu Foundation, and American Academy in Berlin. While specific student advisees aren't listed, she regularly teaches graduate seminars on Ming-Qing literature and early Chinese historiography.
Prof. Dr. Sabine Dabringhaus is a Professor of East Asian History at the University of Freiburg, Germany, holding a chair position established in December 2008. Previously, she served as Junior Professor at the Department for Modern and East Asian History from 2002-2008. Since July 2021, she has been chairperson of the Academic Advisory Board of the European Research Centre for Chinese Studies (ERCCS), a joint center of the École française d'Extrême-Orient and the Max Weber Stiftung. Her educational background includes: Studied Sinology, History and Political Science at Albert-Ludwigs-University in Freiburg and Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich Earned PhD at Institute of Qing-History, People's University of China in Beijing (1987-1990) Received habilitation at Ludwig Maximilians Universität München (January 2003) Prof. Dabringhaus specializes in Chinese history with particular focus on the Sino-Manchurian Qing Empire (1644-1911) within comparative imperial history frameworks. Her research spans court societies in Asia and Europe, 20th century Chinese nationalism, the history of Chinese humanities, Mao Zedong and the Communist revolution, political developments in the Chinese Republic (1912-1949), cultural foundations of Chinese modernity, Central Asian history (particularly Tibet and Mongolia), and Chinese diasporas in Southeast Asia. She examines how historical narratives shape contemporary understandings of Chinese identity and political development. Her publications reveal a consistent focus on imperial and modern Chinese history with increasing attention to comparative frameworks. Early work centered on Qing dynasty administration and Tibet, while later publications expanded to 20th century Chinese history, nationalism, and diaspora studies. A notable trend is her exploration of how spatial and territorial concepts shaped Chinese national identity, alongside analysis of China's engagement with global intellectual currents. Prof. Dabringhaus serves as co-publisher of "Periplus: Jahrbuch für Außereuropäische Geschichte" (Essen, Germany, 2003) and the journal "Qing History Overseas Research" (Qingshi yicong, Beijing, China, 2004). Her leadership role as chairperson of the ERCCS Academic Advisory Board demonstrates recognition of her scholarly contributions to the field of Chinese studies. As a senior academic, Prof. Dabringhaus has contributed to major research projects on Chinese history including "Around the Ruler: Comparative Analysis of Dynastic Centers in Europe and China" and "The Chinese in Southeast Asia." Her work bridges German, Chinese, and international academic traditions, fostering cross-cultural dialogue in historical studies and contributing to understanding of China's place in global historical processes. Prof. Dabringhaus is affiliated with the Department of East Asian History at the University of Freiburg, participating in various research colloquia and contributing to the department's scholarly community. She maintains an active research profile, regularly presenting at conferences and advancing scholarship on Chinese history through multiple methodological approaches.
Kenneth Swope is a Professor of History and Senior Fellow at the Dale Center for the Study of War & Society at the University of Southern Mississippi. He concurrently serves as a Senior Instructor and course designer for Norwich University’s Master’s in Military History program. In 2019-20, he held the Dr. Leo A. Shifrin Distinguished Visiting Chair of Military & Naval History at the United States Naval Academy. His research focuses on Ming and Qing dynasty China, East Asian military conflicts, and the social impacts of war. Notable works include A Dragon’s Head and A Serpent’s Tail (on the First Great East Asian War) and The Military Collapse of China’s Ming Dynasty , recognized as a Choice Outstanding Academic Title. His recent monograph, On the Trail of the Yellow Tiger , examines social dislocation during the Ming-Qing transition, while his edited volume The Ming World (2019) offers a comprehensive overview. Dr. Swope is the book review editor for The Journal of Chinese Military History and serves on the Board of Directors for the Chinese Military History Society. His current project explores Qing Dynasty General Zuo Zongtang. He has presented globally and secured funding from the European Research Council’s Horizon 2020 programme.
Professor Dr. Kai Vogelsang leads research in Sinology at the University of Hamburg's Department of State and Society, focusing on Chinese manuscript traditions and historical linguistics. His work bridges ancient legal texts, administrative documents, and cultural preservation. Research domains include: Reconstruction of classical Chinese linguistic systems Analysis of dynastic administrative frameworks Conservation of fragile manuscript artifacts Comparative analysis of East Asian historiographies Publications emphasize philological rigor and material analysis of primary sources. Recent works explore textual transmission pathways and manuscript authentication methodologies. No awards or student mentorship details were documented.
