The Institute for Asian Studies draws on the expertise over 70 Portland State University faculty and academic professionals, who reside across 30 disciplines, departments, and units.
Anthropology
Jennifer Aengst (Ph.D., University of California, Davis, 2011)
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Anthropology.
Teaching interests: Gender in cross cultural perspective, medical anthropology, South Asia.
Research interests: Cultural and medical anthropology, reproduction, population, fertility politics, gender, the development of contraceptive technologies, Ladakh, Himalayas, and South Asia.
Regional specialization: South Asia
Sharon Carstens (Ph.D., Cornell University, 1980)
Emerita Professor of Anthropology and International Studies;
Research interests: Southeast Asian Chinese (especially Malaysia, Singapore); ethno history; ethnic identities; Hakka; Chinese folk religion; transnational media; Mandarin bilingual education; multi-lingual identities and politics
Regional specialization: Southeast Asia, China
Michele Gamburd (Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1995)
Professor of Anthropology.
Teaching interests: Transnationalism and migration; anthropology of violence; gender in cross-cultural perspective; research methods; South Asia
Research interests:Gender; transnationalism; globalization; migration; alcohol consumption; disaster studies; aging
Specialization: South Asian, Sri Lanka, West Asia
David Moore (M.A. Portland State University, 1994; ABD, Simon Fraser University)
Adjunct Instructor, Anthropology and International Studies
Teaching interests: Cultural Anthropology, South Asia, Southeast Asia
Research interests: Southeast Asia; South Asia; nationalism; ethnicity; globalization; historical anthropology.
Regional specialization: Southeast Asia, South Asia
Jeremy Spoon (Ph.D., University of Hawaii, 2008)
Associate Professor of Anthropology
Teaching interests: Environmental anthropology; applied anthropology
Research interests: Local ecological knowledge; political economy; environmental sustainability; mountainous protected areas, place-based spirituality; applied anthropology; ethics; linked quantitative and qualitative methods; South Asia, Native North America, East Africa.
Regional specialization: South Asia
Xia Zhang (Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, 2011)
Art & Art History
Una Kim (M.F.A., Parsons School of Design, 1990)
Adjunct Painting Instructor, Department of Art.
Specialization: Professional painter, coordination of international art focused programs
Regional specialization: Korea
JungHee Lee (Ph.D., University of California – Los Angeles, 1984)
Professor of Asian Art History
Teaching interests: Asian art history
Research interests: Buddhist sculptures of Korea and Japan
Regional specialization: Korea, Japan
Business
Tichelle SorensenAcademic Director, Master in Int'l Management
Piman Limpaphayom (Ph.D., CFA, University of Rhode Island)
Associate Professor of Finance
Teaching interests: Finance, investment analysis and portfolio management
Research interests: Corporate finance, organizational structure, and bankruptcy
Regional specialization: Thailand, East and SE Asia
Shung Jae Shing (Ph.D., Texas A.&M., 2003)
Associate Professor, School of Business.
Teaching interests: Organizational behavior.
Reasearch interests: Creativity at workplace; leadership, human side of corporate, mergers and acquisition; cross-cultural studies teams and diversity.
Conflict Resolution
Amanda Byron, (Portland State University, Ed.D.)
Core Faculty, Graduate Program in Conflict Resolution
Teaching & Research Interests: Peace Education and Violence Prevention
Regional interests: SE Asia, Indonesia
Barbara Tint (Ph.D., University of Melbourne, 2003)
Full Professor, Conflict Resolution
Teaching interests: Conflict Resolution .
Regional interest: South Asia
Regional specialization: China
Economics
Randall Bluffstone (Ph.D. Economics, Boston University, 1993)
Professor of Economics
Director of the Institute for Economics and the Environment
Teaching Interest: Economics
Regional Specialization: Nepal
John Gallup (Ph.D., University of California at Berkeley, 1994)
Associate Professor of Economics
Teaching interests: Economic development; labor economics; growth theory
Research interests:Geography in economic development—problems of tropical and landlocked regions; determinants of income distribution; labor markets and rural poverty in Vietnam
Regional specialization: Vietnam
Hiro Ito (Ph.D., University of California, Santa Cruz, 2004)
Professor of Economics
Teaching interests: East Asia, Japan
Research interests: East Asia, Japan
Regional specialization: East Asia, Japan
Kuan-Pin Lin (Ph.D., 1979)
Professor of Economics
Teaching interests: Econometrics, Mathematical Economics, Research Methods.
Research interests: Computational econometrics, Computer applications in economics, Internet economics, Chinese Economy.
Regional specialization: Chinese economy
Education (Graduate School of Education)
Yer Thao (Ph.D., Claremont Graduate University, 2002)
Professor, Curriculum and Instruction, Graduate School of Education
Regional specialization: Southeast Asia, Mong and Laotian cultures
Dilafruz Williams (Ph.D., Syracuse University, 1987)
Department Chair & Professor of Education, Graduate School of Education.
Research interests: Community-Higher Education-Schools Strategic Partnership Development; Civic Engagement/Service Learning; Professional Development Sustainability Education; Environmental Education Learning; Gardens-Based Education Curriculum Design; Research K-12 Public
Regional specialization: South Asia
Education Abroad
Alyse Collins (M.A., Portland State University, 2007)
Assistant Director & Advisor, Education Abroad — Asia & Latin America, Office of International Affairs.
Specialization: Advisor for study abroad programs in Asia, Latin America, and international internships.
Engineering & Computer Science
Renjeng Su (D.Sc., Chemical engineering, Cheng-Kung University, Taiwan)
Dean of the Maseeh College of Engineering & Computer Science.
Sung Yi (Ph.D., University of Illinois, 1992)
Professor and chair, Mechanical & Materials Engineering
Research interests: Electronic packaging; delamination and failure mechanisms of IC packages and composites; constitutive modeling and characterization of engineering materials; numerical modeling and simulation of manufacturing process of polymer matrix composites
Regional specialization: Korea
English
Bishupal Limbu (Ph.D., Northwestern University, 2010)
Associate Professor, English Literature.
Teaching & Research Interests: Globalization and theories of cosmopolitanism; transnational literature; postcolonial literature and theory; ethics and human rights; poststructuralism
Regional Specialization: South Asia
Marie Lo (Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, 2001)
Associate Professor of English literature.
Teaching interests: Asian American literature and film; cultural studies
Regional specialization: Asian-America
Film Studies
Jennifer Ruth (Ph.D., Brown University, 1999)
Associate Professor, Department of Film Studies: Victorian literature; critical theory; women’s studies; popular culture and media.
Research interests : _______ .
Regional specialization: China
Jungmin Kwon Assistant Professor, Department of Film Studies: School of Theater Teaching interests: Film and digital media, gender and sexuality, entertainment industry, fan culture and Korean film and media
Specialization: South Korean film and digital culture
Geography
HeeJun Chang (Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University, 2001)
Professor and Chair of Geography
Teaching interests: Hydrology and water resources; climate change impact assessment; hydrologic ecosystem services; stream restoration; visual spatial analysis; GIS applications in hydrology and water resources
Regional specialization: Korea
Jiunn-Der Geoffrey Duh (Ph.D., University of Michigan, 2004)
Associate Professor of Geography and Director of GIS Programs.
Teaching interests: GIS; digital compilation and database design; satellite digital image processing classification, and change detection; digital terrain analysis.
Research interests: geocomputational theory and techniques to integrate GIS and remote sensing technologies in spatial decision-making
Regional specialization: China
Lindsay Skog
(Ph.D. Geography, University of Colorado at Boulder, 2015)
Adjunct faculty, Dept. of Geography
Regional interests: India & Nepal
History
Chia Yin Hsu (Ph.D., New York University, 2006)
Associate Professor of History
Teaching interests:Russian history
Research interests: Late imperial and early soviet Russian migration to the Russian far east and north Manchuria; Russian imperial expansion and colonialism in China; ethnicity and nationality in late imperial and early soviet Russia.
Regional specialization: Russia and China
Daniel Kim (University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2017)
Assistant Professor of Korean Studies
Teaching interests: modern Korean history, gender in East Asia
Research interests: History of moder Korea, especially period of Japanese colonization, socialism and feminism in colonial Korea, history of colonial education
Ken Ruoff (Ph.D., Columbia University, 1997)
Professor of History; Director, PSU Center for Japanese Studies
Teaching interests: Japanese history; East Asia history; Japanese-American relations; Korean history; Vietnamese history
Research interests: Modern Japanese history; Comparative East Asia
Regional specialization: Japan, East Asia
Linda Walton (Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania, 1978)
Professor Emerita, Department of History
Teaching interests: Pre-modern Chinese history
Research interests: intellectual history and social history of China, 1000-1400
Regional specialization: East Asia, China
Baihetiyaer Tuerxun
Professor, Courtesy Appointment
Specialization: History of Central Asia and Xinjiang, China
International Affairs / International Education
Alyse Collins (M.A., Portland State University, 2007)
Advisor, Education Abroad — Asia & Latin America, Office of International Affairs.
Specialization: Advisor for study abroad programs in Asia, Latin America, and international internships.
Master in International Management Program (School of Business)
Piman Limpaphayom (Ph.D., CFA, University of Rhode Island)
Teaching interests: Finance, investment analysis and portfolio management
Research interests: Corporate finance, organizational structure, and bankruptcy
Regional specialization: Thailand, East and SE Asia
Meiru Liu (Ph.D., Portland State University, 1996)
Professor Chinese Language, Masters in International Management (MIM) Program, School of Business Administration
Teaching interests: Chinese language, culture and pedagogy; cross-cultural communications; Sino-US trade
Research interests: Curriculum design; Chinese language pedagogy; cross-cultural communication; Sino – US trade.
Regional specialization: China
Tichelle Sorensen
Academic Director, MBA & MIM Programs
International & Global Studies
Priya Kapoor (Ph.D., Ohio University, 1995)
Professor of International Studies
Teaching & Research Interests: Critical Theory and Cultural Studies; Intercultural Communication; South Asia; Social movements; Media; Textual and Field Research methods.
Regional specialization: South Asia
Pronoy Rai (Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2018)
Assistant Professor of International and Global Studies
Research interests: human-environment geographies, development and labor geographies, and feminist geographies.
Teaching Interests: Global Migration, Gender and Development, Climate Change, Globalization, and Social and Political Theory
Regional Specialization: India
Yoko Sakurauchi
Adjunct Instructor, International Studies
Regional specialization: Japan
Gerry Sussman
Professor, International & Global Studies
Regional specialization: Southeast Asia
Library
Thomas Larsen
Professor Emeritus, PSU Library
Scholarly interests: Southeast Asian languages and librarianship, Chinese language, Manchu language
Mathematics and Statistics
Bin Jiang (Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara, 1999)
Professor, Mathematics and Statistics.
Research interests: Computational electromagnetism, numerical simulation in nanoscale optics.
Regional specialization: China
Music
Susan Chan (D.M., Indiana University, 1994)
Associate Professor of Music.
Teaching interests: Piano.
Research interests Soloist and chamber musician who actively promotes music from Asia, especially music written by female composers.
Regional specialization: China
Julia Hwakyu Lee (DM., University of Wisconsin)
Adjunct Professor of Piano
Teaching interests: Piano
Research interests Soloist and chamber musician
Regional specialization: Korea
Wynn Kiyama
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Teaching Interests: Ethnomusicology, Music History, Taiko drumming
Native American Studies
Nariyo Kono (Ph.D., University of Arizona, 2001)
Assistant Professor, Applied Linguistics and Native American Studies.
Teaching interests: Language maintenance and revitalization; language planning and policy; educational linguistics; bilingualism/multilingualism; sociolinguistics, research methods and ethics; discourse grammar; native American languages.
Research interests: Theory development in language planning and policy; second/heritage language acquisition/pedagogy; community-based language revitalization and language documentation methods; discourse grammar; grammaticization; language classroom cultures; use of technology.
Regional specialization: Japan, Native American languages
Philosophy
David Ross Komito
Teaching Interest; Intro to Asian Philosophy
Physics
Jun Jiao (Ph.D., University of Arizona, 1997)
Professor of Physics.
Teaching & research interests: nanoscale materials and the application of analytical techniques of electron microscopy.
Regional specialization: China
Political Science
Bruce Gilley (Ph.D., Princeton University, 2008)
Associate Professor of Political Science
Teaching interests:Comparative politics and international relations
Research interests: Comparative politics of China and Asia, particularly democracy, legitimacy, and global politics
Regional specialization: China Public Administration
Mel Gurtov
Professor Emeritus
Research interests:
Regional specialization: East Asia
Public Administration
Marcus Ingle (Ph.D., Syracuse University, 1977)
Professor of Public Administration and Program Manager for International Programs with the Center for Public Service.
Teaching interests:Public administration
Research interests:Institutional sustainability; shared-power leadership and management for sustainable prosperity in the 21st century context; project and program management; public policy implementation; internationalization of higher education
Regional specialization: China & Vietnam
Douglas Morgan (Ph.D., University of Chicago, 1971)
Professor Emeritus and Program Manager, Executive Masters in Public Administration, Hatfield School of Government.
Regional specialization: China
Masami Nishishiba (Ph.D., Portland State University, 2003)
Professor of Public Administration; Associate Director of the Center for Public Service.
Teaching interests: Organizational theory; organizational behavior; diversity in the workplace; intercultural communication; research methodology, and statistics; Japanese-English interpreting
Research interests: Social diversity, civic capacity, and comparative local government; hierarchical linear modeling, structural equation modeling, and multidimensional scaling
Regional specialization: Japan
Yachiyo Iisako (Ph.D., Portland State University)
Social Work
JungHee Lee (Ph.D., Arizona State University, 2006)
Professor of Social Work
Teaching interests: Research design and methodology; social welfare policy; health care policy; diversity and social justice; social program planning and evaluation
Research interests: Health and educational disparities among minority populations; program evaluation; research with Asian, Mexican, American Indian, and immigrant communities
Regional specialization: Asian Americans, Korea
Alma Trinidad (Ph.D., University of Washington, 2010)
Associate Professor of Social Work.
Teaching Interests: anti-oppressive, social justice & empowerment social work practice; policy analysis & advocacy; community, organizations, and society; health & mental health promotion among youth & young adults, community participatory research
Research interests: sociopolitical development among youth & young adults; critical pedagogies of place & social justice work; indigenization of social movements; health & mental health promotion among Asian Pacific Islanders & other marginalized populations; culturally responsive programs; faith-based organizing
Regional specialization: Asian Americans
Sociology
Hyeyoung Woo (Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin, 2008)
Associate Professor of Sociology
Teaching Interests: Korean Families; Sociology of Aging; Medical Sociology; Research Methods; Research interests: Korean Families; Health and Well-being; Family Demography; Aging and the Life Course; Immigration; Race and Ethnic Relations; Quantitative Research Methods
Regional specialization: Korea; Asian-Americans
Akiko Hashimoto (Ph.D., Yale University, 1984)
Courtesy appointment in PSU's department of Sociology.
Research interests: cultural and comparative sociology, Japan Studies, cultural and history memory, and war in popular culture.
Regional specialization: Japan
Urban Studies & Planning
Yiping Fang (Ph.D., University Colorado at Denver, 2005)
Assistant Professor, Urban Studies & Planning.
Area of expertise: China and urbanization; Urban studies and Planning, Housing and inequality,
Teaching interests: Research methods; using GIS in urban, international, and development planning
Research interests: Housing reform in China; social and spatial inequality in Chinese cities between local and migrant residents
Regional specialization: China
Jenny Liu (Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley)
Assistant Professor of Urban Studies & Planning.
Research interests: Economics of alternative energy sources; linkages between transportation choices and environmental issues; the effects of physical infrastructure networks and social networks on the adoption of transportation technologies, and technology adoption
Regional specialization: China
Connie Ozawa (Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1988)
Professor of Urban Studies & Planning.
Teaching interests: Environmental policy and management; planning theory and practice; negotiation and dispute resolution.
Research interests: Public decision making; the role of the professional; public participation methods.
Regional specialization: China
Vivek Shandas (Ph.D., University of Washington, 2005)
Associate Professor, Urban Studies & Planning.
Teaching interests: GIS; environmental planning methods; ecosystem services; global cities.
Research interests: Environmental change and human behavior.
Regional specialization: India, China
Gerry Sussman (Ph.D., University of Hawaii/ Eat-West Center, 1983)
Professor, Urban Studies & Planning; International Studies Program
Teaching interests: Political economy of urban development; information systems; political communication and media.
Research interests: Political economy of globalization; world systems analysis; Southeast Asia; Eastern Europe
Regional specialization: Southeast Asia
Liming Wang (Ph.D., University of Washington, 2009)
Assistant Professor of Urban Planning
Teaching interests: Land Use and transportation; Travel Demand modeling; Discrete Choice Modeling
Research interests: Land Use and Transportation Planning
Regional specialization: China
Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies
Sally McWilliams (Ph.D., University of Washington, 1992)
Professor and Chair, Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Specialization: Transnational feminist theory and activism; narrative strategies employed by women and queer writers across the globe; diaspora Chinese women’s literature and graphic novels.
Regional specialization: China
Sridevi Craven (Ph.D., University of Michigan, 2009)
Associate Professor, Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies.
Teaching interests: Gender and sexuality studies (feminist, queer, and postcolonial approaches); critical race studies; globalization and South Asia; global literary and media cultures
Research interests: Liberal white masculinity as a problematic response to feminist and queer interventions; globalization as lens for engagement
Regional specialization: South Asia; Asian-America
Kai Hang Cheang 鄭啟恒 (Ph.D., University of California, Riverside 2018)
Assistant Professor, Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Teaching Interests: Queer Asia, Transnational Sexualities, and Critical Race Studies
Research Interests: Queer and Feminist Theories, Comparative Race and Empire Studies, Sinophone Studies, Asian Anglophone Literatures, Visual Culture, Performance Studies, and Social Movements
Regional Specialization: Hong Kong, Macau, and the Chinese diaspora
World Languages and Literatures
Chinese
Jonathan Pease (Ph.D., University of Washington, 1986)
Professor of Chinese, Department of World Languages & Literatures.
Teaching interests: Chinese language and literature
Regional specialization: China
Stephen Wadley (Ph.D., University of Washington, 1987)
Professor of Chinese and International Studies
Teaching interests: Chinese linguistics, Modern Chinese literature, Literary Chinese
Research interests: Historical Chinese linguistics, particularly Early Mandarin; Chinese vernacular literature and Altaic languages
Regional specialization: China
Japanese
Karen Curtin (Ph.D., Ohio State University, 2016)
Assistant Professor of Japanese, Department of World Languages & Literatures
Research Interests: Japanese language pedagogy; Japanese socio-linguistics and discourse analysis; Japanese language acquisition for learners
Research interests: Second language acquisition, Japanese polite behavior and pedagogy
Jon Holt (Ph.D., University of Washington, 2010)
Assistant Professor of Japanese, Department of World Languages & Literatures
Teaching interests:Japanese literature and film; upper-division Japanese language courses
Research interests: Modern Japanese literature including poetry, children’s literature, and alternative media.
Regional specialization: Japan
Laurence Kominz (Ph.D., Columbia University, 1983)
Professor of Japanese Literature, Department of World Languages & Literatures
Teaching interests: Japanese literature; Japanese film; Japanese theater
Research interests: Traditional Japanese drama, literature and film
Regional specialization: Japan
Suwako Watanabe (Ph.D., Georgetown University, 1991)
Professor of Japanese, Department of World Languages & Literatures
Interim Director of the PSU Institute for Asian Studies
Teaching interest: Japanese language and culture, Japanese sociolinguistics, Discourse Analysis, Japanese language pedagogy, language assessment, and The Japanese Way of Tea
Research interests: Discourse analysis; socio-linguistics; language assessment; Japanese language pedagogy; cross-cultural communication
Regional specialization: Japan
Patricia Wetzel
Professor Emerita
Regional specialization: Japan
Korean
YoungJuo Han (M.A., Language Teaching Specialization, University of Oregon 2012, B.A., Education, Ewha Woman's University)
Section Head of the Korean Program, Department of World Languages and Literatures
Specialization: Curriculum and materials development, Practicum in language teaching
Research interests: Designing Curriculum for all learners, Applying Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Principle using Task-based, Student-centered pragmatic instructions to Korean Program. Currently in Ed.D program at PSU specializing in Curriculum and Instruction.
Regional specialization: Korea
Vietnamese
Quy Nguyen-Hoang