Affiliated Faculty

Laurence Kominz, PhD, Professor of Japanese, Department of World Languages & Literature
Office NH 451J | Email: kominzl@pdx.edu | Phone: 503-725-5288

Laurence Kominz enriches Theater Arts major offerings by teaching such courses as Traditional Japanese Drama and Performing Kabuki. Kominz also serves PSU as the director of the Institute For Asian Studies, and has received numerous awards from the Monbusho, NDFL Title VI, Roothbert, and Japan Foundation Dissertation Fellowships for graduate studies. Kominz is also a well-established author whose books include The Stars who Created Kabuki - Their Lives, Loves and Legacy, Avatars of Vengeance: Japanese Drama and the Soga Literary Tradition, and the essay "Puppet Language Human Body: The Imitation of Puppets in Classical Buyo Dance," which was included in the book The Language of the Puppet. In addition to these projects, he has penned many chapters, journal articles, and book reviews. Kominz holds Masters degrees in Japanese literature and philosophy as well as a Ph.D. in philosophy.