The Chinese Language Program held a Mahjong party on January 29^th, 2025, to celebrate the Year of the Snake. More than 80 students from Chinese language classes, TAs, and instructors participated in the event. Students played Mahjong and Gomoku games while snacking on sunflower seeds, which are traditional Chinese snacks. Most of the students learned to play these games for the first time. They also enjoyed a feast of traditional Chinese food, including spring rolls and kung-pao chicken. The Taiwan BEST grant and EAS sponsored this event. We thank the instructors and TAs for their hard work and contributions. It was great fun!

Check out this year's highlights!

We are thrilled to share that Dr. Joshua Schlachet was awarded the 2024 Chatfield Outstanding Untenured Researcher of the Year by the College of Humanities!

Dr. Schlachet is an Assistant Professor in the Department of East Asian Studies. He is a historian of early modern and modern Japan, specializing in the history of food and nourishment. Earlier this year, Dr. Schlachet published a co-edited volume, Interdisciplinary Edo: Towards an Integrated Approach to Early Modern Japan. He is also currently working on his book manuscript, titled Nourishing Life: Cultures of Diet in Early Modern Japan.

At U of A, Dr. Schlachet teaches courses on Japanese and East Asian history, including courses that explore dietary cultures, material and consumer culture, and everyday life.

You can read more about Dr. Schlachet’s research and teaching on our departmental website.

Congratulations, Dr. Schlachet!

We are thrilled to share that Dr. Rae Dachille was awarded the 2024 Chatfield Outstanding Tenured Researcher of the Year by the College of Humanities!

Dr. Dachille is an Associate Professor in the Department of Religious Studies and Classics and the Department of East Asian Studies. She is a specialist in Himalayan Buddhism, and her research examines representations of the body in art, ritual, philosophy, and medicine in Tibetan and Sanskrit sources. Her first book, titled Searching for the Body: A Contemporary Perspective on Tibetan Buddhist Tantra (2022), explores a 15^th-century debate between Tibetan monks on a ritual practice known as body mandala.

At U of A, Dr. Dachille teaches courses on Tibetan Buddhism, Buddhist art, Buddhism and Healing, Tantric Buddhism, and theories and methods for the study of religion.

You can read more about Dr. Dachille’s research and teaching on our departmental website.

Congratulations, Dr. Dachille!

The Chinese Language Program hosted a dumpling activity on November 18^th, which was the inaugural event of a new series ‘Learn Chinese by Cooking Chinese’ run by the language program. Students learned dumpling-related vocabulary in Chinese, food appreciation etiquette, and dumpling-making techniques. The participants made more than 200 dumplings under the guidance of instructors and GATs. The dumplings were cooked on-site. The best moment arrived when the dumplings were ready to eat. Students were happy with their creations. They also saved some of the dumplings and shared them with family and friends. It was great fun!