The Department of East Asian Studies in the College of Humanities at the University of Arizona invites applications for a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor in Contemporary Japanese Studies.

We are particularly interested in applicants with interdisciplinary approaches in research and teaching who broaden existing departmental strengths in history, religion, literature, linguistics, and the anthropology of East Asia. Research areas are open. We especially welcome scholars whose research on contemporary Japan focus on areas such as, for example, science and technology, visual culture, gender and sexuality, media studies, and digital humanities. The successful candidate will demonstrate a promising record of teaching and scholarship and will contribute actively to undergraduate and graduate advising. Ph.D. in hand is expected by the time of the appointment, August 2022.

The Department of East Asian Studies offers Bachelor of Arts degrees and offers programs leading to Master of Arts (MA) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees in East Asian Studies, Chinese (modern history, religion and thought, literature, and linguistics) and Japanese (linguistics, literature, and religion).

Alumni Jacquelynn and Bennett Dorrance have made a gift commitment of $5.4 million to endow the deanship of the University of Arizona College of Humanities to bring the humanities to the forefront of the University of Arizona's life and mission through a continuous and fearless spirit of open inquiry: https://humanities.arizona.edu/about/fearless-inquiries-project.

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Two professors in the East Asian Studies Department have been promoted, demonstrating excellent performance in teaching, service and research.

Dr. Maggie Camp is promoted from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor of Practice.

Dr. Hai Ren is promoted from tenured Associate Professor to tenured Professor.

Camp specializes in Japanese linguistics and is an affiliated faculty member in Gender and Women’s Studies. She received her BA in Japanese and Linguistics from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and her MA and Ph.D. from the University of Arizona. She also studied at the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies in Yokohama, Japan, and was a Fulbright Graduate Research Fellow at Keio University in Tokyo, Japan. Dr. Camp’s dissertation examines the relationship between gender and language in Japanese through the lens of sexuality, looking specifically at differences between the speech of Japanese lesbian and heterosexual women. Her current research interests include sociolinguistics, sociophonetics, experimental phonetics, gender/sexuality, language ideology, and second language teaching and use.

Ren (任海) is a Professor of East Asian Studies and Anthropology, an affiliated faculty in Gender and Women’s Studies, and Social, Cultural & Critical Theory. He is also a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Sculpture at Sichuan Fine Arts Institution in Chongqing, a top-ranking sculpture program in China. He received his BA in History and Archeology from Sichuan University in Chengdu, China, and a MA in Museum Studies and a Ph.D. in Sociocultural Anthropology from the University of Washington in Seattle. His current research interests include socially engaged art, public history, object-oriented anthropology, urban studies, comparative media and technology, public humanities and digital humanities, popular culture, and critical theory. He has written two books on social and cultural transformations of contemporary China:Neoliberalism and Culture in China and Hong Kong: The Countdown of Time(Routledge, 2010) and a sequel The Middle Class in Neoliberal China: Governing Risk, Life-Building, and Themed Spaces(Routledge, 2013). 

Kharen Morgan, graduating with degree in Applied Humanities: Public Health Emphasis and East Asian Studies: Chinese Language Emphasis, has received the 2020-2021 Native American Student Affairs Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award.

A member of the Navajo Nation from Tuba City, Morgan intends to pursue a career in medicine and epidemiological research, with a focus on serving tribal communities. 

As an undergraduate, Morgan shadowed scientists in the Arizona Cancer Center and interned with the Rocky Mountain Tribal Epidemiology Center, creating health outcome reports and presentations for tribal leaders, said Stephanie Springer, Internship Director and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Public and Applied Humanities.

Morgan also interned with the Asian Pacific American Student Affairs office, promoting mental health awareness to combat health disparities, and worked as a data analyst and student office assistant for the university’s Initiatives for Organizational Inclusion.

“I’d like to thank my family and mentors for their support in my academics and future endeavors experience. For my family, I appreciate the support you have given me over the past year. As for my mentors: Jane, Trinity, Kenny, and Stephanie, thank you for allowing me to work alongside APASA, the Student Centers, and providing the opportunity in participating in the many internships this year. Ahéhee,” Morgan said during the NASA Virtual Convocation ceremony.

Nikita Ganesh, graduating with a double major in Chinese language and psychological science, will be awarded the University’s Merrill P. Freeman Medal.

Ganesh is one of two recipients of the medal, which is named in honor of Merrill Freeman, who served the University of Arizona as a regent and chancellor. Qualifications for the award include outstanding character.

Ganesh is a first-generation Indian American student originally from Phoenix. Ganesh spent most of her formative education years outside the United States. At age 12, she moved to Bangalore, India. From there, she relocated to Hong Kong and later Shanghai. After graduating from Shanghai American School, she chose to return home and attend the University of Arizona.

Outside the classroom, Ganesh has been a starting player on the women's rugby team since her freshman year and has served as the team’s vice president for the past two years. She takes comfort in knowing she has created a pathway for women – regardless of shape and size – to be a part of a sport made for everyone. Ganesh was involved with SOPHOS Sophomore Honorary and Links Junior Honorary. She is also a part of Alpha Kappa Psi and has was crowned Homecoming queen this year.

Interning at an immigration law firm her junior year solidified Ganesh's desire to pursue a legal career. Through her honors thesis on reporting attitudes with respect to Title IX changes, Ganesh has been able to put her passion for the legal field into action as an undergraduate. She looks forward to dedicating her professional career to ensuring equal access to justice.

After graduation, Ganesh will pursue a law degree at the University of Pennsylvania with a Dean's Fellow scholarship.

Originally published by University Communications.