Graduate Students

I was born and raised in Florida. I have studied Chinese since high school. From FSU, I have a BS in neuroscience and equivalent coursework for a BA in Chinese language and culture; I pursued a career in the humanities for my M.A. degree, which is in EALC with a focus on Chinese language and culture. I have been an avid reader of science fiction and fantasy since childhood. My academic research interest is in Chinese diasporic literature, with my past work focusing on neuroaesthetic analysis of these works. My notable research thus far has focused on Nieh Hualing’s work Mulberry and Peach.

Yan Chang’s project centers on intra-East Asian trans-lingual literature and media in the post-Cold War period. His academic concerns also include kitsch, visuality, and modernity of modern Japanese literature in the Taisho period, and Shanghai urbanization and media representations in the 1990s.

Before joining Stanford, Yan received an M.A. in Japanese Culture Studies from Nagoya University and an M.A. in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Minnesota at Twin Cities.

I am a sociocultural linguist who with research interests in Japanese, gender and sexuality, and identity, sociophonetics, discourse analysis, trans linguistics, and linguistic anthropology. As a trans and queer scholar, my main interests revolve around investigating transnational queer positionalities and how language is used to construct shifting sociopolitical understandings of queerness as it shaped by movement. My PhD research revolves around the construction of prototypically gendered sentence-final particle "wa" and its deployment among trans speakers. 

Coming from an interdisciplinary background, I believe that linguistics is inherently tied to social justice work and aim to dismantle systems of hegemonic powers through the work I do, particularly as a trans Asian-American scholar myself. 

In my spare time I hang out with cats, travel, and boulder!

I am a Chinese-American. Born in Maryland and moved to Hong Kong in 2013, causing my life to be full of straddling cultural boundaries. My main interests are art, history, science fiction, literature and ecology, which I have always been passionate about from a young age. I obtained a B.A. in History and Fine Arts from HKU, a M.A. from UChicago (MAPH) with a heavy focus on science fiction and ecology, and a MPhil in Humanities at HKUST with research into contemporary Chinese exiles. One of my central interests is reimagining the relations between the human and the non-human. It is integral to my PhD research into Chinese environmental literature and cinema which explores human/nonhuman relations, industrialization, globalization, slow violence, ethnic minority cultural beliefs towards nature and social/ecological justice. My research will encompass the works of directors and writers including Li Ruijun, Jia Zhangke, Shen Congwen, Alai, and more. I intend to explore how the ecocritical themes in these works relate to ecocritical themes on an international scale.

My dissertation, Untouchable: On the Cultural Politics of Hands in Modern China, aims to produce new understandings of intimacy, alienation, labor, and violence in the modern era through the interdisciplinary study of tactile culture. The project explores the many powers invested in human hands through narrative, taking a particular interest in the discourses and social mechanisms that contribute to the construction of "untouchable" people and groups. My research is supported by a Mellon Foundation Dissertation Fellowship in 2021-2022 and an AAUW American Fellowship in 2022-2023.

Gary Hung is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Chinese Archaeology program at the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Stanford University. His main research focuses on the past human migration by exploring human-animal relationships and environmental adaptations. He is particularly interested in the Austronesian dispersal and the Tapenkeng Culture that shaped the early Neolithic settlements in Taiwan. By utilizing faunal and human remains, he hopes to integrate interdisciplinary molecular methods to explore the matrix of early migration networks in southeast Asia, and subsequently, define their connection to broader adaptation behaviours and cultural influences. Gary has done fieldworks in Canada, Jordan, United States, Ukraine, and Taiwan. 

Prior to joining Stanford, Gary received his MSt in Archaeology from University of Oxford and a joint BA in Anthropology and Archaeology & Heritage Studies from Wilfrid Laurier University. He then worked as a research assistant between National Cheng Kung University and National Museum of Prehistory in Taiwan.

My broader fields of interest are pragmatics, sociolinguistics, and linguistic anthropology. I investigate into mundane discourse which facilitate hegemonic power structures in a variety of spaces. My study aims at shedding light on such ideological phenomena in various social spaces and to re-think how each individual can empower those who are often marginalized from such hegemonic discourse. I'm looking forward to working with scholars from trans-disciplinary perspectives to eventually make my research accessible to audience from diverse socio-cultural background. In my free time, I do love cooking different types of world's cuisine following YouTube cooking videos. I also enjoy music and singing as well.

Eunkyo Kang (she/her) holds a Master of Arts in Women's Studies from Ewha Womans University and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Yonsei University. Her thesis explored the works of South Korean science fiction writer DJUNA (듀나) through a feminist and queer lens, laying the groundwork for her continued exploration of how DJUNA's work reflects South Korea's unique blend of Eastern and Western influences, high and low culture, and modern and postmodern elements. Eunkyo has also authored several articles on K-pop fandom. Her research interests lie at the intersection of speculative fiction, online fan communities, and feminist activism in East Asia.

Background: B.A in Chemistry (2019), M.A. in Archaeometry (2022)

Research Interests: Origins of civilization; ancient alcohol beverages; ancient ceramics

Hobbies: Liquor; travel; ball games.

Sijia Li is a Ph. D. student in medieval Chinese literature and literary culture, focusing on textual production, transmission, and reception. Also interested in premodern Japanese literature, she is curious about cultural exchange across East Asia.

Bingxiao Liu is a Ph.D. student in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Stanford University. Her research interests include premodern Chinese literature, cultural and intellectual history; gender and sexuality; emotions, literary and political culture. Her research examines how emotions are invoked or invented to constitute interpersonal ties in 3rd - 6th century China. Working with official histories, commentaries, inscriptions, and literary works, her project explores the reconceptualization of identity and community in emotive terms and the signification of emotion as the legitimizing basis for a new social order in medieval China.

Bingxiao received her MA in Chinese Language and Culture from Stanford University. She also holds a BA in Chinese Language and literature, and a BA in Journalism from Fudan University.

My dissertation revolves around the genre of zuihitsu in Japan during the first half of the 20th century. I read the protean literary form in relation to subjectivity, coloniality, the act of travelling, and print capitalism.

My research explores how perceptions, categories, and values surrounding language inform language ideology, and the ways in which language ideology in turn transforms use of language. My work brings together methods in semantics, pragmatics, discourse analysis, and computational linguistics in analyzing texts about language written in late 19th and early 20th centuries Japan, while drawing comparisons with coeval sources in French, German, and English.

I was a 2021-22 Digital Humanities Graduate Fellow, and 2022-23 Senior Graduate Research Fellow with Stanford's Center for Spatial and Textual Analysis. My DH research incorporates methods from natural language processing to examine the occurrence, context, and semantic instability of political neologisms in Japanese diaspora newspapers.

Prior to joining the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Stanford, I completed a Master’s degree in East Asian Regional Studies at Columbia University. My thesis contextualized representations of foreigners and foreign places in Japanese junior high school textbooks within the broader history of internationalization in the public school system.

Research interests: pragmatics, semantics, sociolinguistics, 役割語 (role language)

Jie Shen 沈劼 is a Ph.D. student in Chinese Archaeology, in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Stanford University. She mainly focuses on the crafting technology of bone artifacts in ancient China. Using the use-wear analysis, residue analysis, and experimental archaeology, Jie explores the variation and development in bone crafting techniques, and how the crafting industry was involved in social progress such as intriguing social differentiation and forming the early state. Also, she is interested in the religious and political meaning of animal-related artifacts, which are significant for understanding the human-animal relationship. 

Ya-Ting Tsai’s primary research interests lie at Chinese linguistics and culture. She is particularly interested in how socio-political separation between China and Taiwan leads to cultural change, and how this difference is manifested in her mother tongues, Taiwanese and Taiwan Mandarin.

William Varteresian received a B.A. in International Literary and Cultural Studies from Tufts University and an A.M. in Regional Studies East Asia from Harvard University. He has since pursued a career in Japanese media translation, including novels, film, television, and comics. Following past research into the way Japanese mystery and science fiction engage with imported works and orientalist narratives, his current focus is on the formation and development of the fantasy genre in modern Japanese literature. In addition to original fiction—especially by authors not represented in English translation or scholarship—he seeks to highlight the work and influence of Japanese translators and critics.

My research focuses on portrayals of masculinity in literature and other representational media in transhistorical and cross-cultural contexts as well as on fandom formations and viewership’s engagement with media-mix. Prior to joining the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at Stanford, I received BA in Japanese from University of Oxford. In my undergraduate dissertation, I explored how the auditory mode and the intervals of kamishibai art contribute to the creation of a diegetic process. During my year abroad at Kobe University, I studied the concept of ma in Japanese politics, the use of negative space in rock gardens, and the role of silence in soundscapes. My methodology combines approaches from media, film, and reader-response theory.

Medieval Chinese literature and history, Chinese shi poetry, gender studies in medieval China

I completed my B.A. in French Literature at Occidental College in 2018, with minors in Philosophy, Critical Theory and Social Justice, and Japanese. My current area of study includes modern and contemporary Japanese literature, poetry, and—occasionally—visual art. In particular, my proposed research topic looks at the relationship between the arts and disaster (both natural and human provoked), making reference to new materialist, feminist, environmental, and ecocritical thought. The arts—and particularly literature—in contemporary Japan suggest paths forward from the myriad aporiae implicit in the ‘wicked problem’ of climate change and climate disaster—my project pursues these paths, situating the literature of writers such as Kawakami Hiromi, Kawakami Mieko, Matsuda Aoko, Murata Sayaka, Kobayashi Erika, Tawada Yōkō, Ōyamada Hiroko, and Tsushima Yūko at the center of a literary nexus in which the delicate balance of environment, disaster, disease, capitalist exploitation, phenomenological orientation, religion, gender and feminism have reached a tipping point. That tipping point, I believe, may be the critical juncture beyond which we move towards overcoming the pessimisms of capitalist eco-modernity and into a more just, and sustainable relationship between human beings and the world.

Yue Wu, from Hangzhou, China, is a Knight-Hennessy Scholar and PhD in Chinese Literature and Culture. Yue received a master’s degree in regional studies–East Asia at Harvard (the Fletcher Award for Outstanding Thesis) and a bachelor’s degree in art history from New York University (magna cum laude, Presidential Honor Scholar). Her academic interests lie in avant-garde movements of the 1960s and art demonstrations in public spaces. 

Yue is an independent art curator who believes deeply in the socially transformative power of art and artists. She created a digital exhibition at China’s largest public contemporary art museum, the Power Station of Art, in Shanghai. She also coordinated the first overseas retrospective show of artist Xu Bing at Museum MACAN, the first in Indonesia to collect contemporary art. She was selected for a digital residency at Pro Helvetia Swiss Arts Council, and was recognized with the Emerging Curator Award in China. 

She is currently working with Seen Health, a culturally-focused, tech-empowered healthcare start-up, in providing senior care to Chinese immigrants in California.

Lingjia Xu is a Ph.D. student in modern Chinese literature, film, and media studies. She also holds a Ph.D. minor in Art History from Stanford. Before starting her Ph.D., Lingjia obtained her B.A. in Chinese Language from Fudan University and her M.A. in Chinese from Stanford. She is currently working on craftsmanship, labor, and technology in East Asia. In addition, Lingjia has side interests in science fiction studies, design history, ecological studies, and popular culture. 

Shuwen Yang received her B.A. in Comparative Literature and German from the University of Hong Kong and M.A. in East Asian Studies from UCLA. Her master's thesis focuses on Chinese Science Fiction and participatory culture. Her current research focuses on post-human, media ecology, and Chinese cultural industry. She has published book reviews and articles on Comparative Literature & World Literature, Global Storytelling, and Novel Review (小說評論).

I received my B.A. in East Asian Studies from the University of Toronto and M.A in Japanese from Stanford University. My research interests include modern East Asian fiction, cross-gender writing, translingual readership, and critical animal studies. For doctoral research, I intend to investigate human beings’ interpretive mechanisms towards non-humans, other human beings, and artistic expression. My recent publication includes a book chapter in essay collection Reading Desire in a New Generation of Japanese Women Writers.

I am currently researching the interplay between the operations of the imperial-colonial regime during the Asia-Pacific War and the formation of the colonized populace within the former Japanese Empire. My academic background includes residing in both Korea and Japan, earning a dual bachelor's degree in Japanese literature and philosophy from Korea University, and obtaining a master’s degree from the same institution. My dissertation, "Construction and Literary Testimony of Colonized Bodies in Wartime Period: Focusing on Cases of Addiction, Disability, and Defilement", argues that such literary representations could be the testimony of the subaltern exposing the power of crisis and anticipation. My primary interests lie in a methodology for apprehending the potential dynamics of the ungovernable and unpredictable ‘alive being’. This includes exploring representations of failure and discord, senses of extermination and catastrophe, and how the concepts of “health” and “illness” can be read or written inside and outside of doctrines such as “growth” and “achievement” as integrated into neoliberalism. In this regard, my research pursues two objectives. First, I will analyze the categorization of “overseas territories” within the Total Mobilization system in relation to culturalism and racism, exploring the potential for contextualizing colonialism in East Asia. Second, I will investigate the genealogy of armed resistance movements in East Asia up to the 1980s to develop a framework that questions the legitimacy of mourning imposed by state power. This study aims to explore the circumstances under which the writings of “subversive” entities, which disrupt hegemonic representation, can emerge as valid utterance.

Zhixin Zhou’s research interests include grammaticalization, syntax, and teaching Chinese as a foreign language. Before starting her Ph.D., Zhixin received her B.A. in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language from Beijing Foreign Studies University and her M.A. in East Asian Languages and Cultures from Columbia University. Her master's thesis focuses on the differences between the grammaticalization of yào and xiǎng in Mandarin and their pedagogical implications.

I am a 2023 graduate from the University of Pittsburgh, with a BA in Philosophy and Chinese. I’ve long been interested in modern Chinese literature and have recently developed an interest for ancient Chinese philosophy, which I hope to explore further during my MA at Stanford. I am looking forward to meeting and working with other students and faculty. I love running, hiking, singing, reading philosophy, and learning languages!

I spent my undergrad at the University of Southern California majoring in EALC and minoring in Linguistics. I am interested broadly in Japanese linguistics & literature, and especially hope to study pre-modern Japanese language, poetry, translation, and philology. I also have a deep personal interest in Tolkienian Linguistics and Tolkien Studies in general.

My general research interests lie in literature and philosophy. Currently, my project focuses on the local adaptation of Western critical theories in modern East Asian literature (starting in the 19th century). Specifically, I examine (1) how Western thoughts were imported into East Asia and (2) the inner dynamics within East Asia in response to these thoughts. I hope to continue exploring this project on modernity and develop a deeper understanding of pre-modern East Asian literature and philosophy in the Chinese MA program. Before coming to Stanford, I received my BA in Comparative Literature and BS in Mathematics from UCLA. In my free time, I enjoy playing video games and hiking.

Prior to studying at Stanford, Lyn received her Bachelor’s degree in Chinese Language and Literature from Peking University. Her research interests include Contemporary Chinese Literature, Internet Literature and popular culture, cultural studies of gender and sexuality, media studies, and digital humanities.

Prior to studying at Stanford, Brady received two Bachelor's degrees in Chinese and Arabic Language from Brigham Young University in 2023. His research interests include: translation studies and the role translation plays in cultural exchange, the role of Islam in Chinese literature, speculative fiction, and modern Sinophone literatures.

Avivi Wang completed her BA degree at Cornell University in May 2022. Having grown up in Shenzhen, China, Avivi witnessed the tech boom that transformed her city from a small fishing town in the 1980s to China's “Silicon Valley” today. At Stanford, Avivi concentrates in East Asian Technology & Entrepreneurship with a focus on Modern China, specifically deep-diving into how entrepreneurship has shaped the development of China in today’s world.

I received my B.A. in Philosophy from Tongji University. My research mainly focuses on the Spring and Autumn Annals and Mahayana Buddhism. I also have great interests in German philosophy and Phenomenology. I enjoy cycling and playing video games in my spare time.

I received my B.A. in Anthropology and Psychology at the University of California, Davis. My research interests have been shaped by my fascination with the rich culture and history of ancient China dynasties, particularly the Shang Dynasty. I want to focus my current research on bronze ware, bones, and cultural remains. I am looking forward to getting more opportunities in field archeology at Stanford. In my spare time, I take pleasure in cooking and traveling.

My study revolves around modern and contemporary film, literature, and popular culture in China. Currently, I am interested in mass media and visual culture in the context of Communist China, with a particular focus on Beijing culture and science fiction during this period. I am passionate about exploring comparative studies between China and the rest of the world. Through my work, I hope to shed light on the intricate dynamics of Chinese society and its global interactions through the lens of media, film, and literature. Beyond my studies, I have a keen interest in traveling, photography, and language learning.

Background: Beijing Normal University (BA) / University of Cambridge (MPhil).

Crystal Yu is a second-year master’s student in Chinese archaeology at the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures and the Stanford Archaeology Center. She is broadly interested in the archaeology of early pastoral and agropastoral communities in East and Central Asia, especially the social and economic interactions between communities in this region. Combining approaches from archaeobotany and residue analysis, her current work studies the development of cereal-based brewing practices in Neolithic North China which reflects intriguing relations between humans, plants, and microbes as well as interregional interactions in Neolithic China. Before coming to Stanford, she received her BA in Chinese Language and Literature from Fudan University in Shanghai, China, where she studied cross-cultural engagements in the modern period.

I spent my undergraduate years in practicing performance art, doing media studies, and working in various art administration roles. Transitioning from an art school (School of the Art Institute of Chicago) to a research-based program, I hope to fuse my previous artistic experience with my research and writing in Chinese popular culture. Outside of school, I enjoy searching for places to eat, going to art exhibitions, playing arcade games, and trying out different stuff with my friends.

Hanqi received her B.A. in Chinese language and literature at Fudan University in June 2023. Her current research interests focus on Medieval Chinese literature, especially the Ci-poetry and tales in Song Dynasty. Topics she wishes to explore include gender, pre-modern anecdotal writing, and vernacular culture. In her spare time, she enjoys tennis, swimming, and playing Gu-Zheng (a 21-stringed traditional Chinese instrument).

I was born and raised in China, and spent 4 years before in Canada for undergrad education (UBC). I have an enormous interest in Chinese literature and religious traditions and I look forward to investigating further in these fields at Stanford.

My study focuses on premodern Chinese history and literature. Currently, I am interested in representations of space in texts and images in the making of religion, aesthetics, and knowledge in premodern China.