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Garret Ramsay My name is Garret Ramsay. I am a History major here at OSU, and through my studies I have become increasingly interested in Asian history and philosophy. Somehow in choosing my classes here at the university, I always tended to gravitate toward classes that focused on China and Japan. I think it was an unconscious effort to balance out the western-focused classes I had taken previously. I enjoy learning about different people and cultures, and what intrigues me about Asia is the integration and interaction of politics and philosophy throughout their history. I think anyone can benefit from learning about different cultures than their own, it helps to keep one's mind open and provide new perspectives on issues that we face. |
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Erin Butler My name is Erin Butler. I am a Political Science major and have spent the majority of my life in Portland, Oregon. I have always taken an interest in Asian history and culture, and when I transferred to Oregon State as a sophomore, this interest was amplified. I took a number of fascinating classes relating to Asian Politics and Political Economy from Professor Li, worked at a restaurant under the tutelage of a talented and inspiring Japanese chef, and listened to my parents extol their adventures traveling in Hong Kong and mainland China. I chose the Asian Studies minor to further expand my knowledge base about the culture, history, economy, and politics of the region, all of which have become more and more impactful on domestic policy and development in recent years as Asian influence, particularly Chinese influence, expands. I am particularly interested in the areas of international relations and trade policy, and am hoping to combine learning more about these fields of interest with my love of traveling and learning languages in order to work and build a career somewhere in the region. I'm not yet exactly sure where this minor in conjunction with my major will take me, but I'm looking forward to the advent |
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Nolan Suda
My name is Nolan Suda, I am from Pasadena, California. I am 4th generation Japanese from my dad's side and 2nd generation Filipino from my mother's side. I am a student in the school of History Philosophy and Religion Studies with a double minor in Asian Studies and Geography. I decided to minor in Asian Studies because as a Japanese-Filipino American I have had great curiosity and affinity with my heritage and cultural background. |
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Naw Gladys Maung Maung My name is Naw Gladys Maung Maung and I’m an international student from Myanmar. I’m currently studying Political Science at Oregon State University, and Asian Studies is the second minor of mine in addition to Anthropology. I chose this minor so that I can learn more about the history, culture, politics and philosophy of Asian countries. Coming from a Southeast Asian country, I would like to focus my further studies and research in the region and I’m hopeful that this minor will be useful for my higher education. I also see myself working in Asia in the future and I think that learning about Asia would be beneficial for my career path as well. |
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Jason “Roc” Hayes, My name is Jason “Roc” Hayes, and I find myself in higher education rather late in life. The flip side of that though is that I bring a lot of life experience with me. Some of that life experience includes many years studying various martial arts. Along the course of my martial journey, my interest the philosophies associated with the various martial traditions has become a passion for Asian philosophy, in particular the Daoist philosophy of China. My current studies include Yang taiji quan, first year Chinese (Mandarin), History of Buddhist Philosophy, and Chinese History. I hope to have the opportunity to study Daoist thought in China in the years to come. |
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Lindsey Walker My focus is Buddhism, Tantra and Vedic Religion. Doing independent study and project work in Nepal on Newā: Buddhism, Mahāyāna Vajrayāna ritual, Cārya Gīti music and Cārya Nṛtya dance. Studying Newā:, Nepali and Sanskrit languages independently and at Bishwo Bhasa, Campus of International Languages, Kathmandu, Nepal. My goal is to attend graduate school at Lumbini Buddhist University. Spring 2015 I was visiting Nepal for the second time in mid-February of 2015 with the intention of learning Newā: Buddhism from two teachers in Lalitpur, but discovered that without registering through a local organization recognized by the government I would not be able to get the necessary visa. After discovering that the most likely organizations I would be able to register with were the local universities, I decided to take the work I was doing and use it towards completing my undergraduate degree. Then the earthquake of April 25th occurred and much of the focus shifted to recovery. After contacting all the major universities in Oregon, I had a conversation over the phone with Tristen Shay in the Liberal Arts Advising office, who convinced me to come do my work in Nepal as independent study through Oregon State. Since then I have made an additional trip to Nepal and will be returning again this Spring 2016. |
Asian Studies offer both paid and unpaid internship opportunities for our undergraduate students. Please contact Hua-yu Li, Director of Asian Studies for more information, at hua-yu.li@oregontate.edu.
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Jacob Owen Cleverley I study International Affairs and Mandarin Chinese at Oregon State University. I work as an intern for the Asian Studies Program. In my off-time, I practice Judo and read fantasy novels. Sometimes, I take a day to just play video games or read a fantasy novel. These are all things that I do, yet I only do them because of who I am. In all reality, I am, and always have been, little more than a kid who seeks out stories at every available moment. I am thankful that the Asian Studies Program has given me the opportunity to engage with people who do not share my background, that I might hear their stories and help add a new chapter to them. Presently, I am aiding a visiting scholar adjust to life in the U.S., and am thoroughly enjoying the stories she has shared. Should you encounter me, intentionally or by happenstance, and care to share story of your life, I would be honored to hear them. |
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Iao Harrowe, It's very tiring to hear the cliche words, "follow your dreams" but those words are a succinct explanation of why I have decided to dedicate my time at Oregon State University towards studying international relations and East Asian politics. Originally working on an animal science major with aspirations to become a veterinarian, I had taken many science courses only to lose interest in the ambition all together. In my case, my interest in the major is the impetus for my success, and at the same time I was performing poorly in science, I had taken Introduction to International Relations for fun and found it to be the most interesting class I had taken thus far. I had always loved East Asian politics and history, but had never truly thought about pursuing it as a field of study. The next step was clear; dropping my ties to animal science and start afresh in political science. After a year of taking political science classes, I was offered an internship position by Professor Li whom I had taken many classes from and had discussed my interests in political science with. I accepted and for three weeks this past summer I was the lead intern for The Summer Workshop on Frontiers for Humanistic Studies where 41 students from Beijing Normal University visited Oregon State to train in literary studies. My obligations were pretty standard, catering for the students, chaperoning their trips around Oregon, chauffeuring them around Corvallis when requested, and other tasks as assigned. But my experience with the students was amazing. They had accepted me into their community, included me in every activity and made me feel like a student along with them rather than a regular intern, and this connection I felt with the Chinese students are what drove me to apply to the Peace Corps to teach English in China. I was accepted, and my departure date has been set to June 14th, 2018. This past term has been busy with Peace Corps preparations, but I'm eager to leave Oregon State and start a new life in the People's Republic of China. I look forward to serving my community in China, being of service to the United States, and being a source of altruism and positivity wherever I may go. |
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Annika Sofie Heramb Hi! I'm Annika Sofie Heramb, a political science student from Norway. I am interested in working in foreign affairs, hopefully as a diplomat or ambassador, and love to travel and learn about the world around me. I have always been interested in Asia, and am happy that I now can use this fascination to gain more knowledge about Asian ways of thinking, culture, and history, and later apply this to my intended career. Fall 2015 I will be studying abroad in Akita, Japan. I have always wanted to visit Asia, and when I found this study abroad opportunity, I knew I had to go. I will be studying at Akita International University, where I will take classes in international politics and Japanese culture, which fits both with my major, political science, and minor, Asian studies. All these classes are taught in English, which makes it easy for students to come there for exchange. Akita also offers language classes, but I wish to learn more about Japans history and current place in the international system, so I will take classes related to that instead. I am excited to leave in the middle of August and see as much of what Japan has to offer as possible. |
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Aneesa Field My name is Aneesa Field and I am a fourth generation Japanese American. After growing up hearing my grandmother and great-grandmother talking about their lives and time in Japan I developed a great interest in Asian culture. My academic focus now has shifted beyond just Japan and now delves into the rest of East Asia as well as Southeast Asia. More specifically I have taken an interest in the Philosophies and Religions that have developed within these regions from their respective history to their application in society since their adoption into the culture. My hope is to someday be able to teach children the importance Asia has played within the spectrum of world history in addition to the western world. |
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Lingshi Guo Major: History My name is Lingshi Guo, and I am currently studying for a B.A. degree with a major in history and a minor in Asian Studies through at Oregon State University. I am interested in studying and doing research on modern East Asian history, particularly on twentieth-century Korean history. During the last few years, I have studied and researched modern Sino-Korean relations, especially the relationship between China and South Korea since the early 1980s. This year, my research is focused on the Korean War. Through the Asian Studies Minor Program, I hope to learn more about the political, economic, and cultural relationships between these two East Asian countries. I would also like to increase my knowledge about the political and economic roles of these two countries in the Asian-Pacific region and the world. |
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Theodore Squires Theodore Squires graduated with the class of 2015 after majoring in Fisheries and Wildlife Science and focusing much of his schooling on the study of birds. During his time at OSU he was very involved with the international student community and considered international relations an underpinning of his goals here. In 2013 he spent one month studying in Akita, Japan at Akita International University, learning about rural resilience and the struggles faced by many in remote Japanese farming communities. He was later offered a full scholarship to study environmental genetics under Dr. Hitoshi Araki at Hokkaido University starting in the fall of 2015. He will be living in Sapporo for at least the next two years while he completes his Master's of Science. In Summer 2014, Asian Studies student Theodore Squires was part of the Resilient Rural Communities: Project Based Learning Program, run by Oregon State University and Akita International University (AIU). For this project he spent time researching rural issues between Wallowa County, Oregon, and Akita Prefecture, Japan. Along with four other students from OSU and five Japanese students from AIU, he spent time examining the effects of outmigration of youth and local government planning in promoting economic growth and social resilience. A week-and-a-half was spent living in Wallowa County, meeting local government officials, ranchers, NGO operators, and members of the public for interviews to gain a better understanding of the issues facing the area. Next, a month was spent living at Akita International University and travelling around the prefecture. Once again meetings took place with locals and officials to establish recognition of rural issues in Japan. A homestay occurred in the small rural town of Akata, where farming is the largest source of income (see attached picture). After comparisons and similarities were determined, and suggestions developed for improving these two regions, a large presentation was given to government officials and community members based on research findings. Members of the President Shinzo Abe's cabinet including the Japanese Minister of Education appeared for the presentation. This was a very enriching program, and provided some excellent life experience. |
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Sokho Eath My name is Sokho Eath, and I am currently studying in Political Science. I am a first generation Cambodian-American. I am very fascinated by the history and politics of Asia, particularly Southeast Asia. I hope to one day focus more of my studies on the region. |
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Karen Glantz-Salesky My name is Karen Glantz-Salesky and I’m currently pursuing a degree in Political Science. I hope to one day have a job in international relations. East Asia’s growing political and economic influence around the world has captured my interest and I hope that I will be able to continue focusing my studies on this region. |
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Alicia Karen Brown My name is Alicia Karen Brown, studying for a degree in History. My dream since high school has been to teach, and recently in my studies of history I've come to realize how pivotal East Asia has been in the twentieth century. To be as prepared as possible for my career I feel I need to educate myself about this region. I also have a severe obsession with traditional China and Japan, which also plays into why I added Asian Studies as a minor. |
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Cho Rong (Jessica) Kim I'm a "1.5" generation Korean-American and I aspire to be a diplomat one day. I have always been fascinated by the role of Confucianism in Eastern Asian politics and hope to explore the idea further. Also, Asia's rapidly growing influence in the world got me interested in studying the region, particularly China. Through Asian Studies minor program, I hope to learn more about East Asia's role in international relations and international political economy. |
