Dear Asian Studies Faculty, Students, and Alumni,
Please allow me to introduce myself as the new Director of Asian Studies starting this Fall. I am very excited for the opportunity to serve our wonderful students, faculty, and the broader Asian (and Asian American) Studies community!
I am a Professor of Media and Communication Studies and key faculty leader for the Global Asias Initiative at UMBC. My scholarship focuses on cultural studies and globalization, with an emphasis on contemporary China. More recently, I have been conducting research on media technologies such as robots and drones and electric vehicles in Shenzhen, part of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in southern China, where I grew up.
Previously, I have written about nation branding, transpacific media, and Chinese food in the digital era. I am a native speaker of Mandarin and am fluent in Cantonese. I am also proficient in Hangzhou (my hometown), Shanghai, and Ningxia dialects, and enjoyed taking French, German, and Spanish classes.
Please stop by and say “Hi” when you get a chance, so that I can learn more about your interests! We now also have a LinkedIn Group and would love to have you join us there!
Hope you have a great semester! Looking forward to meeting you!
Warmly,
Prof. Fan Yang (楊帆)