Faculty and Staff
Faculty
David Bello
Director of East Asian Studies; Professor of History
Sabbatical for the 2024-2025 Academic Year
- Newcomb Hall 206
- Email: bellod@wlu.edu
- Phone: 540-458-8770
Bello teaches courses in Chinese and Japanese history. His research focuses on Qing China and borderland environmental history. He has published a number of notable scholarly works on the subject.
Janet Ikeda
Associate Professor of Japanese
- Ruscio Center for Global Learning 218
- Email: ikedaj@wlu.edu
- Phone: 540-458-8936
Ikeda teaches and researches Japanese language, culture and literature. Ikeda has been involved in U.S.- Japan relations and has been a member of several councils, committees and delegations to promote good relations.
Li Kang
Assistant Professor of Philosophy
- Washington Hall 319
- Email: lkang@wlu.edu
- Phone: 540-458-8304
Kang teaches Introduction to Theories of Knowledge and Reality, and Chinese Buddhist Philosophy. Her research deals with metaphysics, Buddhist philosophy, Chinese philosophy and philosophy of science.
Wan-Chuan Kao
Associate Professor of English; Head of the Medieval and Renaissance Studies Program
- Payne Hall 214
- Email: kaow@wlu.edu
- Phone: 540-458-8345
Professor Kao’s teaching and research interests include medieval literature, especially Chaucer; whiteness studies; critical theory; race and ethnicity; gender and sexuality; queer studies; hotel theory; affect; and cute studies.
Melissa R. Kerin
Professor of Art History
- Mattingly House 209
- Email: kerinm@wlu.edu
- Phone: 540-458-8858
Kerin teaches courses in South Asian and East Asian art and architecture. Her research focuses on the intricate and multifaceted relationships between art and identity formation, cultural memory and religious praxis.
Robin LeBlanc
Professor of Politics
- Holekamp Hall 107
- Email: leblancr@wlu.edu
- Phone: 540-458-8305
LeBlanc is a political anthropologist focused on the civic engagement of non-elites in rich democracies. She teaches classes on global politics, urban politics, gender and politics, and political theory.
Timothy Lubin
Jessie Ball DuPont Professor of Religion
- Tucker Hall 204
- Email: lubint@wlu.edu
- Phone: 540-458-8146
Professor Lubin teaches courses on Asian religions and comparative study of religion and law. He researches Hindu religious history, law in ancient Asia, and texts and inscriptions in Sanskrit, Prakrit, Old Javanese and Old Tamil.
Clyde Wang
Assistant Professor of Politics
- Huntley Hall 213
- Email: cwang2@wlu.edu
- Phone: 540-458-8313
Yanhong Zhu
Department Head; Associate Professor of East Asian Languages and Literatures
- Ruscio Center for Global Learning 226
- Email: zhuy@wlu.edu
- Phone: 540-458-8277
Yanhong Zhu’s research interests include modern Chinese literature and culture, contemporary Chinese cinema, and Chinese language pedagogy. She teaches Chinese language courses at all levels as well as courses on modern Chinese literature and East Asian cinema.
Emeritus Faculty
Hongchu Fu
Professor Emeritus of Chinese
Fu taught courses in Chinese language ranging from the elementary to advanced level. He also taught several courses in literature, such as Evolution of Chinese Fiction. His research pertains to pre-modern Chinese drama.
Staff
Program Info
- P: 540-458-8771
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Newcomb Hall
204 West Washington Street
Washington and Lee University
Lexington, Virginia 24450