East Asian Studies at 50 Alumni Conference

Featuring UVA graduates who are experts in their fields, including a special presentation with former United States Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink, we will have panels exploring “Pacific Asia Beyond the American Century ” as well as “Buddhist Studies and Asian Humanities.”

Friday, April 17, 2026 – Welcome Reception, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Colonnade Club Pavilion VII Solarium and Gardens

Saturday, April 18, 2026 – Morning Panel 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Colonnade Club Solarium

Lunch/Keynote 12:00 – 1:30 p.m.

Afternoon panel 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Colonnade Club Solarium

Sunday, April 19, 2026 – 12:00 – 3:00 p.m. Bring the family to Morven Farms

Brantly Womack (chair) is Professor Emeritus of Foreign Affairs at the University of Virginia. His research focuses on Chinese politics, asymmetry in international relations, and East Asian regional dynamics.

Len Schoppa (discussant) is Professor of Politics at the University of Virginia. His research centers on Japanese politics, political institutions, and comparative political economy.

Alumni Presenters:

Alice Ba is Emma Smith Morris Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Delaware. Her research examines East Asian regionalism, international institutions, and U.S.–Asia relations, with a particular focus on Southeast Asia and ASEAN. She received her PhD from UVA in 2000.

Ka Zeng received her PhD from UVA in 2000 and is now Professor of Political Science at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. China’s role in the global economy, in particular Chinese trade policy, China’s behavior in global economic governance, and China-related trade dispute dynamics are her main fields of specialization.

Guan-Yi Leu received her PhD from UVA in 2012 and is now Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at the University of Mary Washington. Her research explores East Asian political economy and industrial policy, with a focus on Taiwan.

H. Steven Green is Associate Professor of Law at Toyo University in Japan, as well as Deputy Director of Toyo University's Center for Global Education and Exchange. His research focuses on the political economies of Japan and Germany. He completed his PhD at UVA in 2003.

Inhan Kim received his PhD from UVA in 2002 and is now Associate Professor, Department of Political Science & International Relations, Ewha Womans University. His primary research focus has been on U.S. foreign policy and security issues over the Korean Peninsula and East Asia.

Daniel Kritenbrink is former United States Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. He also previously served as U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam and has held senior positions at the U.S. Department of State and National Security Council focused on U.S.–China and Indo-Pacific policy. He is currently a Partner at The Asia Group in Washington, DC.

Natasha Heller (chair) is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia. Her research focuses on Buddhist art and visual culture in premodern China, with a focus on religious practice, materiality, and cross-cultural exchange.

Alumni Presenters:

Jessica Starling is Department Chair and Professor of Religious Studies at Lewis & Clark College. Her research focuses on Buddhism as lived in modern and contemporary Japan, particularly on the Jōdo Shinshū, with special attention to the intersection of religious practice with social life. She completed her doctorate at UVA in 2012.

Gareth Fisher received his PhD from UVA in 2006 and is now Department Chair and Associate Professor of Religion at Syracuse University. His research examines the revival of Buddhism in contemporary mainland China, focusing on issues of urban religion and state-society relations.

Elena Pakhoutova completed her PhD at UVA in 2009 and is currently Senior Curator at the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art. Her work centers on Tibetan and Himalayan art, material religion, and the interpretation of Buddhist visual culture in museum contexts.

Yi-hsun Huang received her PhD from UVA in 2001 and is now Professor at the Center for Chan Buddhism at Shanghai University, China. Her research investigates Chinese Buddhism, specifically Chan and Pure Land Buddhism, with a focus on rare Buddhist texts.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher UVA East Asia Center/UVA Global