Faculty/Department

Teaching with teddy bears: Lecturer uses stuffed animals to engage classes

Every day, professors look for new ways to encourage active participation in their classes. Quyen Di Chuc Bui takes a unique approach. When teaching his introductory Vietnamese courses, the UCLA Department of Asian Languages and Cultures lecturer hands out stuffed animals to his students as a way of motivating and rewarding them for their work. After a Twitter video of his teaching method went viral with over 7.7 million views and counting, Chuc Bui found himself in the spotlight. In the viral Twitter video, Chuc Bui counts more than five stuffed animals that he plans to hand out to students…

UCLA professor of Spanish and Portuguese, Héctor Calderón, wins award for latest book

Héctor Calderón, a UCLA professor of Spanish American, Mexican, and Chicana/o literature and cultures, was awarded first place for Best Academic Themed Book at the 21st Annual International Latino Book Awards on Sept. 21. “The Aztlán Mexican Studies Reader, 1974­-2016,” (UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center Press, 2018) which was edited and is introduced by Professor Calderón, is made up of a series of 16 essays that explore the connection and impact Chicana/o studies have on understanding the cultural and political history of Mexico. The essays, three of which were commissioned specifically for the reader, discuss topics ranging from Mexican arts…

Asian languages and cultures professor recognized as distinguished alumna

Shu-mei Shih, professor of Asian languages and cultures, has received a distinguished alumnae award from her alma mater, National Taiwan Normal University. Shih was recognized for her influential work in Sinophone studies. The award recognizes lifetime scholarly, artistic or professional achievement, as well as contribution to the university and to the society. At the same time, Shih was appointed an honorary chair professor in the department of Taiwan languages, literature and culture at National Taiwan Normal University for a term of two years. She will lead collaborative research activities with the UCLA-NTNU Taiwan Studies Initiative that she directs at UCLA’s…

Associate Professor of English and Chicana/o Studies Marissa Lopez receives a Chancellor’s Award for Community-Engaged Research

The inaugural Chancellor’s Award for Community-Engaged Research, which is supported by the Chancellor’s office and the UCLA Center for Community Learning, has allocated six $10,000 research grants to develop new undergraduate research courses.In each course, students will carry out research activities in partnership with local community organizations. The course will advance their professor’s research goals and also benefit the communities that the partners serve.The inaugural 2019-2020 cohort and the courses they will develop are: Maylei Blackwell, associate professor of Chicana and Chicano studies. In her course, Blackwell plans to use community archives and oral histories to map the Latin American indigenous…

Simone King, Korean Studies Major, Graduates From UCLA at 82

By: Megan Reusche Simone King graduated from UCLA in June 2019 at the age of 82 with a bachelor’s degree in Korean Studies. Achieving this life goal was no easy feat, and there are numerous life events and milestones that led Simone to become the individual she is today. After witnessing both World War II and the Korean War, running over 10 marathons and so much more, these life experiences enabled her to exhibit tremendous strength and use it as a life tool. “A lot of people don’t live through two wars, and this experience has given me the strength…

Celebrating 50 Years of Comparative Literature at UCLA

By: Megan Reusche In 2019, the Department of Comparative Literature at UCLA celebrates its 50th anniversary as UCLA marks its 100th. Beginning as an interdepartmental program (IDP) in 1969, it officially became recognized as a department in the early 1980s. On June 2, 2019, the department hosted a celebration featuring remarks by the current Comparative Literature Chair, David MacFadyen; Dean of Humanities, David Schaberg; Founder Arnold Band; and a panel of former chairs and students. In the Beginning Professor Arnold Band was one of the main founders of the department along with the help of Professor Ross Shideler, and Pier…

Professor Stephanie Jamison Elected as Correspondant Étranger at the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres

By: Megan Reusche Professor Stephanie Jamison in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures and UCLA Program in Indo-European Studies was recently elected to the position of correspondent étranger (foreign correspondent) at the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres. The Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres was founded in 1663 as a society of scholars brought together by a common interest in humanities research. The Academy plays a crucial role in the advancement of historical, archaeological, and philological scholarship. It also fosters discoveries and scholarship through the presentation of scholarly papers, awards, and publishing activities. Members are typically broken into four informal…

“Build Bridges, Paint Walls” Event to Strengthen Los Angeles Community Bonds

By: Megan Reusche Build Bridges, Paint Walls is a project hosted by the UCLA Arts Initiative and the Department of Spanish and Portuguese taking place from April 29 to May 5. The event will feature a documentary screening, the 16th Annual Spanish and Portuguese Graduate Student Conference, community programming, and an art exhibition at the Rendon Gallery. All events will be free and open to the public. The project director, Kristal Bivona, and the project coordinator, Isaac Gimenez, are both Ph.D. students in the Spanish and Portuguese Departments. Bivona will be graduating in 2019 and her research focuses on representations…

Professor von Falkenhausen Awarded Guggenheim Fellowship

By: Megan Reusche Lothar von Falkenhausen, Professor of Chinese Archaeology and Art History at UCLA and head of the East Asian Laboratory at UCLA’s Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, has been awarded a fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. The Foundation receives over 3,000 applicants annually for the coveted fellowship and this year, 168 fellowships were awarded. As a Guggenheim Fellow, Falkenhausen plans to focus on writing a sequel to his book, Chinese Society in the Age of Confucius (1000-250 BC): The Archaeological Evidence (Cotsen Institute Press, 2006). “The Guggenheim Fellowship is wonderful because it’s one of the only…

Professor Meredith Cohen Discusses Rebuilding and Restoring Notre Dame Cathedral

By: Megan Reusche Feelings of grief and despair were felt across the globe on Monday, April 17, 2019, when a devastating fire erupted at Notre Dame Cathedral. Individuals around the world collectively mourned the state of the 850-year-old Paris landmark, posting photos and exchanging memories of the cathedral. After officials began to assess the damage, it became clear that it will take multiple experts to develop a plan to restore and rebuild the structure, including conservators, engineers, and art historians. Meredith Cohen, associate professor of medieval art and architecture in the UCLA Art History Department, is a specialist in Gothic…