GPASC2025 Conference Schedule (revised as of April 23)

GPASC2025

Greater Philadelphia Asian Studies Consortium

Annual Undergraduate Research Conference

Saturday, April 26, 2025

Ursinus College, Olin Hall

SCHEDULE UPDATED AS OF APRIL 23

Coffee and Registration: 8:30am

VR Presentation available in Olin 103 from 8:30-9 and between panels

The location of the VR Presentation during lunchtime and after the keynote will be announced when confirmed

ALL PANELS WILL BE HELD IN OLIN HALL ROOM 108

PANEL A: 9:00-10:00

• Michael Giammasi (Thomas Jefferson University)

• Shofuso & Utsushi: The Japanese House Past, Present, and Future

• Krystal Diaz (University of Delaware)

• Tokyo Ghoul: Contextualizing Social Pollution through Identity

• Sebastian Bonilla (Swarthmore College)

• From Classical Waka to Contemporary Rap: The Poetics of Food Across Language and Cuture

PANEL B: 10:15-11:30 (note time change)

• Kiki Hu (Swarthmore College)

• Framing Harmony: Ethnicity, Gender, and Visual Power in Manchukuo Cinema

• Zhao Gu Gammage (Haverford College)

• Constructing China – MENA Relations in Chinese Cold War Propaganda Posters

• Cameron Cardona (St. Joseph’s University)

• The Devadasi System and Brahmanical Patriarchy

• Ariana Zablah (St. Joseph’s University)

• Evaluating External Factors and Third-Party Actors’ Influence in the Development and Empowerment of Girls in Pakistan

PANEL C: 11:45-1:00 (note time change)

• Lisa Taki Carter (University of Delaware)

• Japan and the Decline of the Liberal International Order

• Astrid Bemis-Driscoll (Haverford College)

• Lessons from COVID-19: How Pandemic Responses Help Us Assess the Future of Surveillance Systems in 21st Century China

• Austin Helmer (St. Joseph’s University

• The Significance of the Aga Khan to the Nizari Shia Muslim Community in India

• James C. Singleton (St. Joseph’s University)

• How Dalit People Mentally Experience Caste 

VR Presentation (available during lunch and at times noted above)

• Jiovani Santiago and Kazi Morshed (Penn State University, Abington College)

• China VR: People, Places, & Spaces  

LUNCHEON & KEYNOTE: 1:00-2:45 (Wismer Center, Upper Dining, Faculty/Staff Dining Room)

• Please sign in at the desk at the entrance of the cafeteria

• Our luncheon will be in the Faculty/Staff Dining Room (to the left as you enter the cafeteria in Wismer Center)

• Please choose your lunch from all the available options

• After lunch, please take your dishes, etc., to the dish station

KEYNOTE PRESENTATION (approx. 1:45 pm)

DR. NORA SUGGS

Exploring the Shakuhachi (Japanese Flute)

Dr. Nora Suggs is a graduate of Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine. She performs, teaches and records on the shakuhachi, and has earned her Jun Shihan  and Shihan certifications, and the Japanese performance name Nohraku, from Dai-Shihan James Nyoraku Schlefer in NYC. She has also studied with Dai-Shihan Kurahashi Yodo II of Kyoto and Dai-Shihan Dr. Riley Lee of Australia. She also plays Western flute and performs both instruments with the group Satori, which she directs, as well as in other configurations. 

AWARDS FOR OUTSTANDING CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS WILL BE ANNOUNCED AFTER THE KEYNOTE PRESENTATION

WE HAVE JUST LEARNED THAT A LARGE EVENT WILL ALSO BE TAKING PLACE IN OLIN HALL. PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU MAY BE DIRECTED TO PARKING IN LOTS OTHER THAN THE ONE I MENTIONED BELOW. THERE ARE MANY MAPS ON CAMPUS TO HELP DIRECT YOU TO OLIN HALL. 

ACCESS: Ursinus College is located at 601 E. Main St., Collegeville PA 19468

For your reference, the Campus Safety phone number is 610-409-3333

MAPS & DIRECTIONS are available at this link:

https://www.ursinus.edu/about/maps-directions/

A printable map is here: 

https://www.ursinus.edu/about/maps-directions/printable-campus-map/

Olin Hall is #4 on this detail from the printable map.

You may park in Visitor Parking (to the left and above #1, Schellhase Commons), or in the Corson Lot (to the right of #2, Corson Hall). If you have time after the conference, you are welcome to visit the Berman Museum of Art (#3, free admission).

GPASC2025: Annual Undergraduate Research Conference

                             16th Annual Undergraduate Conference

Greater Philadelphia Asian Studies Consortium (GPASC)

Call for Proposals

Saturday, April 26, 2025

At Ursinus College,  8:30 am – 3:30 pm

Keynote presentation: Dr. Nora Suggs

Exploring the Shakuhachi (Japanese Flute)

Dr. Nora Suggs is a graduate of Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine. She performs, teaches and records on the shakuhachi, and has earned her Jun Shihan  and Shihan certifications, and the Japanese performance name Nohraku, from Dai-Shihan James Nyoraku Schlefer in NYC. She has also studied with Dai-Shihan Kurahashi Yodo II of Kyoto and Dai-Shihan Dr. Riley Lee of Australia. She also plays Western flute and performs both instruments with the group Satori, which she directs, as well as in other configurations. 

GPASC invites proposals for its annual undergraduate conference on Asian Studies.  We ask undergraduate students to submit proposals of no more than 250 words on any topic in any discipline relating to any area of Asia: West, East, South, Southeast Asia, and the Asian Diaspora (including Asian America).  

Please submit your proposals through the following linked form:

https://forms.gle/Pp8ptMgdf2fswze17

You will be asked for your name, email and other contact information, and the name and email of your faculty sponsor.  Papers written for a course are welcome.   Poster presentations are also welcome, as are proposals for group panels, roundtables, or creative presentations (e.g., video, performance). Students will be asked to identify a faculty mentor or sponsor in the proposal.  There is no conference registration fee.  We will respond to proposers and faculty sponsors as soon as possible after the deadline. Oral presentations should be timed for 12-15 minutes.

THE DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS IS EXTENDED TO 

MONDAY APRIL 14 (11:59 pm)

A total of $500 in prize money is available for awards for the outstanding papers of the conference. Priority for awards will be given to papers sent to mmizenko at ursinus.edu  by  MONDAY, APRIL 14. 

This year’s conference will be held on Saturday, April 26, 2025, from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm, with coffee at 8:30 am.  The conference will include lunch, a keynote presentation, and an announcement of awards.  This is a great opportunity to network and to share your enthusiasm about Asian Studies.

Updates and information, including the conference schedule when available, will be sent to the GPASC mailing list and conference presenters, and posted at 

https://phillyasia.blogspot.com/

Contact: Matthew Mizenko, Chair, GPASC          

mmizenko at ursinus.edu (convert to email format)

Summer Grant 2025

 GREATER PHILADELPHIA ASIAN STUDIES CONSORTIUM (GPASC)  UNDERGRADUATE SUMMER GRANT COMPETITION 2025 

GPASC is pleased to announce a competition for grants for undergraduate students for support  of research projects, internships, or attendance at conferences in Asia in the summer of 2025.  Proposals may be related to any country normally considered to be part of Asia, ranging from  West Asia to East Asia, and including South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Asian Diaspora. This is  a small grant program, in which grants up to $500 will be awarded directly to successful  applicants. Examples of possible proposals include: 

• Research in an Asian country: may include travel, housing, and other related expenses.

• An internship in an Asian country: especially for non-profit and similar organizations that  provide little or no compensation. 

• Attendance at a student-focused conference: for example, the Japan-America Student  Conference or the Korea-America Student Conference. Preference will be given to  conferences taking place in Asia, but conferences in the U.S. with substantial attendance  by students from Asia will be considered.  

• Other academic or experiential-learning activities may be eligible. Please contact M.  Mizenko (email given below) if you have questions.  

These grants may not be used to support the purchase of any durable equipment (cameras,  laptops, etc.) or for tuition.  

Eligibility: Eligible to apply are undergraduate students, except graduating seniors, from  member institutions of GPASC (Bryn Mawr College, Drexel University, Haverford College, La  Salle University, Rosemont College, St. Joseph’s University, Swarthmore College, Temple  University, The College of New Jersey, the University of Delaware, the University of  Pennsylvania, Ursinus College, Villanova University, and West Chester University). Students  must demonstrate a commitment to Asian Studies through their coursework. Recipients will be  required to submit a brief report after the summer project, and to give a presentation on  their project at the annual undergraduate research conference in Spring 2026.  

Deadline: Completed applications must be submitted electronically by 11:59 pm, May 9, 2025 to mmizenko at ursinus.edu.. A committee of GPASC faculty members will review the  applications, and the recipients will be announced by May 16. The applications must include the  following: 

1. A cover sheet with a short project title along with the applicant’s name,  college/university affiliation, expected date of graduation (e.g., May 2026), mailing address,  phone number, and email address. It should also include the name, title, and contact  information (email address and phone number) of a faculty member who has taught the  student in at least one course and will be providing a letter of recommendation.  

2. A concise description of the project with a brief summary of the project’s objectives and  how the project contributes to the applicant’s undergraduate educational interests and goals.

3. Tentative dates and destinations of travel for the project. 

4. A budget for the project, including the amount being requested ($500 maximum) and  the expense(s) towards which it will be applied. Any other scholarships or awards, etc., should  also be listed. 

5. The applicant’s qualifications to pursue the proposed project, including language skills.

NOTE: Items 1-5 may be put into a single document.  

6. A transcript. An unofficial transcript may be submitted with the application, but an  official transcript will be requested from successful applicants before funds are released.  

7. A statement from the student’s institution’s study abroad/international studies office  indicating that the student has permission to undertake the project. This applies to projects  that may involve academic credit or otherwise require institutional approval. The statement  may be submitted as part of the application or sent directly to mmizenko at ursinus.edu by 11:59  pm, May 9. It is also recommended that students consult with their institution’s study  abroad/international studies office to make any appropriate arrangements to ensure a safe  experience while abroad.  

8. A letter of recommendation from a faculty member who has taught the applicant in at  least one course or has served as their research advisor or mentor. The letter should comment  on the feasibility of the project and the applicant’s ability to undertake. The letter should be  sent electronically to mmizenko at ursinus.edu by 11:59 pm, May 9.  

NOTE: Students should be aware that grants will not be awarded to those proposing projects in  countries or areas of countries under the U.S. State Department’s travel advisories, which can  be found here (Levels 3 & 4 are definitely off limits):  

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/  

Any questions about this grant program should be sent directly to:  

Matthew Mizenko 

Associate Professor of Japanese and East Asian Studies 

Ursinus College

Chair, GPASC 

mmizenko at ursinus.edu (please convert to regular email format)