Contributors
Stacia Bensyl is professor of English at Missouri Western State University (PhD University of Nebraska).
In addition to co-editing the Japan Studies Association Journal, she has been treasurer of JSA for the last
15 years. Her recent research is on small literary magazines published in the Japanese American
incarceration camps during WWII.
In addition to co-editing the Japan Studies Association Journal, she has been treasurer of JSA for the last
15 years. Her recent research is on small literary magazines published in the Japanese American
incarceration camps during WWII.
Lonny Carlile, Associate Professor, Asian Studies Department, University of Hawaii, (Ph.D. University of
California Berkley) has most recently been director of UHM’s Center for Japanese Studies, and the
principal investigator for a three-year Japan Foundation-funded project for advancing intellectual
exchanges with Japanese Studies centers in Southeast Asia. His work and publications span a number of
areas in interdisciplinary Japanese Studies. Dr. Carlile’s leadership has been crucial to JSA’s holding
workshops in Fukuoka & Nagasaki (2008), Hiroshima & Nagasaki (2015), and Okinawa (2017). His current research focuses on the political economic history of Okinawa and Hokkaido.
California Berkley) has most recently been director of UHM’s Center for Japanese Studies, and the
principal investigator for a three-year Japan Foundation-funded project for advancing intellectual
exchanges with Japanese Studies centers in Southeast Asia. His work and publications span a number of
areas in interdisciplinary Japanese Studies. Dr. Carlile’s leadership has been crucial to JSA’s holding
workshops in Fukuoka & Nagasaki (2008), Hiroshima & Nagasaki (2015), and Okinawa (2017). His current research focuses on the political economic history of Okinawa and Hokkaido.
Rachel Castro, Associate Librarian, is Experiential Learning Librarian with the CATalyst Studios library makerspace and part of the Humanities & Fine Arts librarian cohort at the University of Arizona. As Experiential Learning Librarian, she works with instructors to incorporate experiential learning pedagogy and creative assignments into courses. In the Humanities & Fine Arts cohort, she works collaboratively to support research, instruction, and other disciplinary needs. Rachel excels at creating customized, course-relevant learning opportunities that integrate information, visual, and maker literacies. You can contact her at [email protected].
Michael Charlton is the Vice Provost at Missouri Western State University, having previously served as a Professor of English and chair of the Communication Department. Dr. Charlton is the secretary of the Japan Studies Association. His research focuses on rhetoric and popular culture. He has published articles and book chapters on Disney, comics, Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, and more.
Andrea Csendom is an Assistant Professor at the Center for International Education and Exchange,
The University of Osaka. Her research explores Edo-period popular literature, particularly
kibyōshi, and its relevance for intercultural and digital pedagogy. She develops methods for
teaching Japanese cultural history through narrative and visual media, combining early modern
texts with contemporary storytelling forms.
The University of Osaka. Her research explores Edo-period popular literature, particularly
kibyōshi, and its relevance for intercultural and digital pedagogy. She develops methods for
teaching Japanese cultural history through narrative and visual media, combining early modern
texts with contemporary storytelling forms.
Barbara Lass is currently an Anthropology instructor at City College of San Francisco in San Francisco, California where she teaches courses on archaeology, cultural anthropology, and indigenous peoples. She earned a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Minnesota, and was previously an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Hawaii-Hilo and a Museum Scientist at the University of California-Berkley where she was involved in the repatriation of museum materials to indigenous groups. Dr. Lass has been a member of the Japan Studies Association (JSA) since 2017 participating in annual conferences and both the Okinawa (2017) and Hokkaido (2024) workshops.
Pelletier
Kendra Sheehan is the Assistant Professor of Japanese Studies for the Classical and Modern Languages Department at the University of Louisville. Her research interests include literary narratives, religion, adaptation, gender and identity in media, and cross-cultural analysis between Japanese and Western works. Her recent publications include, “Soft Power, Globalization, and the Otaku: Influencing Japanese Nationalism Within and Without” in National Identity and Millennials in Northeast Asia: Power and Contestations in the Digital Age and “The Japanese Spirit and Aesthetic in Western Animation: Japanese Influences in Adventure Time” in Critical Essays about Cartoon Network's Adventure Time.
Ping Situ, Associate Librarian, is a Humanities Librarian at the University of Arizona Libraries. She serves as the Languages and East Asian Studies Resources Specialist in the Student Learning and Engagement Department. As a member of the Humanities and Fine Arts liaison cohort, she actively contributes to research support, library instruction, and collection development and management in Japanese Studies and other affiliated disciplines within the cohort through collaborative engagement with library units and campus partners. She can be reached at [email protected].
Chelsey Wong is currently affiliated to Leiden University as a PhD candidate. Her research focuses on the history of beef consumption in Japan. She has recently published “Eating to Survive: The Overlooked Reason for Beef Consumption in Japan, 1874-1912” in Global Food History.
Zhang Qiming