ÑÇÉ«Ó°¿â

I am a Chinese historian with a research focus on the early modern period. I teach an introductory courses on East Asia, a series of three courses covering the entire scope of Chinese history from the Neolithic period to the present, an upper division course on women in Asia, and topics courses, such as Panda Diplomacy. My research, which explores famine policy and ideas about famine, focuses on the dynamic interaction between state institutions and rural society in Ming dynasty China (1368-1644). My work combines institutional and social history. The study of famine policy provides a way of exploring power relationships within local communities, how local elites interacted with the state apparatus, how interactions were affected during times of systemic stress, and how all of these relationships changed over time.