at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
UHCSEAS on Facebook UHCSEAS on Twitter UHCSEAS on Instagram UHCSEAS on Youtube
The Center for Southeast Asian Studies > Southeast Asia Resource Specialists

Southeast Asia Resource Specialists

The Center for Southeast Asian Studies has access to the largest concentration of Southeast Asia specialists available in the United States, drawing upon the expertise of over fifty professors and resources specialists at the University of Hawaiʻi and in the local community.

Students and scholars interested in Southeast Asia can draw upon professors and experts in the field from over twenty-five programs, including American StudiesAnthropology and ArchaeologyArchitecture, Asian Studies, Art and Art HistoryBotany, Business, Economics, Ethnic Studies, Ethnomusicology, Film, GeographyHistoryGlobal StudiesLawLibrary ScienceLinguisticsMusicNatural Resources and Environmental Management, Political SciencePublic AdministrationSociologySoutheast Asian Languages and Literatures (Tagalog, Ilokano, IndonesianKhmerThai and Vietnamese (with Arabic also available)), Sustainability StudiesTextiles and ClothingTheatre and DanceUrban and Regional Planning and Women’s Studies.


Randle C. DeFalco, Ph.D. | William S. Richardson School of Law
International criminal law, Cambodia
rdefalco@hawaii.edu | website | spotlight

Sothy Eng, Ph.D. |  Department of Family and Consumer Science
Cambodian education including access and equity, program development and evaluation, child and adolescent learning and development, family and community development
sothy@hawaii.edu | website

Jefferson Fox, Ph.D. | Senior Research Fellow, East-West Center
Land cover, forest resource management, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia
FoxJ@EastWestCenter.org | website

Piphal Heng, Ph.D. | Department of Anthropology, Interim Associate Director, CSEAS
Political economy, religious-ideological changes, state formation in early modern Southeast Asia
piphal@hawaii.edu | website | spotlight

Paul Lavy, Ph.D. | Department of Art & Art History
Southeast Asian art, Hindu-Buddhist traditions of the peninsular Thailand, Mekong Delta & Preangkorian civilizations
paul.lavy@hawaii.edu | website | spotlight

Jonathan Padwe, Ph.D. | Department of Anthropology
Southeast Asian anthropology, agrarian transition in Southeast Asia
padwe@hawaii.edu | website | War & Recovery in Northeast Cambodia

Chhany Sak-Humphry, Ph.D.| Department of Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures
Khmer (Cambodian) language, linguistics, language and technology
sak@hawaii.edu | website

Miriam Stark, Ph.D.| Department of Anthropology
Southeast Asian archaeology, Lower Mekong Archaeological Project, Greater Angkor Project
miriams@hawaii.edu | website | Faculty Spotlight | Publications | Training Cambodian Archaeologists | Imagining Angkor: Politics, Myths and Archaeology | Premodern Khmers and their Mekong

Courtney Work, Ph.D.| Affiliate Faculty | Assistant Professor, Department of Ethnology, National Chengchi University (Taiwan)
Cambodia, Land, Spirit, Religion, Climate Change
cwork@nccu.edu.tw | website

Ming-Li Yong, Ph.D. | Fellow, East-West Center
Transboundary water governance, development, livelihoods, public participation in the Mekong River Basin
yongm@eastwestcenter.org | website | spotlight

Barbara Watson Andaya, Ph.D. | School of Pacific and Asian Studies
History of Southeast Asia, women in the Malay world, Asian studies
bandaya@hawaii.edu | website

Leonard Andaya, Ph.D. | Department of History
History of Southeast Asia, Malay world
andaya@hawaii.edu | website

Nezia Azmi | International & Special Programs Coordinator, College of Education
Performing arts, Indonesia, Malaysia
azti@hawaii.edu | website

Nancy Cooper, Ph.D. | Retired
Cultural anthropology, Java
ncooper@hawaii.edu

Ashok Das, Ph.D. | Department of Urban & Regional Planning
Urban planning and poverty issues in Indonesia and Southeast Asia
ashokdas@hawaii.edu

Patricia (Pattie) Dunn | School of Pacific and Asian Studies
Pan-Southeast Asia, Indonesia, gamelan, educational advising
pdunn@hawaii.edu | website

Carl Evensen, Ph.D. (Emeritus) | Retired
Indonesia, public education programs on natural resource management, pollution control, and water quality
evensen@hawaii.edu | website

Jerome Feldman, Ph.D. | Hawaiʻi Pacific University
Tribal arts of Southeast Asia
jfeldman@hpu.edu | website

Micah Fisher, Ph.D. | Research Fellow, East-West Center
Land, land use change, disaster management, climate adaptation
micahrf@hawaii.edu | spotlight

Jefferson Fox, Ph.D. | Senior Research Fellow, East-West Center
Land cover, forest resource management, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia
FoxJ@EastWestCenter.org | website

Aya Hirata-Kimura, Ph.D. | Department of Women’s Studies
Sociology, food and environmental issues, Indonesia, women’s studies
aya.hirata.kimura@hawaii.edu | website

Ehito Kimura, Ph.D. | Department of Political Science
Southeast Asian politics
ehito@hawaii.edu | website

Uli Kozok, Ph.D. | Department of Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures
Indonesian language, paleography of island Southeast Asia
kozok@hawaii.edu | website

John Lynham, Ph.D. | Department of Economics
Environmental/resource economics, marine ecology and behavioral economics
lynham@hawaii.edu | website

Bradley McDonnell, Ph.D. | Department of Linguistics
Language Documentation, Syntax, Phonology, Sumatra
mcdonn@hawaii.edu | website | spotlight

Byron Moon, Ph.D. | Department of Music
Javanese gamelan
bmoon@hawaii.edu | website

Rohayati Paseng | Hamilton Library, Southeast Asia Collection
Southeast Asia library resources, Southeast Asian film, translation/film subtitling
rohayati@hawaii.edu | website

Kirstin Pauka, Ph.D. | Department of Theatre & Dance
Southeast Asian dance /drama, Randai (West Sumatra), Balinese Theatre & Dance
pauka@hawaii.edu | website

Paul Rausch | Center for Southeast Asian Studies
Southeast Asian film, film subtitling, textiles/clothing/body modification
rausch@hawaii.edu | website

Annie Reynolds, Ph.D. | Curator EWC Gallery, East-West Center
Southeast Asian theater & performance, Indonesia
reynolda@eastwestcenter.org

L. Ayu Saraswati, Ph.D. | Associate Professor, Department of Women’s Studies, feminist media, transnational & postcolonial feminism, women’s body image and beauty culture
luhp@hawaii.edu | website

Krisna Suryanata, Ph.D. | Department of Geography & Environment
Political ecology agriculture and food, community-based management
krisnawa@hawaii.edu | website

Wiwik Sushartami, Ph.D. | Visiting Professor, Department of Geography & Environment
Media studies, heritage studies, women studies, and cultural tourism
sushartami@ugm.ac.id | website | spotlight

R. Anderson “Andy” Sutton, Ph.D.| Vice Chancellor International Exchange, Ethnomusicology, Javanese performance ensemble, K-Pop
rasutton@hawaii.edu | website

I Made Widana | Artist-in-Residence, Asian Theatre, Department of Theatre & Dance
Balinese music and dance instructor
widana@hawaii.edu 

Adjunct

Lisa X. Gollin, Ph.D. | Cultural Surveys Hawaiʻi
Medical anthropology, ethnobotany and ethnobiology, Indonesia
lxgollin@hawaii.edu

Ming-Li Yong, Ph.D. | Fellow, East-West Center
Transboundary water governance, development, livelihoods, public participation in the Mekong River Basin
yongm@eastwestcenter.org | website | spotlight

Barbara Watson Andaya, Ph.D. | School of Pacific and Asian Studies
History of Southeast Asia, women in the Malay world, Asian studies
bandaya@hawaii.edu | website

Leonard Andaya, Ph.D. | Department of History
History of Southeast Asia, Malay world
andaya@hawaii.edu | website

Chet-Yeng Loong, Ph.D. | Department of Music
Music education
chetyeng@hawaii.edu | website

Kevin Woods, Ph.D. | Adjunct Senior Fellow, Research Program, East-West Center
Politics of land use change, resource extraction, and environmental conservation; resources and armed conflict dynamics; environmental peace building; Chinese investment in Southeast Asia; mainland Southeast Asia, with focus on Burma/Myanmar
WoodsK@EastWestCenter.org | website

Patricio “Jojo” Abinales, Ph.D. | School of Pacific and Asian Studies
Muslim Philippines/Mindanao, middle class-elite violence, food
abinales@hawaii.edu | website

Aurelio Agcaoili, Ph.D. | Department of Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures
Ilocano language and literature
aurelioa@hawaii.edu | website

Precious Mae B. Arao, M.A. | Department of Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures
Tagalog, Philippine culture, effects of Filipino-American identity in language learning
araop@hawaii.edu | website

Pia C. Arboleda, D.A. | Department of Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures
Tagalog, Philippine literature, film translation/subtitling
pca62@hawaii.edu | website

Catherine Chan-Halbrendt, Ph.D. | Dept. of Natural Resources & Environmental Management
Agricultural economics, agri-entrepreneurship in Mindanao
chanhalb@hawaii.edu | website

Elena Clariza  | Hamilton Library, Philippine Collection
Library resources, educational resources development
mclariza@hawaii.edu | website

Dean Domingo | Department of Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures
Ilocano, Philippine literature
deand@hawaii.edu | website

Laurel Flores Fantauzzo  | Department of English
Creative writing, young adult fiction, nonfiction writing, journalism, Southeast Asian-Philippines-Philippine American literature, mixed race and third culture identity
laf2@hawaii.edu | website

Imelda Gasmen  | Department of Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures
Tagalog, Philippine literature
igasmen@hawaii.edu | website

Patricia Halagao, Ph.D. | College of Education
Curriculum studies, multicultural education
phalagao@hawaii.edu | website

Roderick N. Labrador, Ph.D.  | Department of Ethnic Studies
Race, ethnicity, class, culture, language, migration, education, hip hop, and cultural production among Filipinos in Hawai’i, the US and the Philippines
labrador@hawaii.edu | website

Vina Lanzona, Ph.D.  | School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Department of History
Southeast Asian history, gender and revolution
vlanzona@hawaii.edu | website

Frederico V. Magdalena, Ph.D. | School of Pacific and Asian Studies
Muslim Mindanao
fm@hawaii.edu | website

Clemen Montero | School of Pacific and Asian Studies
Tagalog/Ilocano language, educational program development
montero@hawaii.edu | website

Nadezna Ortega, JD | Department of Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures
Ilocano language, Philippine literature
nadezna@hawaii.edu

Leticia C. Pagkalinawan, Ph.D. | Department of Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures
Tagalog language, Philippine literature
leticiap@hawaii.edu | website

Jayson Parba, Ph.D. | Department of Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures
Tagalog language, Philippine literature, Social justice in education
jaysonpa@hawaii.edu | website

Miriam Stark, Ph.D.| Department of Anthropology
Southeast Asian archaeology, ethnoarchaeology  in Kalinga Province (northern Luzon)
miriams@hawaii.edu | website | spotlight | publications

Ricardo D. Trimillos, Ph.D.  | School of Pacific and Asian Studies (Ret/Active Teaching)
Ethnomusicology, Asian studies, Muslim Philippines
rtrimil@hawaii.edu | website

Barbara Watson Andaya, Ph.D. | School of Pacific and Asian Studies
History of Southeast Asia, women in the Malay world, Asian studies
bandaya@hawaii.edu | website

William Chapman, Ph.D. | Department of American Studies (Historic Preservation)
Southeast Asian architecture/archaeology/preservation
wchapman@hawaii.edu | website

Benjamin Fairfield, Ph.D. | Affiliate Faculty CSEAS & Department of Music
SEA Ethnomusicology, Thai music
bsf@hawaii.edu| website

Yuphaphann Hoonchamlong, Ph.D. (Ms) | Dept. of Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures
Thai language
yuphapha@hawaii.edu | website

Bundit Kanisthakhon, Ph.D. | School of Architecture
Design and construction, Tropical architecture
bundit@hawaii.edu | website 

Paul Lavy, Ph.D. | Department of Art & Art History
Southeast Asian art, Hindu-Buddhist traditions of the peninsular Thailand, Mekong Delta & Preangkorian civ
paul.lavy@hawaii.edu | website | spotlight

Mary Mostafanezhad, Ph.D. | Department of Geography
Thailand; Tourism; Agro-food initiatives; International development and humanitarianism; and Transboundary environmental governance
mostafan@hawaii.edu website

Leslie Sponsel, Ph.D. | Retired
Spiritual ecology
sponsel@hawaii.edu | website

Brian Szuster, Ph.D. | Department of Geography
Geography of Southeast Asia, coastal/marine environments in Southeast Asia
szuster@hawaii.edu | website

Phanwin Yokying, Ph.D | Fellow, East-West Center
Development, labor, and agricultural economics (e.g. migration, gender, time use, child labor, informal employment)
YokyingP@EastWestCenter.org | website

J.B. Friday, Ph.D. | Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management
Tropical forestry, Timor-Leste agroforestry project
jbfriday@hawaii.edu | website

Margaret Bodemer, Ph.D. | Affiliate Faculty, Department of Anthropology | Cal Poly
Culture, history and identity in Southeast Asia
mbodemer@calpoly.edu | website

Tung X. Bui, Ph.D. | Shidler College of Business, Information Technology Management
Computer-supported group decision and negotiation, management, UHM/Shidler Vietnam MBA program
tung.bui@hawaii.edu | website

Jefferson Fox, Ph.D. | Senior Research Fellow, East-West Center
Land cover, forest resource management, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia
FoxJ@EastWestCenter.org | website

Ming-Li Yong, Ph.D. | Fellow, East-West Center
Transboundary water governance, development, livelihoods, public participation in the Mekong River Basin
yongm@eastwestcenter.org | website | spotlight

John Butler, Ph.D. | Shidler College of Business, Management and Industrial Relations
Entrepreneurship, Southeast Asia
jebutler@hawaii.edu | website

Eric Chang | Arts Coordinator, East-West Center
Performing and visual Arts, Southeast Asia (and Pacific and East Asia)
ChangE@EastWestCenter.org | website

Ashok Das, Ph.D. | Department of Urban & Regional Planning
Urban planning and poverty issues Southeast Asia
ashokdas@hawaii.edu | website

Patricia (Pattie) Dunn | School of Pacific and Asian Studies
Pan-Southeast Asia, Indonesia, gamelan, educational advising
pdunn@hawaii.edu | website

Patricia Halagao, Ph.D. | College of Education
Curriculum studies, multicultural education
phalagao@hawaii.edu | website

Mary Hattori, Ph.D. | Interim Director, Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West Center
Educational technology, culturally responsive and culturally sustaining education, leadership development, arts education, multilingualism, indigenous research methodologies
HattoriM@EastWestCenter.org | website

Ken Hon, Ph.D. | University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
Geology, volcanology
kenhon@hawaii.edu | website

Thao Le, Ph.D. | Department of Family and Consumer Sciences
Mindfulness-based prevention/intervention programs; optimal development & resiliency; ethnic minority populations and cross-cultural issues
thaole3@hawaii.edu | website

John Lynham, Ph.D.| Economics
Environmental and resource economics, ocean policy, Southeast Asia
lynham@hawaii.edu | website

Joseph L. Overton, Ph.D. | University of Hawaiʻi – Kapiʻolani Community College
Asian Studies program development, Fulbright Group Projects, Freeman Foundation
overton@hawaii.edu | website

Rohayati Paseng | Hamilton Library, Southeast Asia Collection
Southeast Asia library resources, Indonesia, Southeast Asian film, translation/film subtitling
rohayati@hawaii.edu | website

Paul Rausch | Retired
Southeast Asian film, film subtitling, textiles/clothing/body modification
rausch@hawaii.edu | website

David Rockwood | School of Architecture
Tropical architecture, urban design
rockwood@hawaii.edu | website

Michael Schuster, Ph.D. | Retired
Art and theater of Southeast Asia
SchusteM@EastWestCenter.org

Lyndon Wester, Ph.D. | Retired
Geography of Southeast Asia, Conservation of endangered species and habitat restoration
wester@hawaii.edu

Ming-Li Yong, Ph.D. | Fellow, East-West Center
Transboundary water governance, development, livelihoods, public participation in the Mekong River Basin
yongm@eastwestcenter.org | website | spotlight

Ricardo D. Trimillos, Ph.D.  | School of Pacific and Asian Studies (Ret/Active Teaching)
Ethnomusicology, Asian studies, Muslim Philippines, Pan-Pacific performing arts
rtrimil@hawaii.edu | website

top