Fall 2020 AAS Election Results

Image of ballot box

The Fall 2020 AAS elections have concluded, and we are pleased to provide the results in each category. Over 30 percent of the AAS membership voted, an increase of nearly 10 percent over last year’s participation. Newly elected representatives will take office immediately after the upcoming AAS 2021 Virtual Annual Conference in March.

We congratulate the winners and thank all candidates for their willingness to serve the association. We also thank all members who participated in the electoral process by casting their votes.

President

Current Vice President Hy Van Luong (University of Toronto) will move into the presidency.

Vice President

Kamran Asdar Ali (University of Texas, Austin)

China & Inner Asia Council

Shellen Xiao Wu (University of Tennessee, Knoxville)
Christopher P. Atwood (University of Pennsylvania)
Michelle C. Wang (Georgetown University)

Northeast Asia Council

Jolyon B. Thomas (University of Pennsylvania)
Suzy Kim (Rutgers University)
Sonja M. Kim (Binghamton University, State University of New York)

South Asia Council

Anne M. Blackburn (Cornell University)
Amrita Basu (Amherst College)
Jinah Kim (Harvard University)

Southeast Asia Council

Christina Schwenkel (University of California, Riverside)
Doreen Lee (Northeastern University)
Eunsook Jung (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

Council of Conferences

Shawn Bender (MAR, Dickinson College)
Kendra Strand (MCAA, University of Iowa)
Karl Friday (ASCJ, Saitama University)

Ballot Measures

Both special ballot measures were passed with a vote of “yes” by a majority of those who voted.  The issues, as presented on the ballot, were:

Membership vote on amendment to membership category and bylaws

The Association for Asian Studies Board of Directors (BoD) requires membership approval for an amendment to membership categories, which will be reflected in the bylaws of the Association for Asian Studies, Inc.

The AAS BoD proposes a change in language on lifetime memberships. The change will be indicated in the first set of bylaws, “Membership Categories and Privileges”. The category of Patron will be eliminated from the membership category and the Life Member category will be refined to include the amount required for lifetime membership.

Membership vote on addition of a Diversity and Equity Committee to the AAS Constitution and bylaws

The Association for Asian Studies Board of Directors seeks membership approval for the creation and implementation of a Diversity and Equity Committee (DEC). If approved, the addition of the DEC would be reflected in both the constitution (Article V, Section 9) and the bylaws (section 21).

Article V, section 9 of the Constitution:

Section 9. Diversity and Equity Committee

(a) The AAS Diversity and Equity Committee (DEC) will advise the Board of Directors of the Association for Asian Studies on matters relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion. (b) DEC representatives shall be nominated and elected under procedures specified in the Bylaws.

(c) The DEC shall be composed of six members and should aim to embody diversity of disciplinary specialization and geographic region, gender, race, age, and rank . DEC members will include:

● One adjunct/non-tenure track/contingent faculty
● One graduate student
● Four additional members of varying rank and institutional affiliation

All committee members are to have a current AAS membership.

(d) The leadership of the DEC shall be structured according to the following:

● A Chair is a member of the committee and appointed by the members of the committee. The Chair will serve a two-year term and will sit on the Board of Directors for this two year period.
● A Vice Chair is a member of the committee and appointed by the members of the committee to serve a one-year term and succeed to the Chairship.

Section 21 of the Bylaws:

21. Diversity and Equity Committee

The AAS Diversity and Equity Committee (DEC) shall advise the Board of Directors of the Association for Asian Studies (AAS) on matters relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The DEC will work directly with the AAS Board of Directors, and through the Board, liaison with the Councils, the Program Committee, the Editorial Board, and the Journal of Asian Studies. The responsibilities of the DEC will include proposing new programs that advance the cause of diversity, equity, and inclusivity in Asian Studies, providing feedback on existing programs and initiatives, and representing membership views on these issues to the Board.

Header image by Pixabay contributor Tumisu.