Meet William Warner, New AAS Membership Manager

On August 9, 2021, the Association for Asian Studies welcomed our new Membership Manager, William (Bill) Warner, to the Secretariat staff. We look forward to working with Bill and wanted to give him a chance to introduce himself to the AAS membership in the brief interview below. You can reach Bill by email at wwarner[at]asianstudies[dot]org.

William Warner, new AAS Membership Manager

Tell us about yourself

Originally from New York, I moved to Wisconsin in 2006 and completed my graduate work in South Asian history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. My dissertation focused on migration to, from, and within the subcontinent in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. More recently, I worked for the Consortium of Humanities Centers and Institutes as the Event and Membership Manager, overseeing member services and the CHCI annual meeting in Dublin and two virtual meetings.

What do you most look forward to in your new role as AAS Membership Manager?

In my first year, I am looking forward to meeting as many members as possible, both virtually and at the 2022 Annual Conference in Honolulu.  I am eager to learn about the pressing concerns facing membership and to think through ways AAS can provide better support and services to the entire range of members.

Why do you think AAS Membership is important?

The influence and reach of AAS as an organization depends on the incredible work undertaken by our members. AAS members—be they new or long-established scholars, students, and practitioners—collectively continue to push forward the broad and deep field of Asian Studies.

What are your goals for your new role as Membership Manager?

I would like to explore ways of expanding the types of people who become members of AAS. This on-going effort can take in a number of paths. I hope we can involve individuals and organizations from outside academia both as members and as contributors to annual and regional conferences. I want to explore ways of including scholars beyond the humanities and social sciences who are nonetheless invested in Asian Studies. Finally, I hope to see AAS encourage students from non-traditional backgrounds to pursue the study of Asia.

What would you like AAS to accomplish over the next 3- 5 years?

  • Continue the AAS-in-Asia conference and create new AAS activities and opportunities for members outside of North America.
  • The AAS website becoming a one-stop destination for all things Asian Studies.
  • AAS becoming the leading organization for outreach and advocacy on issues important to AAS members.