Resolution of Thanks for AAS 2018

The Board of Directors of the Association for Asian Studies wishes, by means of this resolution, to express thanks and appreciation to the many individuals and groups who have contributed significantly to the association’s activities over the past year. Special recognition should go to the following:

Thanks first to the 2018 Program Committee: Chair Michael Pettid, Vice Chair Anne Hansen, Jean Oi, Carlos Rojas, and Hilde De Weerdt (China and Inner Asia); Barbara Ambros, Miriam Kingsberg Kadia, and Jin-kyung Lee (Japan and Korea); and Shelley Feldman and Maitrii Aung-Thwin (South and Southeast Asia) for assembling an outstanding program of over 440 panels, which made the meeting in Washington, D.C. our largest single conference ever.

Outgoing officers, the Board of Directors, and council and committee members are commended for their commitment to the profession and considerable time devoted to association affairs. The officers especially contribute enormously over the course of the year, and special thanks are accorded to President Katherine Bowie, Past-President Laurel Kendall, and Vice President Anne Feldhaus, who, after the Washington, D.C. conference, moves into the 2018-19 Presidency. Special thanks also to retiring Past-past President Tim Brook for his many contributions over the last four years.

Much appreciation is due former AAS President Ted Bestor for continuing to serve as AAS delegate to the American Council of Learned Societies.

Many thanks also to council chairs Carlos Rojas (CIAC), Steven Ericson (NEAC), Chitralekha Zutshi (SAC), Tyrell Haberkorn (SEAC), and Hiromi Mizuno (COC), for their service on the Board and in discharging the leadership tasks of their respective councils. In addition, the efforts of all elected council members and appointed prize committee members are very deserving of recognition and gratitude.

The association owes considerable gratitude to the editors and staff of its various publications: Jeff Wasserstrom and his staff at UC-Irvine, as well as the various article and book review editors have done an outstanding job editing the Journal of Asian Studies. Ann Avouris and her colleagues at Cambridge University Press continue to produce and market both print and online versions of the JAS. Lucien Ellington continues to devote much time and effort in support of teaching issues as editor of Education About Asia and the “Key Issues in Asian Studies” booklet series. Bill Tsutsui has overseen the launch of our new “Asia Shorts” series, as well as continuing to serve as editor of the “Asia Past and Present” monograph series. Editor Anna Leon Shulman and associate editors Frank Shulman, Aruna Magier, John Hickey, and Daniel Kane continue to update and refine the Bibliography of Asian Studies. The BAS Advisory Committee chaired by David Magier and consisting of Martin Heijdra, Judith Henchy, and Adam Lisbon continues to provide critical oversight in maintaining and improving the functionality and utility of the bibliography.

The AAS Editorial Board consisting of Bill Tsutsui (Chair), Dong Wang, Jack Chen, Kyung Moon Hwang, Jan Bardsley, Ramya Sreenivasan, and Kathleen Adams are to be commended for their ongoing advisory work in the publications area of the association.

The association is grateful for the financial oversight and good advice provided by the Finance Committee, consisting of Chair Tom Rawski, Maggie Maurer-Fazio, Alicia Ogawa, Robert Oxnam, Siddharth Chandra, and Ken Froewiss.

Many thanks for ongoing IT support go to computer consultant Jeff Moskow of Ready-to-Run Software, and TAZ Networks for administering the secretariat’s network. Many thanks also to Ricky Hopkins of Conference Direct for helping with registration and coordination in Washington, D.C.

Thanks to Justin McDaniel for organizing and conducting yet another very successful dissertation workshop in Washington, D.C. Special appreciation is also due faculty participants Priscilla Song, Howard Chiang, Prakash Kumar, and Jenna Grant for contributing their time and energy to the workshop.

Special thanks to the Senior Advisor to the Board of Directors: Outreach and Strategic Initiatives, Krisna Uk, for her coordination of funding and special events throughout the year.

The staff of the AAS secretariat—Michael Paschal, Maura Elizabeth Cunningham, Lisa Hanselman, Doreen Ilozor, Robyn Jones, Teresa Spence, Alicia Williams, Jon Wilson, and Jenna Yoshikawadeserve appreciation for their ongoing conscientious and dedicated work for the association.

As always, thanks to everyone for their service and volunteerism, without which the AAS could not function.