"What stands out the most about this department is how genuinely supportive the professors and staff are. Students often feel a bit intimidated or distant when approaching professors—but in this department, the atmosphere is completely different. Everyone, from professors to staff, is approachable and genuinely cares about supporting both undergraduate and graduate students."
*from our student testimonials

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Department Chair & Directors

Eriko Sato

Associate Professor | Chair

Office: HUM 1123

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Jiwon Hwang

Assistant Professor | Director of Asian Languages

Office: HUM 1128

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Hong Li Snyder

Lecturer | Undegraduate Program Director

Office: HUM 1127

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Atsuko Oyama

Lecturer | Graduate Program Director

Office: HUM 1114

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Current Graduate Students

Saba Aydiner

HPEW Program

After earning my BA in Philosophy from New York University, I joined Stony Brook University’s MA program in the History of Philosophies—East and West. Concentrating in Eastern Philosophies, I focus on the Islamic intellectual tradition, particularly the development of philosophical thought within the classical Islamic world.

Alexis Barbera

CAAAS Program

Utilizing film analysis to gain insight into the cultural and political implications of cinema, my objective is to examine gendered racism that afflicts the Asian American diaspora

Jingyi Chen

GLAMA Program, Korean Humanism Track

I have been fascinated by Korean culture for more than a decade, and what began as a simple curiosity has gradually grown into a lasting passion. I am especially drawn to the way Korean history, philosophy, and humanistic values shape the way people understand themselves and their relationships with others. As I begin my graduate studies in Asian Studies at Stony Brook University, I hope to look beyond the surface of Korean culture, explore its deeper humanistic spirit, and continue discovering new perspectives that inspire me.

Brisa Hakin

CAAAS Program

I am interested in Japanese language and culture, East Asian history and the intersectional complexities of gender, sexuality, race and culture in East Asia and East Asian diasporas.

Yong Hon

GLAMA Program, Korean Humanism Track

Yanyan Huang

CAAAS Program

Having been a professional artist for the past decade, I derive influences from a range of classical and ancient cultures that map out an elaborate mythology of geographies, identities, and interdependent relationships within my own autobiography as well as the natural world. I wish to further enhance my understanding of my place within American society and explore my cross-cultural fluidity.

Noreen Ismail

HPEW Program

Nooreen Ismail joined the department’s MA program in the History of Philosophies—East and West in Fall 2025 following a career in design research and a BA in Cognitive Science & Psychology from Rutgers University. Focused on classical Islamic intellectual history and Eastern thought, her research explores the intersection of traditional metaphysics and feminine spirituality in poetry, architecture, and art. She is also deeply interested in the bearing of pre-modern Islamic thought on contemporary issues in education.

Robert Kiesel

HPEW Program

Hyun Kyun Kim

GLAMA Program, Korean Humanism Track

Anisa Kneeland

GLAMA Program, Korean Humanism Track

Ayaka Mayo

GLAMA Program

I am passionate about Japanese language education and exploring teaching methods that foster intercultural communication.

Sufei Ni

CAAAS Program

I'm interested in multilingual language transmission within Asian transnational families, with a focus on how languages—including English, Chinese, and Chinese dialects—are maintained, negotiated, or lost across generations.

Veronica Peck

CAAAS Program

My passion is increasing educational access, especially for foreign languages. Focusing on remote Japanese classes, I want to compare the learning outcomes in asynchronous and synchronous modalities; What works best for speaking, listening, reading, and writing skill development?

So Yong Ryu

GLAMA Program, Korean Humanism Track

Clare Schnabel

GLAMA Program

Clare Schabel is a professional staff member of SBU's International Student Success. Previously she taught English in South Korea through the Fulbright program. She hopes to continue to support SBU's international students through her master's studies.

Genesis Uribe Quezada

GLAMA Program, Korean Humanism Track

Yuyue Wu

HPEW Program

Weijie Zhang

GLAMA Program

My research interests lie in modern and contemporary Chinese literature, with a particular focus on contemporary Chinese poetry and poetics, as well as modern Chinese fiction. Drawing on literary and linguistic perspectives, I examine how language and literary form shape meaning and aesthetic effects. Recent projects have examined the poetry of Yu Xiuhua and the fiction of Eileen Chang.

Visiting Scholars

Na Ha

Visiting Scholar

Junko Nemoto (Sato)

Visiting Scholar

Junko Nemoto (SATO), Ph.D. is a Visiting Scholar at the Asian American Studies Program, Stony Brook University, based at Meiji Gakuin University in Japan. Her research focuses on instructional design for both learners and educators — developing reflective and self-directed learning environments through the Reflection Meta-model (RM model) and Goal-Based Scenarios (GBS) theory, while also exploring how educators can leverage AI as a cognitive partner to build inclusive and responsive learning experiences. For more details, please visit Researchmap

Nantu Shaw

Visiting Scholar

Nantu Shaw is a Ph.D. candidate in Psychology at the Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad, Jharkhand, India. He holds a Master of Engineering (M.E.) in Computer Science and Engineering and a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Psychology. His doctoral research examines the underlying psychological mechanisms of the Patañjali Yoga Sūtras in the promotion of well-being. He is a Visiting Scholar at Stony Brook University in the Department of Asian and Asian American Studies, the Mattoo Center for India Studies (Fall 2026), under the supervision of Prof. Sthaneshwar Timalsina. His research focuses on Indian Psychology, and Transcultural Psychiatry. His interdisciplinary work examines the psychological emancipation of Indian knowledge systems. Through his research, he seeks to critically engage with Indian intellectual and contemplative traditions and explore their relevance to contemporary psychological theory, mental health, and human flourishing.

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