Faculty Profile
Nan Ma
Associate Professor of East Asian Studies (2015)
Contact Information
Stern Center for Global Educ Room 108
Bio
Professor Ma's teaching and research fields include modern Chinese literature, visual culture, and performance studies. She has published in several peer-reviewed journals, including Modern Chinese Literature and Culture (MCLC), China Perspectives, and Beijing Dance Academy Journal, and the anthology Corporeal Politics: Dancing East Asia (edited by Katherine Mezur and Emily Wilcox, University of Michigan Press, 2020). Professor Ma also serves as an editorial board member for the Dance Research Journal (DRJ), starting in September 2022. Her book, When Words are Inadequate: Modern Dance and Transnationalism in China, is published by Oxford University Press in 2023. She teaches all levels of Chinese language and topic courses, such as "Modern Chinese Performances Culture," "Chinese Science Fiction and Film," and "Cities in Chinese Literature, Film, and Visual Arts." Professor Ma is currently working on her second book project about war and dance in twentieth-century China.
Education
- B.A., Peking University, 2004
- M.A., Tsinghua University, 2007
- Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2015
2024-2025 Academic Year
Fall 2024
FYSM 100 First-Year Seminar
The First-Year Seminar (FYS) introduces students to Dickinson as a "community of inquiry" by developing habits of mind essential to liberal learning. Through the study of a compelling issue or broad topic chosen by their faculty member, students will:
- Critically analyze information and ideas
- Examine issues from multiple perspectives
- Discuss, debate and defend ideas, including one's own views, with clarity and reason
- Develop discernment, facility and ethical responsibility in using information, and
- Create clear academic writing
The small group seminar format of this course promotes discussion and interaction among students and their professor. In addition, the professor serves as students' initial academic advisor. This course does not duplicate in content any other course in the curriculum and may not be used to fulfill any other graduation requirement.
CHIN 201 Intermediate Chinese
An enhancement of the oral and written skills of elementary language study. In addition, students will learn to use dictionaries to translate original literary works. Extra conversational work will be included, geared to understanding and participating in Chinese culture. Prerequisite: 102 or the equivalent.
CHIN 231 Advanced Chinese
Advanced reading, writing, speaking, and understanding of the Chinese language for students who have completed Chinese 202. This course aims to enhance the students' understanding of Chinese culture and introduce them to issues in contemporary China through reading and discussion.
Prerequisite: 202 or the equivalent
EASN 480 Critical Dialogues E Asian St
To help prepare students for completing their senior research project, this course introduces current dialogues and research strategies in East Asian Studies. Students will study influential scholarly texts on and from the region and apply insights gleaned from them toward analysis of primary source data. Students will also learn to better identify and evaluate competing views presented by secondary sources. By the end of the course, students will have chosen a research topic, identified suitable sources, and developed a proposal for their senior project. The content and direction of the course will reflect the research interests of students and the instructor.Prerequisite: EASN, CHIN or JPNS major and 200-level EASN course.