The Asian Studies Program is thrilled to announce the arrival of Dr. Amanda Kennell, who will take a position as Clinical Assistant Professor of Japanese Cultural Studies beginning in the fall 2018 semester. Dr. Kennell is currently a Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Fellow at the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures, where she is affiliated with the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom. She completed in 2017 her PhD in East Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Southern California and is preparing a book manuscript that has emerged from her doctoral dissertation, entitled “Alice in Evasion: Adapting Lewis Carroll in Japan.” Having herself come to the academic study of Japanese culture as a fan of Anime, she has demonstrated her passion for contemporary East Asian popular culture through extensive research and training. She has an outstanding record of winning funding from a variety of sources and is interested in applying digital humanities methods in the classroom. With a secondary focus on Korean language and popular culture, Dr. Kennell will work with the Asian Studies Program to develop courses that expand the breadth of our curriculum. Dr. Kennell also has prior experience working for two Asia-related non-profits: the Asia Society Washington Center and Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA.