Dr. Paula R. Curtis

Jomon pottery sitting on a black turntable with a black background setup behind it. A camera and flash are connected to a studio stand and a laptop is showing a live view from the camera.

Got a chance to do a bit of #photogrammetry work with some Final Jomon period pottery 🏺 (~2000yrs ago) from the Sugisawa site in Shiga Prefecture using the big turntable last week. Was a nice refresher on how all the bits a pieces of the system connect together. #Japan #archaeology #Jomon #3D

“I am ready for #AAS2026 möther.”

An advertisement split into teal and white backgrounds with an outline of Japan made up of pixel squares (the logo for Digital Humanities Japan). It says "Association for Asian Studies 2026 Meeting-in-Conjunction. Join us to catch up on the latest in digital Japan Studies! Interested in having a few minutes to introduce a new project or idea? Email Paula R. Curtis (prcurtis@g.ucla.edu) before the conference! Since this is the lunch hour, come early and we'll end within an hour. saturday March 14, 12:15pm to 1:15 pm VCC Room 119.

Reminder! If you're going to be at #AAS2026 this week, we'll be holding the Digital Humanities Japan meeting on Saturday! 💻🗾 Since this is the lunch hour we will begin at 12:15 and finish within an hour so folks can grab a bite to eat. ✌️ cdmcd.co/qdwrXZ

I was teaching modern China during Trump’s first election and wowee what a time for discussion sections.

It’s probably a good thing I’m not teaching my sixteenth century Japan class right now. “Might have been crazy, might have been starting a war overseas to distract domestic enemies” is a little too relevant right now. (sweats in Hideyoshi 💦)

🫠 we did our best

No matter which institution you hail from, we'd love to hear about your experiences navigating these turbulent times across the globe. Read more and bookmark the event here! cdmcd.co/XKv9qq

Pedagogy Under Threat (in the U.S. and Beyond) - Sponsored by AAS Diversity and Equity Committee Sat, March 14, 2026 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM PDT Location: VCC, Room 212 Over the last decade, higher education has experienced a disconcerting variety of threats which have taken a variety of forms at institutions globally, include but are not limited to restrictions on academic freedom, budget cuts and the adjunctification of instruction, the elimination of entire departments, surveillance, and much more. In recent years, the United States in particular has been a site of further and accelerated existential attacks on the infrastructure of the humanities, area studies, higher education as a whole, and students whose identities or activism make them vulnerable, destabilizing the foundations of critical pedagogy and rejecting the necessity of diversity, equity, and justice for educators and students alike. The reckless and often extractive push towards new and little-understood technologies like generative AI without consideration of their influence on teaching, research, or student development further hinders instructors of every discipline and background. Finally, the militarization of campus security, including intensive surveillance technology, has restricted free speech. With repercussions far beyond North American academic circles, these trends both echo and resonate with the experiences of colleagues and institutions around the world. These targeted forms of disempowerment have effects well beyond US borders, necessitating that we both raise awareness of these issues and collaborate on strategic paths forward.

As we get closer to #AAS2026, a number of scholars on the Diversity and Equity Committee panel "Pedagogy Under Threat (in the U.S. & Beyond)" have found that they cannot attend the conference due to visa issues. We are therefore encouraging scholars to stop by and share in this important discussion.

The Big Concern to Aw Yiss Spectrum, encapsulated.

Back pain finally got bad enough that I went to the doctor (Day 6 was my limit.. 😅). Confirmed I probably strained something muscular and that I did all the right things up to now (yay). Some prescriptions now in the pipeline along with authorizations for x-rays and PT just to cover bases. ✌️

Tomi always said to me: “It seems really stressful now, but you will never have another chance in your career to just read and absorb everything, so do it.”

Profile of Vincent Chan, a secondary school educator in Burnaby School District, featured in the Association for Asian Studies Member Spotlight.

Ahead of #AAS2026, we have a Vancouver local in the AAS Member Spotlight! Vincent Chan teaches secondary school in British Columbia and looks forward to meeting other members at the Annual Conference next week.

https://bit.ly/AAS-Chan

It also put me in charge of my research at the very beginning of the process. Gaining that independence and skill set is vital for being able to complete the dissertation. I know a few people who didn't finish because they had trouble with that part.

This reminds me of when I was a PhD candidate during comps (prelims). I was surprised that *I* had to put together all 3 of my reading lists instead of my committee. But then I realized that the act of compiling was an important learning experience.

My comps (prelims) were in:

Premodern Japanese history
Premodern Chinese history
Medieval European history

Written and oral exams, advisor who felt my list of nearly 700 books and articles was very reasonable. 😬😅

HOT BELL HISTORY

A cream colored tabby named Fox sitting on a burgundy couch covered in his fur. He is mid yawn.

A cream colored tabby named Fox sitting on a burgundy couch covered in his fur. He is mid yawn with his mouth open wide and his eyes scrunched up.

A cream colored tabby named Fox sitting on a burgundy couch covered in his fur. He just finished a big yawn and looks like a happy octogenarian smiling

good morning ☀️

Fun Japan fact:

Temples and villages did this for centuries to save their giant bronze bells from being stolen by invading forces. One way we rediscover premodern bells is through construction on temples or pond restoration that uncovers hidden bells. 🔔📿

Am I teaching one of these Rapid Response lectures on the manipulation of Ancient History in America today? Yes, I am. Am I proud of our history department? Absolutely. history.uiowa.edu/research/pub...

Made a pop up of Japanese children’s books in the Asian Library! Video should be out soon 😊✌️

Dream Lab is a kind of Digital Humanities Summer Camp designed with grad students and early career humanities professionals in mind. In summer 2026, we are excited to offer six classes. Learn more about the classes below and click the links for registration information and instructor bios. Check out the FAQ for information about registration fees and daily schedules.

🚨 DREAM LAB AT PENN, MAY 26-29 MOTHERFUCKERS 🚨

⬇️💛🙌

(for like, non-serial killer reasons)

I used to kill rats on bricks.

I made bad pancakes a couple weeks ago but I still ate them cmon folks

!!!! John Stewart! Disgruntled Hal! Ahhh!

Given the recent funding restrictions to Western civ, I’m relieved to see this fellowship back! Happy to answer questions on it, though rumor suggests that JUSFC-NEH is no longer awarding three scholars per year 😭

we get it, Fox, you can bend your back while on the floor and I can’t 🙃

Pulled something in my back. 🫠 it’s been like four days and still not really better. 😩