B.A. Temple University (English) M. Ed. Temple University (TESOL / English Education) M.A. Georgetown University (English) M.A. Princeton University (History) Ph. D. Princeton University (History) Tel: (65) 6516 7509
Office: AS1 05 - 45

I grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs, first developing an interest in East Asia through Temple University’s branch campus in Tokyo (TUJ), which brought a large population of Japanese undergrads to our U.S. campus in the early 1990’s. I then completed graduate degrees in linguistics and literature, teaching in different parts of Northeast Asia—Seoul and Yokohama—before starting my graduate work in History.

As a historian, I work primarily in the transformation of science, technology, and medicine in Modern East Asia (EASTM, 18th -20th cent), focusing on South Korea and the broader History of Medicine. At NUS, I plan to extend these interests to include Japan, North Korea, and Taiwan. My current project, tentatively titled “The Malleable Body: Biomedicine, Traditional Practice (TKM), and Nation-Building in South Korea, 1945-1972,” looks at the ROK state’s use of biomedicine to craft a “progressive” vision of itself after 1948, both in opposition to its neighbor to the north, and in contrast to its recent past as a colonial territory. The use of medicine in this fashion would culminate in the state’s construction of a medical / public health network in the 1960’s and 1970’s, during which an extensive Family Planning campaign became a central part of the nation’s self-fashioned image.

In my spare time, I like to collect international pop music—can anyone tell me where I can find the music of the Quests, the 1960’s Singapore group?—adding to my growing CD collection. In Singapore, I also hope to continue playing basketball, to keep reading EA-related literature (Murakami Haruki, Tash Aw), to watch as many films as possible (Park Chan-Ok, Bong Joon-ho), and finally, to indulge in a more recent hobby, watching Premier League games on TV.

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