School of Humanities and Sciences
Showing 301-342 of 342 Results
-
Kedao Tong
Ph.D. Student in Religious Studies, admitted Autumn 2018
BioKedao Tong is a PhD candidate in Buddhist Studies in the Department of Religious Studies. His research focuses on the socio-cultural history of Chinese Buddhism and topics related to animals in the Chinese and the broader East Asian contexts. He is currently finishing his dissertation, tentatively titled "Animal Liberation as Human Endeavor: The Practice of Releasing Lives (fangsheng) in Chinese Religions, 400s–1940s."
Kedao received an MA in Chinese Literature and Culture from Stanford University, where he wrote a thesis that studies the writing of women’s epitaphs from China’s Northern Dynasties (439-581 AD). Prior to coming to Stanford, he received an Honors BA in East Asian Studies from the University of Toronto. He has taken up coursework and language training in Hong Kong and Japan, and has a background in editorial work in academic and other settings. -
Calvin Van Zytveld
Ph.D. Student in Music, admitted Autumn 2023
Music Production Overhire, MusicBioCalvin Van Zytveld is pursuing a Ph.D. in Musicology at Stanford University. His research interests include hymnody of pre-industrial America and agricultural practices of the early modern period.
Calvin graduated summa cum laude in music from Princeton University, with a certificate in cello performance. Following graduation, he began master’s degrees in music composition and cello performance at the University of Michigan, but lost his vision suddenly in the second year of his studies due to Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON). Unable to read music, Calvin performs and writes music less frequently now, though he can be heard performing with the Plymouth Chamber Players, a grassroots chamber collective he co-directs with violinists Paolo Dara and Karisa Chiu in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Calvin enjoys organic vegetable gardening, drinking tea, and walking with his guide dog, Wake. -
Dejan Vasic
Ph.D. Student in Art History, admitted Autumn 2023
BioDejan Vasić is an art historian and curator of late modern and contemporary art and moving image media. He specializes in the transnational avant-garde and conceptual art, concentrating primarily on performance, video art, photography, and artists’ films and media works. His research intersects art, power, war, and everyday life, with methodological grounding in historical materialism, memory politics, decolonial, gender and feminist theory, and affirmation of critical thinking as a public good. Dejan is passionate about the history of exhibitions, museology and curatorial practice; he is invested in writings in the first person, and frequently collaborates with artists who battle social, economic and political problems.
Prior to coming to Stanford, Vasić had over a decade of experience in Serbia and the Yugoslav region, where he engaged in radical curatorial practices and critical writing that delves into the politics and ethics of aesthetics. Since 2012, he is a member of the International Association of Art Critics AICA and has served on the Program Advisory Board of AICA-Serbia (2020-2023). Dejan curated visual arts program at the Center for Cultural Decontamination in Belgrade (2017-2023), co-edited the Beton - Cultural Propaganda Kit (2018-2023), was part of the Four Faces of Omarska Working Group (2010-2015), the Culture of Memory curatorial platform (2010-2014) and Kontekst Collective (2009-2013). -
Vannessa Velez
Ph.D. Student in History, admitted Autumn 2017
Master of Arts Student in History, admitted Spring 2025BioVannessa is a Ph.D. candidate in U.S. history with an interest in racial capitalism, science and technology studies, and urban environmental inequality. Her dissertation traces the environmental and political history of metro Atlanta’s rapid economic development from the beginning of national urban renewal in 1949 to 1996 when the city cemented its status as a global hub after hosting the Centennial Olympics. In particular, she focuses on how Atlanta’s early and enthusiastic embrace of globalization and new urban planning and engineering trends led to great economic success and widespread celebration as the new "Black Mecca" for African American business and culture. Unfortunately, this progress came at the expense of the city’s most vulnerable communities and their local environments—the consequences of which Atlanta is struggling to overcome today.
Her research has been supported by numerous institutions, including the Stanford Humanities Center, the Eisenhower Institute, the Andrew Mellon Foundation, the MIT SHASS Fellowship program, and the University of Pennsylvania's Provost Predoctoral Fellowship program. -
Katherine Whatley
Ph.D. Student in Japanese, admitted Autumn 2019
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research examines the relationship between the written and the spoken word in Classical Japan. I take this relationship as the starting place and explore the role of music in Classical Japan through looking at words-as-song. From this vantage point, I argue that music was a primary mode of communication amongst people (especially women) and their surroundings—interpersonal, international, and inter-environmental. I am also a composer and koto performer working on a dissertation composition.
-
Spark Wu
Master of Arts Student in Music, admitted Autumn 2023
BioSpark皇毅, a dynamic and talented rapper, singer, and producer from Taiwan, embarked on his musical journey at the tender age of 15, working as a freelance contract producer. His early start in the industry allowed him to hone a diverse set of skills, including music production, sound effects creation, film scoring, singing, and rapping.
In 2016, at just 16 years old, Spark demonstrated his entrepreneurial spirit by establishing ROLE PRODUCTION, a company he founded with the accumulated earnings from his collaborations with friends on various projects like short films, advertisements, and commercials.
His artistic breakthrough came in 2020 with the release of his debut album, "Fairy Fakeass Tale," under the esteemed HIM International Music record label. This album stood out for its innovative use of Grimms' Fairy Tales as allegories to critique societal appearances; it delved into the deceptive veneer of beauty that masks underlying corruption, violence, and sexuality, mirroring the dark themes prevalent in these classic tales.
The album's unique narrative approach, coupled with collaborations with renowned artists such as Karencici and F.I.R., quickly propelled "Fairy Fakeass Tale" to popularity. This success opened doors for Spark, leading to numerous performance opportunities across Taiwan.
Furthering his commitment to his craft, Spark graduated from the University of Michigan in 2023 with a Bachelor's degree in Performing Arts Technology. He is currently furthering his academic pursuits with a Master’s degree at Stanford University, continuing to blend his artistic talents with academic excellence. -
Crystal Yu
Master of Arts Student in East Asian Languages and Cultures, admitted Autumn 2024
Current Research and Scholarly InterestsModern and contemporary Chinese literature; comparative literature.
