Associate Professor of History and International Affairs, Elliot School of International Affairs, The George Washington University, September 1994 to present

Honorary Professor, Hunan Normal University, June 1998 to present

Assistant Professor of History, Department of History, University of Florida, September 1986 to June 1994

Ph.D. University of Michigan, History, 1985

M.A. University of Michigan, History, 1978

B.A.. Marian College, History, 1973

“Victims and Victimizers: Warlord Soldiers and Mutinies in Republican China.”  Presented at a conference on “War and Suffering in Modern China,” The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, November 4, 2006

 

“Sanctioned Violence, Sanctioned Vice: Local Bully Behavior and Militia Leadership in Republican China.”  Presented at the annual meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Region Association of Asian Studies, Pittsburgh, PC, October 29, 2005.

 

“Kings of the Countryside: Local Militia Leaders in Republican China.” Presented at “The Social, Economic, and Cultural History of Modern East Asia: A Symposium to Honor Albert Feuerwerker and Ernest P. Young,” University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, November 6, 2004

 

“Warlords Face the Firing Squad: Military Atrocities and Popular Protests in Republican China.” Presented at the annual conference of the Chinese Military History Society, Washington, D.C., May 24, 2004

 

“War, Ethnic Rebellion, and State-building: The 1937 West Hunan “Resist Japan, Abolish Military Land Rents” Uprising.” Presented at the annual meeting of the American Historical Association, Washington, D.C., January 11, 2004

 

“Ethnicity and Nationalism in Republican China.” Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Region Association for Asian Studies, Washington, D.C., October 26, 2003

 

"War, Ethnic Nationalism, and State-building: The 1937 West Hunan "Resist Japan, Abolish Military Land Rents” Uprising,” paper presented at the Chinese Military History Society conference, Manhattan, Kansas, May 11, 2002.

"A Reappraisal of Warlordism: Military Force and the Problem of State-Building in Early Twentieth Century China,” paper presented (in Chinese) at the International Conference on the Ninetieth Anniversary of the 1911 Revolution, Kobe, Japan, December 15, 2001.

"Ethnic Rebellion, Warlordism, and State-building in Nationalist China: The 1937 West Hunan 'Abolish Military Land Rents, Resist Japan' Miao Uprising," paper presented at the conference on "Ethnicity, Politics and Cross-Border Cultures in Southwest China: Past and Present," Lund University, Lund, Sweden, May 25-28, 2000.

"Military Atrocities, Warlordism and Anti-Warlordism in Republican China," paper presented at the Chinese Military History Group conference, U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, March 18, 2000.

"Military Atrocities and Public Opinion in Warlord China," paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association of Asian Studies, Boston, March 12, 1999.

"Burn, Kill, Rape and Rob: Military Atrocities and Public Opinion in Warlord China," paper presented at "Scars of War Workshop," Seminar on War in Modern China, Institute of Asian Research, University of British Columbia, April 18, 1998.

"Local Militia and State Power in Nationalist China," paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Historical Association, New York, January 3, 1997.

"Military Office and Local Elite Power in Guomindang China," paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association of Asian Studies, Honolulu, Hawaii, April 12, 1996.

"Warlords Against Warlordism: Military Men and the Issue of Military Interference in Politics in May Fourth Period China," paper presented at the Seminar on War in Modern China, George Washington University, Washington, D.C., February 10, 1995.

"State Power and Local Society in Nationalist China: Militia Organization in Hunan Province, 1927-1937," paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association of Asian Studies, Boston, March 25, 1994

"Warlords Against Warlordism: Nationalism, Militarism and Politics in Republican China," paper presented at the Southeast Conference Association of Asian Studies, University of Georgia, January 17, 1992.

"Warlord Republic: Civil War and the Militarization of Politics in Early Twentieth Century China," paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Historical Association, Chicago, IL, December 29, 1991.

"Militarism, Politics, and Nationalism in the Warlord Period," paper presented at the Seminar on Chinese Nationalism, Princeton University, March 22, 1991.

"Warlordism at Bay: Civil Alternatives to Military Rule in Early Republican China," paper presented at the Southeast Conference Association of Asian Studies, Rock Hill, South Carolina, January 18, 1991.

"Here Today, Gone Tomorrow: Militia and Local Militarization in Post-Taiping Hunan," paper presented at the Regional Seminar in Chinese Studies, Center for Chinese Studies, University of California--Berkeley, April 12, 1986

Guest Lecturer, East Asia Seminars, Foreign Service Institute, National Foreign Affairs Training Center, 2-3 times per year, 1997 to Present: "China’s Revolutionary Century,” "The Rise of Modern China,” "The Chinese Communist Movement, 1921-2001.”

“Understanding China Through History,” China Regional Security Studies Program, Industrial College of the Armed Forces, National Defense University, September 3, 2003; September 13, 2004; September 19, 2005; and August 28, 2006

 

The Great Dynasties of China," six-lecture course, Smithsonian Campus on the Mall, Washington, D.C., July 5 - August 9, 2006

 

“The Sweep of Chinese History,” in “China: A Look Beyond the Headlines.” Arlington Learning in Retirement Institute, George Mason University, March 21, 2006.

 

"China and Taiwan: Historical Impasse, Contemporary Challenge,” Open House, Elliott School of International Affairs, Washington, D.C., April 15, 2005 and April 21, 2006.

 

China: A Cultural and Historical Perspective,” China Threat Seminar, Joint Counterintelligence Training Facility, Elkridge, Maryland, March 8 and June 27-28, 2005

 

“A Portrait of China: Beijing,” Smithsonian Campus on the Mall, Washington, D.C., February 16, 2005

 

“Across the Taiwan Straits: An Overview of China-Taiwan Relations,” Franciscan Center for Global Studies, Marian College, Indianapolis, November 11, 2004

 

“Prospects for Democracy in China: Historical Perspectives,” Asia Pacific 5 Summit on Democracy and Regional Security, organized by the Institute for Taiwan Defense and Strategic Studies, Taipei, Taiwan, November 18, 2003

 

“China’s Civilization and World View,” seven-lecture course, Smithsonian Campus on the Mall, Washington, D.C., October 22 – December 3, 2002

 

"China’s Global Presence: A Historical Perspective,” invited lecture for the Smithsonian World Affairs Institute: "Beyond the Pacific Rim: A Global Perspective on China,” Smithsonian Campus on the Mall, Washington, D.C., April 10, 2002.

"Jiuyiyi shijian fashenghou Meiguode qingkuang yu mingzhong de fanxiang” [The situation in America and the popular response following the September 11th Incident], invited talk (in Chinese), Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Peoples Republic of China, November 16, 2001.

"Jinshinianlai Meiguo xuezhejie yanjiu Zhongguoshi jieshao” [An introduction to American studies of Chinese history in the last ten years,” invited talk (in Chinese), Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Peoples Republic of China, November 15, 2001.

"Wusi qianhou Hunan renmin fandui junfa douzheng”[The anti-warlord struggle of the Hunan people before and after May 4th], invited talk (in Chinese), Xiangtan University, Xiangtan, Peoples Republic of China, November 14, 2001.

"Philosophers of Ancient China,” lecture series, Smithsonian Campus on the Mall, Washington, D.C., January 23 – February 27, 2001.

"Beijing in Historical Context,” guest speaker in lecture series: "Old Beijing: Imperial Capital of China,” Smithsonian Campus on the Mall, Washington, D.C., October 23, 2000.

"The Great Dynasties: 2000 Years of Chinese History," lecture series, Smithsonian Campus on the Mall, Washington, D.C., July 6 - August 10, 1999.

"The Emergence of Modern Chinese Warlordism," talk given for the Humanities Division, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, July 1, 1993.

"Warlordism Reconsidered: From Warlord Politics to Warlords in Politics," talk given at the Seminar on War in 20th Century China, Princeton University, March 24, l990.

"Enlistment, Conscription, Impressment, and Incorporation: The Ways and Means of Warlord Recruitment," talk given at the Center for Chinese Studies, University of California--Berkeley, May 5, 1986.

Editorial Board, Washington Journal of Chinese Studies, 2006

 

Editorial Board, Modern China, January 2000 to present.

 

Manuscript Reviews for China Quarterly, Journal of Asian Studies, Journal of Northeast Asian Studies, Modern China, Twentieth Century China, and War and Society

 

Advisory Board, Franciscan Center for Global Studies, Marian College, Indianapolis, February 2004 to present.

 

Executive Committee, Chinese Military History Society, March 2003 to March 2004.

 

Screening Panel, Toyota International Teachers Program, Institute of International Education, February 23, 2004.

Evaluation Team, Council Study Center at Peking University, Beijing. Council International Studies Program (CIEE). November 19-24, 2001.

Study Leader, Smithsonian Odyssey Tour, "Ancient Capitals of Beijing and Xi’an,” November 3-13, 2001.

Chair, panel on "Competing Loyalties/Conflicting Modernities: Literacy and Historical Issues in the Republic," annual meeting of the Association of Asian Studies, San Diego, March 10, 2000

Panelist, roundtable on "The State of the Field: Reassessing the Study of Chinese Local History," annual meeting of the Association of Asian Studies, San Diego, March 10, 2000.

Member, Academic Consortium Board Evaluation Team for Council on International Educational Exchange Study Center at Peking University, November 18-25, 2001

Selection Committee, Fulbright-Hays Seminar Program, 2001 and 2002

Selection Committee, Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002

Specialist Review Committee, Fulbright Scholar Awards in East Asian History and Literature (1995-1998)

Organizer, panel on "Local Militia, Social Order, and Political Change," annual meeting of the American Historical Association, New York, January 3, 1997

Chair (substitute), panel on "Asia in the World Community: Perspectives from Turn-of-the-Century China and Japan," annual meeting of the American Historical Association, New York, January 3, 1997

Organizer, Seminar on War in Modern China, George Washington University, Washington, D.C., February 10, 1995

University Facilitating Fund Award, The George Washington University, Summer 1995 and Summer 1996

National Program for Research and Study in China Fellowship, Committee on Scholarly Communication with the People's Republic of China, 1992-1993

Chiang Ching-kuo Fellowship, Inter-University Program in Chinese Language Study, Taiwan, Summer 1992

Mellon Fellowship for Young China Scholars, American Council of Learned Societies, 1987-1988

Research Development Award, University of Florida, Summer 1987

Post-doctoral Fellowship, Center for Chinese Studies, University of California--Berkeley, 1985-1986

Horace H. Rackham Fellowship, University of Michigan, 1985

Augustus Hindelman Fellowship, University of Michigan, 1983-1984

Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowship, 1982

Committee on Scholarly Communication with the People's Republic of China Advanced Study in China Fellowship, 1981-1982

Social Science Research Council International Doctoral Research Fellowship, 1981-1982

Horace H. Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship, University of Michigan, 1980-1981

Center for Chinese Studies Fellowships, University of Michigan: 1976-1977, 1978-1979, 1979-1980

National Defense Foreign Language Fellowships: 1973-1974, 1974-1975, 1975-1976, 1977-1978