The Notre Dame Fukushima research team stands with innkeeper Tomoko Kobayashi (fifth from left) outside her Futabaya Ryokan in Odaka, Fukushima. From left: Professor Noriko Hanabusa, Lucy Reardon, Sophie Ramos, Teresa Elfrink, Kobayashi, Aidan Machado, Ethan Chiang, and Professor Jessica McManus Warnell.

The Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies is proud to celebrate our students' accomplishments during the 2025-26 academic year.

Congratulations to the Class of 2026

The Liu Institute oversees the supplementary major and minor in Asian Studies and supports one Master of Global Affairs (MGA) student in the Keough School of Global Affairs each year. In addition, the Institute employs student assistants who serve as student ambassadors through their involvement in Asian Studies courses, clubs, and campus communities.

Students from the class of 2026: Asian Studies Supplementary Majors Carter Powers, Ayanna Golliday and Mary Nem with Faiza Filali, Asian Studies Minor; Jessica Qianyi Ding, MGA Fellowship Recipient; and Alice Lei, Student Assistant.

By the Numbers

48 Asian Studies courses were offered with 970 students enrolling during the 25-26 academic year.
A Notre Dame student reads an orange book at a study table with a laptop, mug, and books. Wooden wall with Humanities programs.

An Undergraduate Journey

Through a senior thesis, a D.C. internship, and global connections, Faiza Filali prepares to take on the nuclear crisis

The College of Arts and Letters profiled Faiza Filali, who majored in political science with a supplementary major in international peace studies and minors in Asian studies and Korean. Find out how her interest in East Asia shaped her academic journey at Notre Dame.

Read the story

Young woman stands at the entrance of an ornate gate in China.

Liu Family Distinguished Achievement Award in East Asian Studies 

Navy ROTC midshipman and Chinese major Cheyenne Huddleston received the 2026 Liu Family Distinguished Achievement Award in East Asian Studies from the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures (EALC). Noted as an enthusiastic student with a passion for Chinese language and culture, Huddleston has won several prizes in the annual Chinese Speech Contest.

As a four-year member of the Chinese Singing Club, she has regularly performed Chinese-language songs at major departmental events, including Mid-Autumn Festival and Chinese New Year celebrations. Notably, she has represented the program at the World Music and Dance Festival for three consecutive years, helping to showcase Chinese language and culture to the broader community.

"Cheyenne is a wonderful student and has, from day one, shown true enthusiasm and passion for anything to do with the Chinese language and culture."

— Michel Hockx, Professor of Chinese Literature and Director of the Liu Institute (2016-2026)

Camille Martinez and Jonah Tran receive the 2026 Jose Eduardo Valdez Impact Award from the Asian Pacific Alumni Group of Notre Dame.

The José Eduardo Valdes Impact Award

The Asian Pacific Alumni Group of Notre Dame has awarded the second José Eduardo Valdes Impact Award to two seniors.

Camille Martinez majored in biological sciences with a minor in compassionate care in medicine. While serving as co-president of the Asian American Association, she led an initiative exploring how cultural heritage shapes Asian American students’ approaches to mental health.

Jonah Tran double-majored in finance and classics while serving as president of the Vietnamese Student Association. He led an initiative to support recently deported Vietnamese immigrants by collecting backpacks in collaboration with the Ba Lô Project.

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A smiling young male in a black sweatshirt by a hydrangea bush and a young smiling woman in a blue dress by a flowery wall.

Asian American Association Co-Presidents Elected

Two Liu Institute student assistants were elected co-presidents of the Asian American Association for the 2026–27 academic year. Taihiro Thompson-Cook ’27 is a major in economics with a minor in Japanese, and Mia Feix ’27  is pursuing a degree in psychology on the pre-health track with a minor in Asian Studies. The Liu Institute is proud that our student assistants and institute ambassadors were elected to this important campus leadership role that elevates Asian and Asian American visibility, education, and community.

Experiential Education

The Liu Institute works to provide a range of opportunities and avenues for engagement for all Notre Dame students. This year, the Institute hosted several unique experiential learning experiences, including:

  • An immersive virtual reality experience documenting a family's story of migration and internment in The Book of Distance, by filmmaker Randal Okita
  • Discussing East Asian film with acclaimed South Korean film director Yim Soon-rye before the screening of her Little Forest
  • Tapping into their inner archaeologist during an ancient Chinese ceramics workshop
  • Exploring Korean traditional dress (hanbok), games, music, and food during Korea Week, a collaboration with the Korean Cultural Center in Washington, D.C.

  • Learning traditional Korean knot tying (maedeup) with artist Karen Ahn, who has taught at the Smithsonian 

  • Researching post-disaster recovery firsthand in Tokyo and Fukushima

A young man uses a VR headset attached to a computer.
Yim Soon-rye with Notre Dame students in the East Asian Cinema class.
Three female students are smiling while cleaning pieces of ceramics from clay.
A woman helps a Notre Dame student tie a pink and purple Hanbok.
Korean knot (maedup) artist Karen Ahn helps a young woman during a workshop.
The Notre Dame Fukushima research team stands with innkeeper Tomoko Kobayashi (fifth from left) outside her Futabaya Ryokan in Odaka, Fukushima. From left: Professor Noriko Hanabusa, Lucy Reardon, Sophie Ramos, Teresa Elfrink, Kobayashi, Aidan Machado, Ethan Chiang, and Professor Jessica McManus Warnell.