By Kaylen Ayres ’25
Stella Xu, John R. Turbyfill Professor of History at Roanoke College, was one of the headline lecturers at a Feb. 20 event hosted by Yale University. Her address, organized by the Yale MacMillan Center Council of East Asian Studies, delved into the Han dynasty’s written records and explored the formation of ethnic identities and their relation to the evolution of foreign policies in early East Asia.
Xu, a recognized expert in East Asian history, was invited to take part in the lecture series after organizers read her book, “Reconstructing Ancient Korean History: The Formation of Korean-ness in the Shadow of History."
Her talk, “Managing Frontiers, Embracing Others: Xiongnu, Nanyue and Chaoxian in Han Dynasty’s Foreign Policy,” drew an audience of Yale faculty, post-doctoral researchers and graduate students. The event was recorded and can be replayed here.
Xu’s scholarship has led to her building relationships around the globe and created exciting opportunities for her students.
She’s secured multiple grants for students to do research overseas, mostly recently last summer when she led a three-week research trip to Korea. She also recently won a grant from the ASIANetwork that will allow Roanoke College to host a cultural exchange with two masters of the ancient art form of Hanji.
Xu also has been working to document Roanoke College’s unique historical ties to Korea. In November, she was invited to address an international audience on that topic at the Old Korean Legation Museum in Washington, D.C.
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