Alisa Freedman is a professor of Japanese literature, cultural studies, and gender at the University of Oregon. Her books include Japan on American TV; Tokyo in Transit: Japanese Culture on the Rails and Road; Women in Japanese Studies: Memoirs from a Trailblazing Generation (edited collection of 32 memoirs, click here for an excerpt); Introducing Japanese Popular Culture (edited textbook featuring 42 trends, two editions); annotated translation of Kawabata Yasunari’s The Scarlet Gang of Asakusa; and Modern Girls on the Go: Gender, Mobility, and Labor in Japan (coedited volume). She has published around 50 articles for academic and general interest publications (click here for articles on emoji and Cup Noodle), 20 literary translations, and 3 guides to academic professionalization skills and publishing. She served as the editor-in-chief of the US–Japan Women’s Journal (2016–2022) and was a Fulbright Scholar in Vietnam (2024). She is the Faculty Fellow of a University of Oregon residence hall, has received a national award for her mentorship work, and is a member of 12 campus units. Alisa enjoys presenting at public events like cultural festivals, anime cons, reading groups, and TEDx.

Email: alisaf@uoregon.edu

Hi everyone! I’m Maddy, the FA for Oregon and Asia. I am a computer science major here at the University of Oregon! After graduation, I’m hoping to be a CS researcher of some sort. I’m originally from LA, but I’ve lived in Portland for about just as long! I love studying computer science, history, and Chinese. Outside of class, I love to sculpt, play tennis, cook, play Tetris, and draw comics! I’m a fan of Godzilla and my dog, who’s also a weird-looking monster in his own way. 

Want to connect with your FA? Email figs@uoregon.edu to get connected!