We are so proud of UHM graduate students Areerat Worawongwasu (American Studies) and Xiaoyun Neo (Geography and Environment) who presented their LuceSEA Transitions Field School findings at the 2026 Association for Asian Studies (AAS) Conference in Vancouver, Canada!
UHM faculty Micah Fisher (PACE), Mary Mostafanezhad (Geography and Environment), and collaborators, Chaya Vaddhanaputhi, Tanya Limkhumduang (Chiang Mai University), Ming Li Yong (Singapore University of Social Science), and Ian Baird (UW Madison) also organized a panel (which Aree was also a part of), reflecting on Political Ecology Field Schools in Southeast Asia.
Xiaoyun shared her findings on the economics of elephant tourism in a rural upland village, while Aree highlighted the challenges of Pga K’nyau women who are continuing traditional ecological practices under shifting political and economic pressures.
Congratulations, field school team! Read more about Aree and Xiaoyun’s journey at AAS and Field Schools here.