Our alumni are involved in a variety of fields, including industry and academia. Hear about their experiences both as students in the department and their life post-graduation.
Alumnus Erik Quam graduated with a triple major in Asian languages & literatures, history, and international relations. He discusses how his passion for Chinese led to a career in the State Department and how he keeps his Chinese language skills up to date.
Phillip Bachman is a recent alumnus working abroad in Japan. His experience in the Department of Asian Languages & Literatures prepared him for an international position working with people from around the world.
Anatoly Detwyler, now a visiting fellow at Penn State University, speaks about his time as an undergraduate in the Asian languages & literatures program, as well as his current-day projects and interests.
In addition to receiving a BS in accounting, Anthony Dodge studied Chinese. While at the U, Dodge competed against over 120 people from 78 countries through the Chinese Bridge competition and in a national TV show in China, eventually placing 1st in the US and top 10 in the world. This competition was rigorous; Dodge gave speeches, acted, danced, sung, and played the cello and erhu throughout 8 episodes.
Minneapolis musician John Munson wrote, sang, and played in the '90s cult favorite Trip Shakespeare, as well as multi-platinum-selling hit-makers and Grammy-nominated Semisonic—all while pursuing a degree in Asian languages & literatures.
Jin is an alumnus of the University and an now works as an admissions officer for the U. He uses his ALL experience to work in a non-profit organization, help others, and understand the world.
