Researcher of the Week: Christine Au

Wed, 26 Nov 2014 10:02:00 -0500
asian, mlli, studies, ura

Meet Christine,

She is a Asian Studies major, a MLLI Honors student and a URA Scholar. Christine is also a transfer student from Anne Arundel Community College - Go Pioneers! In her spare time she is a volunteer ambassador for UMBC and an active member of the Asian Studies society.

How did you find your mentor for your research project?

I'm interested in doing research about the Chinese novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and Dr. William Brown is my professor of Chinese literature. He helped me nail down the research topic and gave me advice so that I would have a clear direction and perspective.

How did you know this was the project you wanted to do?

In the course of Classic Chinese Literature, I did a term paper and presentation about the novel and the response was so good that a lot of my classmates wanted to know more about the Confucian ideology and how it implemented through the characters and the pragmatic battle strategies. Furthermore, I wanted to introduce to Americans how “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” is such an important historical novel in China and its profound impact throughout history. As a matter of fact, the pragmatic battle tactics are widely studied and have become so popular that they're now the main themes of video games and movies.

Is this your first independent research project?

Yes, it is.

Do you get course credit for this work?

Yes. It's part of my Modern Languages, Linguistics and Intercultural Communications (MLLI) Honors program.

How much time do you put into it?

The whole summer and the fall semester.

How did you hear about the Undergraduate Research Award (URA) program?

From the information provided by Dr. Anna Shields.

What academic background did you have before you applied for the URA?

I'm a senior in Asian Studies and Dr. Shields accepted me into the MLLI Honors program based on my academic performance.

Was the application difficult to do?

Not so much. I had the help from my mentor Dr. William Brown.

How much did your mentor help you with the application?

He provided ideas for my research topic and he wrote the recommendation letter for me.

What has been the hardest part about your research?

It is why and how this classic novel can produce such a cultural impact throughout Chinese society.

What was the most unexpected thing?

The research probably leads me to a conclusion that the pragmatic battle tactics in the novel and the Ming Neo-Confucian ideology do not necessarily conflict each other; instead, it is widely accepted and internalized as a way to reunite an empire.

How does your research relate to your work in other classes?

It deepens my understanding of Chinese culture and how the ideology of Neo-Confucianism will never be rooted out even in contemporary society.

What else are you involved in on campus?

Being a volunteer ambassador for UMBC and an active member of the Asian Studies society.

What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research?

Take it very seriously and explore your own interests.

What are your career goals?

Become a certified Chinese Language teacher.

Did you transfer to UMBC from another institution? Where?

Yes. I did. I transferred to UMBC from Anne Arundel Community College.

Read her abstract here...