The UCLA Asian American Studies Center and Department are very pleased to announce that
our invaluable colleague, Professor Valerie Jean Matsumoto, has been promoted to Full
Professor, effective July 2009. Professor Matsumoto holds a split appointment in UCLA's
History Department and the Asian American Studies Department, and is actively involved as
a member of the Faculty Advisory Committee of the Asian American Studies Center.
A graduate of Arizona State University (B.A.) and Stanford University (Ph.D. History).
Professor Matsumoto has had a distinguished career that has already spanned over 20 years
at UCLA and hundreds of undergraduate and graduate mentees. Her book, Farming the Home
Place, is widely regarded as a classic in Japanese and Asian American community studies.
She also co-edited (with Blake Allmendinger) Over the Edge: Remapping The American West. Her newest book manuscript, which focuses on (second-generation Japanese American) Nisei
women's social networks before, during, and after World War II, is a timely, innovative
study which promises to be as influential as its predecessor. Dr. Matsumoto also
continues her on-going research projects on Asian American History; U.S. 20th Century,
Women's History, and Oral History..
Professor Matsumoto is also one of UCLA's stellar instructors. She was the inaugural
recipient of the C. Doris and Toshio Hoshide Distinguished Teaching Prize in 2006, as
well as the recipient of the university-wide Distinguished Teaching Award in 2007. She
has chaired or been a member of hundreds of senior theses, MA theses and doctoral
dissertations, and the students she has mentored are faculty members across the nation,
award-winning writers, and leaders in the community and society.
During her UCLA career, Professor Matsumoto has also contributed to the Asian American
Studies Center by serving as guest editor of several special issues of Amerasia Journal,
Associate Director of the Center, organizing conferences and events, and chairing
selection committees. She also has been an active leader in the Asian American Studies Department, and was Vice Chair of the department and a member of a number of committees.
She is also an active volunteer with many local and national museums, historical
societies, and other organizations and institutions.
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