Creating Transformative Experiences

Person walking along a path on a foggy day

Nick Kontogeorgopoulos likes to stay busy. When he isn’t researching the complexities of ethical international tourism, teaching courses in international political economy, or serving as the director of the Asian Studies and Global Development Studies programs, he’s traveling to Thailand to study sustainable tourism practices. This summer, the distinguished professor of international political economy is taking on a new role as associate dean of experiential learning.

Where Is Tacoma's 'Chinatown'?

Illustration: Thure De Thulstrup—Library of Congress
Tacoma had fewer than 1,000 residents in 1876, when Tak Nam and Lum May opened their mercantile shop, Sam Hing Co., on what is now Commerce Street at 9th Avenue.

The business thrived selling medicines, teas, rice, and other goods, and the shopkeepers had a good relationship with Tacoma’s city leaders.

From Proud Boys to Plato

Seth Weinberger

I am a scholar of international security. For most of my life, I’ve been focused on threats like nuclear annihilation and “Great Power war”—conflict with China or Russia. But today, for the first time in my life, the most significant threat to our country comes from within. Since 9/11, there have been 107 deaths in the U.S. from jihadi violence—and 114 deaths from violence by right-wing domestic extremists, many of them white supremacists. But the numbers don’t represent the true nature of the threat.

Five Questions With Puget Sound Assistant Professor Tina Huynh

Tina Huynh

Assistant Professor Tina Huynh wants to share the joy of music with everyone. Whether she’s collecting Vietnamese children’s music, teaching undergraduate- and graduate-level courses in music and music education at University of Puget Sound, or serving as the Tacoma Refugee Choir’s project scholar, Huynh is passionate about preserving music and passing it on to her students and to the community. We recently sat down with the music scholar to talk about her creative and scholarly projects, her favorite instruments, and her new documentary.