Leo Ching, professor of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, was named the new Schiff Family Dean of Humanities and the Arts for the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences. His term will begin July 1.
Dean of Trinity College Gary Bennett made the announcement in an email to Trinity faculty and staff, and the news was shared Thursday on the Trinity College website. In his email, Bennett wrote that Ching’s appointment “will ensure [Trinity College’s] continued excellence in the Arts & Humanities.”
Ching will replace Professor of Classical Studies William Johnson, who established the role and served a four-year term as its inaugural dean. The position was previously known as Dean of Humanities but was renamed in March 2023 in honor of the Schiff family, who made a $10 million donation to support the Schiff Family Humanities Fund — an endowment created in 2010 to support students and faculty pursuing humanities studies at Duke.
The incoming dean joined Duke as an assistant professor of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies in 1994. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Occidental College, a master’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and a doctorate from the University of California, San Diego.
Ching previously served as chair of the AMES department from 2011 to 2014. He was chair of the department of Asian and African Languages and Literature — the precursor to AMES — from 2004 to 2010.
“I am truly excited about Ching’s appointment as the new Schiff Family Dean of Humanities and the Arts in the Trinity College of Arts & Sciences. It is well-deserved,” wrote Shai Ginsburg, current chair of the AMES department, in an email to The Chronicle.
Ching teaches Japanese and East Asian Cultural Studies courses in the University’s AMES department. According to the announcement, his research pertains to “empire studies, postcolonial and decolonial theories, cultures of globalization, critical game studies and oceanic and archipelagic studies.”
“Over the years, his commitment to improving the department and the University at large has [been] unmatched, and I have no doubt that he will excel in this role to the benefit of us all,” Ginsburg wrote.
Ching also holds positions as co-chair of the Duke University Press Editorial Advisory Board, where his term will end July 31, and director of the International Comparative Studies program.
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Zoe Kolenovsky is a Trinity junior and news editor of The Chronicle's 120th volume.