William Wei

  • Professor
  • HISTORY

Education

Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1978
M.A., University of Michigan, 1971
B.A., Marquette University, 1969

Regional and Thematic Interests

East Asia
History

Profile

Prof. Wei’s primary research interests center on modern China, especially the themes of revolution and counterrevolution. His secondary ones are on Asian America, focusing on Chinese Americans within the context of the overseas Chinese Diaspora. Reflecting these intellectual pursuits are his major works: Counterrevolution in China: The Nationalists in Jiangxi during the Soviet Period (University of Michigan Press, 1985) and The Asian American Movement (Temple University Press, 1993). He has held a Rockefeller Fellowship, Mellon Fellowship, and Fulbright-Hays Fellowship. In the summer of 1997, he worked as a journalist covering the historic handover of Hong Kong to China. In the summer of 2006, he served as the Academic Dean of the Semester at Sea faculty aboard the S.S. Universe Explorer, visiting various countries around the Pacific Rim. In the summer of 2008, he participated in an international faculty development seminar on the Silk Road, China. He is frequently invited to lecture on Asian history and culture, and the Asian American experience.