Julia S. Lamb Outreach Coordinator, Center for Southeast Asian Studies jlamb@niu.edu Current Resume

Personal Statement

My interest in Southeast Asia began many years ago when I was a child living in Germany.  It was the early 1960’s and many of friends’ fathers were US pilots training to go to Thailand and Vietnam.  My father, who was a training consultant to the US Air Force, spent all of 1968 in Thailand at the Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base.  Southeast Asia, particularly Thailand and Vietnam, was a large part of my growing up.  I still remember the fascinating letters and pictures my father sent home of his Thai colleagues, friends and house.  For many years, expressions such as “ching, ching” and “mai pen rai” were a special language created by my father.  It wasn’t until I went to Thailand that I realized these expressions were Thai!

My fascination with Southeast Asia and other cultures continued into my college years at a small, liberal arts university in New Jersey – Drew University.  I was very fortunate to have a Southeast Asian expert as one of my anthropology professors at Drew -- Professor Leedom Lefferts.  Through him, I learned of the Princeton-in-Asia Program at Princeton University.  It was through the PiA Program that I was able to work in northeast Thailand for three years.  From 1978 – 1981, I taught English at Srinakharinwirot University in Mahasarakham, Thailand (now known as Mahasarakham University) which at the time was a major teacher training university in Thailand.  My experiences in Thailand were life changing and cemented my continuing interest in this part of the world.

While I was working in Thailand, I applied to the US for graduate school.  I attended Northern Illinois University which I heard had a wonderful program in Southeast Asian studies.  I eventually received an MS Ed in Adult Continuing Education and English as a Second Language.  I then spent fifteen years working at the local community college near DeKalb, Illinois.  At Kishwaukee College, I coordinated a Refugee Program and then a local Literacy Program. 

In 1997, the Center for Southeast Asian Studies advertised for a new position – Outreach Coordinator as a part of their new US Department of Education Title VI National Resource Center grant.   I have been Outreach Coordinator for the Center since 1997.  As Outreach Coordinator, I help to develop, promote, coordinate and evaluate programs and activities which link and extend Northern Illinois University’s Southeast Asian studies resources and faculty to public groups and individuals. 

Current Interests

- Genocide and human rights in Southeast Asia

- Southeast Asian children’s literature

- LGBT issues in Southeast Asia

- Peace building and conflict resolution in Southeast Asia

- Refugees from Southeast Asia