Visiting Scholars
2026
Geyan Du
Geyan Du is a Chinese Teaching Fellow from Beijing Normal University, who worked with the Chinese Language Program at Oberlin College during the 2025-2026 academic year. Her interests center on Chinese language teaching, cultural exchange, and helping students engage with language in meaningful, everyday contexts. At Oberlin, she supported classroom instruction, the Chinese language table, conversational sections, and office hours. She is excited to continue exploring new experiences in teaching, learning, and generally cultivating cross-cultural connections!
Ayane Shigenobu
Ayane Shigenobu is a Japanese language instructor from Japan. During the 2025–26 academic year, she taught Japanese language courses at Oberlin College, supporting students as they developed their language skills and cultural understanding. Her experiences in the classroom inspired her to further explore questions related to Japanese language pedagogy and linguistics.
In the fall of 2026, she will begin a master's program in the United States, where she plans to pursue research in Japanese language education while continuing to grow as both a teacher and researcher.
Keerthana Murugesapandian
Keerthana is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English at Lady Doak College, Madurai, India. A passionate teacher and theatre enthusiast, her academic interests include drama, theatre, life writing, and trauma theory. She is particularly interested in exploring the intersections of literature, performance, and cultural exchange. In the Fall of 2025, Keerthana observed undergraduate teaching methodologies and explored courses in English and Theatre at Oberlin. While auditing courses, Keerthana learned more about lighting design and theatre production, a knowledge she hopes to bring back to strengthen theatrical practices at Lady Doak College.
Upon returning to India, she plans to incorporate the insights gained at Oberlin into her teaching, theatre productions, and institutional initiatives. She hopes that the experience will help foster deeper academic and cultural connections between Oberlin and Lady Doak College, continuing a partnership that has enriched both institutions for generations.
Durrah Hayati
Durrah Hayati is an Assistant Professor of Agriculture and Forestry from Syiah Kuala University, in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Durrah's professional and academic experience has particularly focused on promoting biodiversity and sustainable agricultural practices within the coffee industry in Indonesia. As part of Shansi's Spring 2026 Visiting Scholars cohort, Durrah also engaged deeply with Oberlin academics, ExCos and tagged along to local yoga classes alongside Shansi's Grants and Fellowships coordinator.
Leveraging both of her rich experiences as a seasoned consultant and researcher, Durrah hosted a collaborative presentation with Summer 2025 In-Asia Grant Recipient Dung Le '26 for members of the Oberlin Community at the Oberlin Public Library. She also conducted multiple academic guest lectures at another private college while visiting Pittsburgh in the Spring.
Hasyim Kurniawan
Hasyim Kurniawan works as an Assistant Professor in the English Study Program within the Faculty of Cultural Sciences at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) in Indonesia, where he specializes in World Englishes, intercultural communication, and language pedagogy.
During his residency at Oberlin, Hasyim audited courses in linguistic anthropology and language pedagogy, attended campus talks, and developed his doctoral research proposal focused on ethnography of communication in aged-care settings. With support from Shansi, he also attended the American Association for Applied Linguistics (AAAL) Conference in Chicago.
Beyond academics, Hasyim actively engaged with the local community while sharing Indonesian culture. He designed and conducted "Bahasa Indonesia untuk Jalan-Jalan," a workshop series that provided a practical introduction to survival Indonesian for traveling. He also deeply appreciated Oberlin’s rich artistic ecosystem, regularly attending performances at the Conservatory, and found a welcoming home away from home by joining local Muslim community gatherings during Ramadan.
This residency has allowed Hasyim to deeply nurture the longstanding partnership between UGM and Shansi. Upon returning to Indonesia, Hasyim looks forward to continuing his involvement in this collaboration and supporting future Shansi Fellows during their time at UGM.