Gregory Smits
Professor of History and Asian Studies
211 Weaver Building
University Park, PA 16802
Phone: (814) 863-0172
Curriculum Vitae:
Education:
PhD, University of Southern California
MA, University of Hawaii
BA, University of Florida
Biography:
I have conducted research on a variety of topics and time periods. What they all have in common is a connection to Japan, broadly defined. Past research topics include, Confucianism, political economy, earthquakes, volcanoes, seismology, maritime networks, technology and environmental history. My current research focuses on the Ryukyu islands between the tenth and seventeenth centuries.
Recent Publications:
Early Ryukyuan History: A New Model. University of Hawai’i Press. Forthcoming (2024).
“Earthquakes in Historical Context.” In De-Min Tao and Gary P. Leupp, eds., The Tokugawa World (Routledge, 2021): 99-116.
Maritime Ryukyu, 1050-1650. University of Hawai’i Press (2019).
“Rethinking Early Ryukyuan History.” The Asia-Pacific Journal, Volume 17, Issue 7, Number 1, (April 1, 2019)
Recent Courses:
HIST 010 – World History I
HIST 011 – World History II
HIST 122 – History of Science I
HIST 123 – History of Science II