Dr. Melissa Macauley

Professor

Build a Statement of Purpose

Generate a tailored SOP for Dr. Melissa Macauley. Improve your application with a focused, well-structured draft.

Biography

Melissa Macauley specializes in late imperial and modern Chinese history from 1500 to 1958. Her research focuses on topics including the interrelated history of southeastern China and Southeast Asia, colonialism and imperialism in East and Southeast Asia, and the legal culture of Chinese social history. She published the recent book 'Distant Shores: Colonial Encounters in China’s Maritime Frontier' with Princeton University Press in 2021, which won the Bentley Book Prize from the World History Association in 2022. Macauley is currently working on a comprehensive history of the South China Sea, tentatively titled 'People’s History of the South China Sea.' She has received support from various prestigious organizations, including the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Council of Learned Societies. Additionally, she has held notable fellowships and positions, such as Senior Research Scholar at the Institute of Qing History at Renmin University in Beijing and a Postdoctoral Fellow in Chinese Studies at Harvard University. Macauley is recognized for her teaching excellence, receiving several awards including the WCAS Distinguished Teaching Award in 1999 and being named Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence in 2004.

Research Interests

Experience

Chair, Professor

1993-01-01 — Present

Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, Northwestern University • Evanston, IL

Head of the Department and professor specializing in late imperial and modern Chinese history.

Awards

#

Bentley Book Prize

2022-01-01
#

Fulbright Fellowship

2020-01-01
#

WCAS Research Innovation Grant

2018-01-01
#

Fellow

2014-01-01
#

Fellowship, National Endowment for the Humanities

2012-01-01
#

Gerald F. Marjorie G. Fitzgerald Chair in Economic History

2012-01-01
#

Member, Institute for Advanced Study

2008-01-01
#

Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence

2004-01-01
#

Fellowship, American Council of Learned Societies

2004-01-01
#

Fellowship, Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research Abroad

2004-01-01
#

Fellowship, American Council of Learned Societies/National Endowment for the Humanities

2000-01-01
#

Fellowship, Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research Abroad

2000-01-01

Requirements for Northwestern University

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Total
Required:90
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Prerequisites
U.S. Bachelor's degree or equivalent
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Transcripts
  • Letters of recommendation
  • Statement of purpose
  • Resume/CV
  • TOEFL/IELTS scores (if applicable)
Specialization Notes

Standard PhD requirements for TGS departments including Chemistry, Physics, and Sociology.