John’s dissertation focuses on the construction of bomb shelters in Chongqing during the Second World War. His research encompasses the practice of emergency government in East Asia, the politics of large-scale technical systems, the way war expanded the Chinese state’s technological capacity, and Chinese contributions to global models of civil defense. Before coming to Columbia, John received a BA in East Asian Languages and Civilizations from the University of Chicago and a MA in Regional Studies – East Asia from Harvard University.