Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month

Vida Vanchan, Ph.D.

Vida Vanchan, Ph.D., is a Geosciences and Political Science and Public Administration professor at State University of New York (SUNY) Buffalo State University. She holds a doctorate in International Economic and Business Geographies and a master’s degree in International Trade from the University at Buffalo as well as a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from the Metropolitan State University of Denver. Dr. Vanchan’s research focuses on economic and social development; manufacturing and reshoring; global supply chain configuration and sustainability; industrial competitiveness and competitive characteristics of firms; trade and investments (FDIs); cross-cultural management and negotiation; Southeast Asia, and emerging economies. She is an author of The competitive characteristics of U.S. industrial design firms (2009), a co-editor of the Handbook of Manufacturing Industries in the World Economy (2015), and Ordinary Cities, Extraordinary Geographies: People, Place, and Space (2021). She has written numerous articles and book chapters. She has also written several technical reports and professional editor-reviewed blogs.

Dr. Vanchan has worked on educational development and capacity-building projects in Cambodia for many years. She has given numerous national and international lectures and workshops. She founded Southeast Asia Week (SEA) and has organized this annual event on the Buffalo State campus since 2012. The SEA Week events aim to provide useful and crucial information to enhance knowledge of the region and foster interactions and connections with Southeast Asian people and countries. Dr. Vanchan also joined the Southeast Asia Faculty Associates in Research (FAR) Program at Cornell University in 2019. This program aims to forge collaborative relationships with Southeast Asian specialists in New York and northern Pennsylvania educational institutions. She has also been a The New York Southeast Asia Network (NYSEAN) member of The New York Southeast Asia Network (NYSEAN) since 2021.

Dr. Vanchan has worked in both the public and private sectors. Recently, she worked with a local non-profit organization offering several community programs to help underserved and marginalized communities of Buffalo, including immigrants and refugees. She helped the staff develop a survey instrument to measure the effectiveness of client services in its drop-in center and assess its future operations and processes. She also surveyed the staff members about their thoughts on social justice and how the organization contributes to social justice efforts in Buffalo.