We are happy to introduce Megan Hewitt PhD as our new Executive Director of AIFIS. Megan brings a diversity of academic, organizational, and creative experience and we are thrilled to have her join the AIFIS community!

Megan completed her doctoral degree from the Department of South & Southeast Asian Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research and fieldwork in Indonesia include projects on Indonesian literature, performance arts, community-based education, and social movements. In conjunction with her graduate degree, she has eight years teaching experience in comparative Southeast Asian literatures and Indonesian Studies. She is a two-time Fulbright award recipient for research and teaching in Indonesia and has organized several conferences and workshops in collaboration with partners in the US and Indonesia. Megan has also worked as a professional Indonesian translator and consultant for the last six years. Additionally, she created a documentary filmmaking group called AmongOthers Productions with ongoing projects that highlight Indonesian cross-culturalism. In 2021 they produced a 20-minute documentary about a group of Indonesian and San Francisco based mural artists (Bangkit/Arise). Megan is also the lead singer of the Indie duo Antaralain, and performs with a number of ensembles in the SF Bay Area which draw from the arts of Indonesia: Harmonic Drift, Gamelan Sekar Jaya and Purnamasari.

“I am most excited about working to sustain programs that generate greater awareness of Indonesian studies in the US, as well as to facilitate further collaborations between Indonesian and American scholars, artists, and professionals engaged in research in Indonesia. Terima kasih banyak atas kesempatan ini. Ayo kita berkolaborasi!” -Megan