Naren Gao studies Chinese and Inner Asian art in relation to the built environment and transcultural exchange during the Mongol period (13th–14th centuries). Her research focuses on visual and material culture, particularly the decorative arts, among Inner Asian ethnic and sociopolitical groups and institutions. Her current project at Pitt examines tombs, funerary monuments, and burial practices in the eastern Eurasian steppe during the Mongol period.
- Ph.D., History of Art and Architecture, University of Pittsburgh, in progress
- M.A., East Asian Studies, University of Toronto, 2022
- M.A., Art History (Eastern Asian Art focused), University of Kansas, 2018
- B.A., Double major: Art History and History, Miami University, Oxford, 2015
Education & Training
- Andrew W. Mellon Predoctoral Fellowship, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 2025-2026
- Arts and Sciences Summer Research Grant, University of Pittsburgh, 2024
- Evelyn and Thomas Rawski Graduate Student/Faculty Partnership Grant (In collaboration with Dr. Michelle McCoy), Asian Studies Center, University of Pittsburgh, 2024
- Arts and Sciences Summer Research Grant, University of Pittsburgh, 2023
- Dietrich School of Arts and Science Graduate Fellow, University of Pittsburgh, 2022-2023
Awards
