Vida Vanchan
SUNY Buffalo State
Vida Vanchan, Ph.D., is a professor of Geography and Planning at SUNY Buffalo State. She is also an affiliated faculty member of the Political Science and Public Administration Department where she teaches graduate courses in human resource management. She holds a doctorate degree 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 local to regional development; manufacturing and reshoring; industrial competitiveness and competitive characteristics of firms; trade and investments (FDIs); cross-cultural management and negotiation; Southeast Asia, and emerging economies. Dr. Vanchan has also worked on educational development and capacity building projects in Cambodia for many years. She founded Southeast Asia Week (SEA) and has organized this annual event on Buffalo State campus since 2012. The SEA Week events aim to provide useful and crucial information in enhancing knowledge of the region as well as fostering interactions and connections with Southeast Asian people and countries. She has also joined the Southeast Asia Faculty Associates in Research (FAR) Program at Cornell University since 2019. This program aims to forge collaborative relationships with Southeast Asian specialists at educational institutions throughout New York and northern Pennsylvania.