Kristin Vekasi, the inaugural Mansfield Chair of Japanese and Indo-Pacific Affairs, comes to UM from the University of Maine, where she focused on trade and investment strategies in changing geopolitical environments and the political risk management of supply chains. She specializes in Northeast Asia and has spent years conducting research in China, Japan, and South Korea. Her current research examines how Japan, China, and the U.S. cooperate and compete to manage complex supply chains, focusing on raw materials and industries essential for the transition to green energy.