Background
Ruch, Barbara was born on October 26, 1932 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Daughter of Harold H. and Anna A. (Kerr) Ruch.
Japanese literature and culture educator emerita
Ruch, Barbara was born on October 26, 1932 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Daughter of Harold H. and Anna A. (Kerr) Ruch.
Bachelor, Earlham College Master of Arts, University of Pennsylvania, 1960; Doctor of Philosophy, Columbia University, 1965.
Lecturer, instructor Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1964-1966. From assistant to associate professor University Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 1966-1984. Founder and director Institute for Medieval Japanese Studies University Pennsylvania, 1968-1984.
Director Institute for Medieval Japanese Studies Columbia University, New York City, since 1984. Founder and director Donald Keene Center of Japanese Culture Columbia University, 1985-1989. Professor Japanese Literature and Culture Columbia University, 1984—1999.
Professor emerita, since 1999. Director international research project on Illustrated Medieval Japanese Literary Texts, London, Dublin, New York, Tokyo, 1978-1979. Visiting research professor National Institute Japanese Literature, Tokyo, 1993, director International Research and conservation project on Imperial Japanese Buddhist Convents, Kyoto, Nara, Japan, since 1993, Gagaku-Hogaku Classical Japanese Music Program Initiative Columbia University, since 2006.
Board directors Urasenke, New York City, since 1996.
Member Association for Asian Studies (board directors 1973-1976), Association Teachers of Japanese (Executive Committee 1974-1977), European Association Japanese Studies, Japan Society New York, Setsuwa Bungakkai (Japan), Etoki Kenkyukai (Japan).