Before moving to the United States in 1987 and obtaining a PhD from the University of California, San Diego, Anna Szemere had been a fascinated observer of the Budapest punk and new wave scene. She has published a book (Up from the Underground, Penn State Press, 2001) and several articles about the rich and complicated ways in which this community of artists anticipated, precipitated, and reflected on Hungary's regime change of 1989. Overall, her research and teaching have focused on the sociology of youth, music, gender, and the media. Between 1997- 99 she served on the Executive Board of IASPM (International Association for the Study of Popular Music). Currently a visiting professor at the Sociology and Social Anthropology Department of CEU, she divides her time between Portland, Oregon and Budapest.