Donald M. Stadtner was for many years an Associate Professor of Art History at the University of Texas, Austin, after receiving his Ph.D in Indian art at the University of California, Berkeley. He was first in Burma in 1979, followed by visits in the 1980's sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution. His numerous publications deal with both Indian and Burmese art, with his 2005 book Ancient Pagan focusing exclusively on Burma's ancient capital city. His other publications include Buddhist Art of Myanmar (Asia Society - Elgar Dissertation Companions) and Sacred Sites of Burma (River Books). He also presented a podcast on Burmese Art. In 2005, his expertise helped to abort the purchase of a stolen statue of a Seated Buddha from India by the Royal Ontario Museum. Donald Stadtner divides his time between the San Francisco Bay area, India and Southeast Asia.