Welcoming Our Anthropology Interns

Tammy Cheng, Writer, contributed to this post.

We learn by experience, as Innovation Hub members know. Since the Hub launched 3.5 years ago, many students have practised their design thinking, empathetic interviewing, data analysis, and professional skills through our projects. Recently, we’ve formalized this learning experience by partnering with academic courses. We provide practical projects for students to work on, and UofT’s excellent faculty and course instructors provide their subject expertise. Together, we provide a richer learning environment for students.

As part of our new collaboration with the Department of Anthropology, we welcomed our first class of interns this semester. These seven upper-year students bring their anthropological skills to our newest projects, and we look forward to learning more about and working with them in the coming months!

Scroll down to meet our new anthropology interns:

Angela Yuan is a third-year student joining our Food Insecurity project. She’s interested in how the Innovation Hub uses anthropology techniques to understand student experiences. Through this internship, she hopes to learn how to apply these skills outside of academia. She loves to draw, paint, and bake, and she’s an avid yogi.

Amber (Xinyang) Ye is completing a specialist in sociocultural anthropology and also working on our Food Insecurity project. She wants to learn more about design thinking and working with diverse teams. She’d also love to use her skills to improve students’ experiences. Academically, she’s interested in contemporary culture, health, sustainability, and the impact of local and global hegemonies on education in Asia. Outside of school, she enjoys the arts, including theatre, music, and film.

Kalen Chen is a third-year student studying sociocultural anthropology, literary critical theory, and East Asian studies. They are passionate about social justice and health equity, which makes them thrilled to work with the Innovation Hub. They want to improve their ethnographic technique and better understand the needs of students and youth. When not completing pre-lecture readings, they like to shop hop for pretty washi tapes and immerse themselves in video games.

Jennifer Shim is a fourth-year student majoring in East Asian studies and evolutionary anthropology. She is joining our project on Supporting Students in Second-Entry Professional Programs. She wants to learn more about ethnographic research, support her teammates, and help improve the UofT undergraduate experience. Outside of school, she enjoys writing and learning animation.

Mira is studying anthropology with a focus on linguistic anthropology, in particular the intersection of plurilingualism, transnational migration, and the political economy. She is joining the Content Capture project, where she hopes to meet like-minded individuals dedicated to increasing access to education. She sees the Innovation Hub as a bridge betweeen her academic interests and community work. In her free time, Mira enjoys exploring coffee shops, playing board games, and hanging out with her friends.

Sofia Champion is a fourth-year student of anthropology and linguistics. She is working on the Engaging International Students project, where she hopes to reveal the often-unrecognized challenges faced by international students. She wants to conduct Master’s-level research on autistic identity.

Lauren Turner is a fourth-year student studying diaspora and transnational studies, anthropology, and English. She is joining the Supporting Students with Disabilities project. The Innovation Hub interested her because of its emphasis on empathy and equity-centred work. She looks forward to learning more about ethnographic research and the UofT student experience. Her main academic interests are contemporary English literature and diaspora studies. In her spare time, she enjoys working on illustrations, writing, and seeking out new downtown coffee spots.