I’ve been the Digital Media Manager at the AAS since 2016. My affiliation with the association, however, began a decade before I started working here: I joined the AAS as a student member back in 2006, and I also worked as the Journal of Asian Studies editorial assistant while earning my PhD in modern Chinese history at the University of California, Irvine. At the Secretariat, my days are filled with posting to the AAS social media accounts, editing the #AsiaNow blog, and overseeing the association’s online presence. Please email me anytime if you have questions, comments, or suggestions about any of those areas. I’m also always happy to speak with AAS members who are interested in exploring non-traditional academic careers, so don’t hesitate to drop me a line if you’d like to discuss that topic!

I stepped into the role of AAS Executive Director in April 2019 after ten years in Korea where I was an Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology in the Department of Korean Music and Associate Dean of Students in Seoul National University’s College of Music. My role at AAS includes being the conduit for communications with and between boards, committees, administrative staff, and the membership of the Association. I both oversee and engage in teamwork with our wonderful staff in handling conferences, finances, publications, and membership, as well as work with our staff and the Board of Directors in developing and implementing policies, programs, and strategic initiatives. For over twenty years, my academic work has centered on Korean music with a recent focus on the roles of women in sustaining traditional expressive culture in the southwest of Korea. I spend time away from the Secretariat working on academic publication, creative writing and translation projects, as well as engaging in musical practice on the violin/fiddle and haegŭm. Please feel free to contact me anytime.