I love to describe the world of research methodology as an endless sea. Each day across the world, various critical and creative research philosophies, practices, and reflections emerge. Each of them is valued and embraced to foster society’s growth.
Assistant Professor
As a qualitative methodologist, my methodological interests focus on cross-cultural/cross-lingual studies, research ethics, critical and creative qualitative inquiry, and the use of digital tools in qualitative research. I care deeply about international students’ and diaspora communities’ experiences and well-being, and engage in substantive as well as methodological work to explore more equitable ways of working with these populations.
I love to describe the world of research methodology as an endless sea. Each day across the world, various critical and creative research philosophies, practices, and reflections emerge. Each of them is valued and embraced to foster society’s growth. That is to say, there is no single way to conduct research, nor ways to learn about conducting research.
Positioning myself as a co-learner and a teacher in my teaching, I try not to situate the knowledge and the information introduced in the class as ‘authoritative’ or ‘the only truth’, recognizing the endless possibilities are expanding outside the classroom, across the university, and beyond the place we are located in. Thus, I encourage my students to also appreciate the beauty of ‘diversity’, by which I mean not only with what individual backgrounds and unique experiences can bring to this class, but also with each voice and idea expressed. To allow openness to occur, I seek to create a safe and inclusive classroom environment. To achieve this goal, I work together with students to engage with respectful and empathetic understanding, languages, and practices.
I teach courses on designing and conducting qualitative research. I also deliver sessions on using qualitative data analysis software. What excites me about teaching qualitative research is opening up opportunities for learners to see how conducting qualitative inquiry connects to their daily lives, interests, and career goals. I love to engage with conversations about how doing research can (or may) answer students’ wonders as well as help them explore their curiosities. I am also excited about the potentiality that practicing qualitative research, as a space for wonder and action, can open up community-building opportunities.
I encourage my students to continue reflecting on how their personal backgrounds and lived experiences shape (and reshape) their ways of interacting with the world and societies. I foreground this continuous reflexivity throughout my classes, and hope that even after walking out of the classroom, students continue to see how their personal goals and interests play a role in their academic and future journeys.
Outside of academia, I enjoy cooking and baking. Having been cooking since the age of ten, I recently completed a food handler certificate and continue to bring food to my family, friends, and colleagues.