The East Asian Politics Lab provides paid opportunities for Smith College students to conduct research with Dr. Newland on the politics of mainland China and Taiwan. Students have participated in research on local government responsiveness in Taiwan; local officials’ use of social media to communicate with citizens; subnational diplomacy between the US, Taiwan, and mainland China;  and patterns of ethnic representation in local government in mainland China. If you are a current Smith student and are interested in getting involved in the lab, please contact Dr. Newland (snewland [AT] smith [DOT] edu). Most lab participants have taken prior courses on East Asian politics and have at least an intermediate Chinese reading level (simplified or traditional characters). The lab is currently funded by a Humanities and Social Sciences Research Lab pilot grant from Smith College.

Current Lab Members

Emma Bennett:
Government and Neuroscience Major, 2022
Emma is a senior from Houston, TX. She has been taking Chinese since elementary school and her Government major (unsurprisingly) focuses on China. In addition to her majors, she is completing a Translation Studies concentration, and she plans to attend graduate school in international relations.
Emily Paule:

Emily is a senior at Smith from Bloomfield, NJ. Since starting research with Dr. Newland in Summer 2020, she has worked on projects examining Taiwan’s para-diplomatic relationships with the US, and is currently researching how local politicians use Facebook for constituent engagement. Outside of research, she enjoys hiking, drinking coffee, and befriending the neighborhood dogs.

Florian Liu:

Florian Liu is a junior and a Neuroscience major. Her interest in East Asian paradiplomacy came from her experiences growing up in Hong Kong, as she wanted to inquire more into the political relationship between the West and the East. Although she is a STEM major, she is always looking to expand her knowledge in different fields and learn more about the world every day! Outside of work, she likes to listen to music, watch movies, sing, and go on long walks.

Jiani Li:

Jiani finds home in Guangzhou, China. She majors in English and Government at Smith College. She sees both subjects as the key to collaboration and creating compelling narratives. At the East Asian Politics Lab, she works on researching paradiplomacy of Taiwan. Jiani is a percussionist and reads in her spare time.

 

Evelyn Berry:

Evelyn is a first year STRIDE scholar from Austin, Texas. She is interested in English Literature and Government and plans to attend law school after graduation, possibly pursuing international law and diplomacy. When not working in the lab, she enjoys drinking tea, reading books, and listening to classical music.

 

Annabel Stattelman-Scanlan

Annabel is a Junior at Smith College from Madison, Wisconsin. In addition to majoring in Comparative Politics, she is pursuing a minor in Economics and an Environmental Concentration in Sustainable Urban Development. She first became interested in East Asian politics after taking a class with Dr. Newland and is currently learning Mandarin.

Nicole Teo

Nicole is a sophomore at Smith College pursuing a major in Government and a minor in East Asian Studies. She is interested in international politics and foreign policies in Asia. Outside of her academic work and research, Nicole enjoys walking in nature and exploring new cuisines.
Junru Wu
Junru grew up in Hangzhou, China. She majors in Government and Data Science at Smith. She’s interested in East Asian politics and technology policies. My Little Airport is one of Junru’s favorite bands. She plans to work in a policy consulting firm before going to grad school.

Former Lab Members

Denielle Amparado:

Denielle is a rising junior at Smith College. She is interested in all things related to the political economy of development, but is currently particularly interested in the indigenization of development policy, and in labor market access and worker rights.

Jacqueline Centeno:

Jacqueline is a senior at Smith College majoring in Government. She is working as a research assistant this summer. She is interested in international relations, specifically between the US and the Asian region. Jacqueline plans to work in D.C. after graduation for a couple of years before heading to graduate school.

 

Courtney Lo:

Courtney Lo is a rising senior at Smith College where she is majoring in government and East Asian studies. She is interested in international relations and politics, particularly between the US, China, Taiwan, and Korea. Upon completing her undergraduate studies, she intends to apply to graduate school and further progress towards a career in foreign service.