PJEAS Team Profiles

Team Member	Biography
Benjamin Chang (2014), Social Media Manager, WWS	I was born in Mt. Kisco, New York, and attended a public high school in Westchester County before coming to Princeton. Currently, my academic studies with the Woodrow Wilson School focus primarily on US-China relations. I'm also a member of Princeton Taekwondo and the Taiwanese-American Student Association, and this year am a senior commissioner with the Woodrow Wilson School's taskforce on the US role in promoting the rule of law in China. As the child of two Taiwanese immigrants, the region is of both academic and personal interest to me; as a potential future academic, the journal fits well also into my professional interests. My inspiration: Totoro.
Charlie Fortin (2015), Editor-in-Chief, East Asian Studies	I was born and raised in Atlanta, GA. Outside of East Asian Studies, I'm pre-med and am pursuing a certificate in global health, and I enjoy running and working with Team U, an intercollegiate fundraising running team. I've always had a general interest in East Asia, but I discovered that I really had a passion for Chinese language and culture when I attended public high school in China for a year after graduating from high school in the US. My inspiration: My grandma (cliche, I know) My motto: "Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." -Oscar Wilde
Adrienne Fung (2014), Editor on Japan Team, Chemical and Biological Engineering	I was born and raised in Honolulu, HI. My parents immigrated to the U.S. from Hong Kong. I've always had a deep appreciation of my ethnic background because of the many stories my dad shared with me as I grew up. At Princeton, I have been very fortunate to have taken seminars and lectures on East Asia with extremely dedicated professors and students. East Asia is an incredibly dynamic area, and PJEAS has helped me become more involved in learning about the various topics of this field. Shout out to all Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit fans!
Evan Kratzer (2016), Associate Editor for Japan, Undeclared (Probably Woodrow Wilson School)	I'm from Scarsdale, New York, a town not in upstate New York despite being a little north of New York City. In addition to PJEAS, I'm Co-President of the Asian American Students Association (AASA), in which capacity I lead a group of students who work to raise awareness on campus of Asian American issues and advocate for the creation of an Asian American Studies program at Princeton. Beyond that, I'm an editor/contributing writer of some sort for The Stripes, a race blog, and tutor with through the Petey Greene Prisoner Assistance Program. As someone who is half-Japanese, I've visited Japan probably about 10 times in my life and so have developed a deep interest in East Asia. In addition, by studying in Japan during the summer as part of the Princeton in Ishikawa program I realized how rich that country is in culture and history. My favorite thing to recently come out of Japan is Abepyon. Created by the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party, Abepyon is an iPhone app, similar to Doodle Jump, in which Japanese PM Abe leaps into the clouds, sometimes while dressed similarly to Superman. I encourage everyone to check it out!
Kevin Liaw (2015), Associate Editor - China, Chemical and Biological Engineering	I was born and raised on Long Island, New York where I attended public school in the East Williston school district. At Princeton, I am studying materials science and engineering biology in the Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, as well as finance. In addition to PJEAS, I am the treasurer for the Development Design Initiative, a student group that partners with various non-governmental organizations to solve engineering design problems in developing countries.
Cameron White (2014), China Team Editor, EAS	I'm originally from Chicago. I only gradually began to develop an interest in China. I do a lot with music at Princeton, studying both organ and violin. I am also getting a certificate in Creative Writing. I started learning Chinese in middle school, and the rest, as they say, is history. My inspiration: My students (from when I taught in Hunan) My motto: Too many characters, too little time.
Samantha Wu (2016), Finance Manager, Undecided	I was born in Brooklyn, NY but raised in Parsippany, NJ, a pleasant town in Northern NJ whose name no one can ever remember. Although I'm undecided, I know I want to be a doctor in the future. I'm hoping to pursue certificates in East Asian Studies and Global Health. Besides PJEAS, I'm also an OA leader, Peer Health Adviser, Princeton University Bandie, and Trips Chair for Wilson College Council. I love volunteering and some organizations that I work with include: Habitat for Humanity, Big Sibs, and UMCPP. My parents are both immigrants from Guangzhou, China and I'm very grateful that my upbringing included Chinese and American traditions. All my life, though, I felt as if there was a small part of me that I did not understand that came with living in America vs. my parents who grew up and were educated in China during a revolutionary point in Chinese history. Through PJEAS, I can learn more about East Asian society and culture and in some way, continue to edge closer to my heritage. My inspiration: My mama <3