Education

2020 PhD Anthropology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

2017  Concise Course in Brewing Technology, Siebel Institute, Chicago, IL

2013 MA, East Asian Languages and Cultures, University of Texas at Austin

2013 Certificate Program, Religious Studies, University of Texas at Austin

2009 BA, Japanese, Area Studies, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI

Areas of Interest

Economic Anthropology; Anthropology of Work; Anthropology of Care; Environmental Anthropology; Science and Technology Studies (STS); Crisis and Disaster; Resilience; Craft production; Consumption; Locality; Collaboration; Ecology; Occupational Identity; Organizational structures and strategies; Alcohol Consumption and Alcoholism; Rural Anthropology; Rural wellness; Japan and Okinawa

Skills

Methods

Ethnography; Participant observation; Formal, semi-structured, and informal interviews; Surveys (Qualtrics and printed) and survey analysis; Archival research; Mixed methods research (qualitative and quantitative); Data scrapping; Content analysis

Professional

Research design; Research team management; Teaching (University and industry); Syllabi development; Public speaking; Mentoring; Community outreach; Editing

Writing

Ethnographic writing; Academic longform and article-length writing; Academic and professional education materials; Creative writing; Wellness outreach materials; Advertising, website, and social media copy; Research project briefs for academic, professional, and public stakeholders; IRB proposals; Business plans; Business funding proposals; Government, private, and international grant and fellowship applications

Languages

English (native)

Japanese (advanced speaking, reading, and writing)

Service

2021-Present Mentor, Brewers Association Diversity & Inclusion Program

2020-Present Treasurer, Society for the Anthropology of Work (SAW)

2019-Present Education Committee Member, NC Craft Brewers Guild

2019-Present Critical Language Scholarship Program Alumni Mentor

2019-2020 Conference Program Co-Editor, SAW

2013-2020 Vice-President, Triangle Center for Japanese Studies Graduate Student Working Group

2016-2017 Translator and Member, Awamori Gaikokujin Dokukai, Okinawa

2015 Brown Bag Committee, Anthropology Department, UNC Chapel Hill

2014 Graduate Assistant and Workshop Coordinator, Triangle Center for Japanese Studies Conference

2013-2014 Weiss Fellow, Weiss Urban Livability Fellowship, UNC Chapel Hill

2012-2013 Co-Chair, Texas Asia Conference planning committee, Department of Asian Studies, UT Austin (elected)

2020-Present Qualitative Research Coordinator, College of Arts & Sciences, UNC Chapel Hill

• Led and mentored team of research assistants on qualitative and quantitative data collection and content analysis of North Carolina craft brewery community demographics and aesthetic choices.

• Developed database of active and closed NC craft breweries and designed a heat map and other graphics illustrating concentrations of successful and unsuccessful aesthetics across NC regions.

• Drafted syllabi for large mixed methods courses, research tutorials for RAs, research briefs for brewing organizations, and co-authored article in leading handbook on economic anthropology.

2016-Present  Fieldwork on Craft Industries & Crisis Response, North Carolina; Japan

• Gathered ethnographic and interview data on resilience practices among Japanese and North Carolina artisans to inform crisis management, business plan drafts, career transition strategies, standard operating procedures, emergency relief applications.

• Produced bilingual local food and craft industry educational materials, educational events, and research briefs for diverse professional, lay, NGO, and governmental audiences.

• Secured over $100K in research funding from the Japan Foundation, FLAS, Critical Language Scholarship, and University of North Carolina to fully support multi-year collaborative project.

2013-Present Teaching Assistant (2013-18), Teaching Fellow (2019-20), Teaching Assistant Professor (2020-Present), UNC Chapel Hill, Anthropology

• Created learning environments for students on topics including ethnographic research methods, economic anthropology, local food and business, crisis and disaster studies, and Japanese culture.

• Facilitated student-led applied ethnographic projects on local businesses and non-profits, and mentored students pursuing research, internships, and post-graduation careers.

• Prepared instructional materials, syllabi, and course websites for in-person and online sections of Culture & Consumption, Introduction to Anthropology, and Food & Culture.

2017-2021 Assistant Brewer (2017-20), Head Brewer (2020-21), Top of the Hill Brewery, Chapel Hill, NC, Hatchet Brewing Company, Southern Pines, NC

• Managed accounting, marketing, social media, human resources, and other administrative duties.

• Organized collaborations with local businesses, academic institutions, government agencies, veteran associations, NGOs, professional organizations, and community interest groups. 

• Developed continuing education materials for industry professionals on customer education, business and HR management, and crisis resilience strategies.

2012-2013 Ethnographic Fieldwork on Disaster Recovery & Wellness, Iwate Prefecture, Japan

• Gathered ethnographic and interview data on viability of Japanese Buddhist temples post-disaster as relief shelters in rural, underserved communities.

• Gathered data and collaborated with local government to design interventions and develop Japanese language pamphlets addressing depression and suicide among elderly rural residents.