Jennifer C. Hsieh

Jennifer C. Hsieh is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Michigan, affiliated with the Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies. Her research investigates sensory practices in institutional and technological settings, focusing on urban East Asia. She holds a PhD from Stanford University (2017), MA from Columbia University (2009), and BA from Harvard College (2007, magna cum laude).

Her interdisciplinary work combines ethnography, history, and experimental methods (e.g., audio recordings, GIS) to explore multisensory social configurations. Her current book project, From Festival to Decibel: Making Noise in Urban Taiwan, examines how noise becomes a regulatory object entangled with citizenship and geopolitical belonging. She has held fellowships at institutions including the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science and Harvard’s Fairbank Center.

Research interests include sensory studies, science/technology studies, urban environments, and East Asian cultural politics. She founded the Sensory & Technology Lab to explore creative anthropological methods, hosting events like the Voices of the Rainforest cinema concert with Steven Feld.

• Awards: SSRC International Dissertation Fellowship, Wenner-Gren Fieldwork Award
• Teaching: Courses on sound, music, and noise; emphasizes experimental methods and sensory ethnography.
• Lab: Sensory & Technology Lab fosters collaborative research in film, music, and media.