Tracy Ying Zhang

Tracy Ying Zhang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication & Media Studies at York University's Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. Her interdisciplinary research integrates intersectional feminist perspectives, postcolonial theories, and critical political economy analyses to examine gender, race, labor migration, body politics, and cultural policy in global creative industries. She holds a Ph.D. from Simon Fraser University, an M.A. from Dalhousie University, and a B.A. from Trent University.

Dr. Zhang's work spans academic publications and film production, including the award-winning documentary The Flip Side: A Global Circus Story which received the Best Short Documentary award at the Disorient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon. She previously held postdoctoral positions at Concordia University (Mitacs Elevate Fellow), Queen’s University, and Université de Montréal.

Her research focuses on cultural policy studies, labor dynamics in creative industries, and intersectional feminisms. She has contributed to journals such as Feminist Media Studies and Journal of International Labor and Working-Class History. Professional activities include serving on the board of CPE la Mère L’Oie and co-founding the open-access journal Circus Arts, Life & Sciences.

Zhang’s scholarly contributions address topics ranging from Sino-US diplomatic performances to Tibetan carpet production labor, reflecting her commitment to examining cultural economies through a global lens.