معرفی
Ziying You serves as Associate Professor and Department Chair of Chinese Studies and East Asian Studies at The College of Wooster where she teaches courses spanning Chinese language advanced literature and cultural studies including specialized topics like Anti-Asian Racism Women and Gender in China and Food and Religion in China.
Her educational background includes a Ph.D. in East Asian Languages and Literatures from The Ohio State University (2015) an M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies: Folklore from University of Oregon (2009) an M.A. in Modern and Contemporary Chinese Literature from Peking University (2005) and a B.A. in Chinese Language and Literature Education from Henan Normal University (2002).
Professor You’s research bridges Chinese oral traditions contemporary folklore and public health with a focus on grassroots responses to cultural heritage preservation. Her work examines how communities navigate state-led intangible cultural heritage initiatives particularly in rural Shanxi Province where she documents flood narratives ritual practices and mythological adaptations. She actively explores intersections between digital media ethnographic filmmaking and folk performance while addressing gender dynamics through Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies frameworks. Recent scholarship analyzes memorialization practices during the COVID-19 pandemic examining virtual tributes to Dr. Li Wenliang and community resilience among Chinese immigrant groups.
Her publication trends reveal consistent engagement with contested cultural narratives shifting from classical myth analysis (e.g. Yao and Shun stories) toward urgent contemporary issues including pandemic responses online activism and heritage politics. This evolution demonstrates her commitment to applying folklore methodologies to rapidly changing social landscapes while maintaining deep roots in Chinese ethnographic traditions.
- College Citizen Award The College of Wooster (2022)
- Faculty Connection of the Year Division of Student Affairs (2018-2019)
- Tien-Yi Li Award for Outstanding Academic Performance The Ohio State University (2014)
- Dan Crowley Memorial Student Essay Prize American Folklore Society (2010)
- Archie Green Student Travel Award American Folklore Society (2009)
Professor You has advised numerous independent studies on topics ranging from China’s three-child policy impacts to Indigenous activism in Taiwan and expatriate experiences during the pandemic. Her mentorship extends beyond traditional academic supervision into fostering cross-cultural understanding as evidenced by her New Books Network interviews promoting scholarly dialogue. While not leading formal laboratories her ethnographic approach involves immersive fieldwork and digital documentation techniques that function as dynamic research teams engaging community participants as co-creators of knowledge.
