Short Bio
My name is Yasheng She (he/they). I am a Ph.D. Candidate in Film and Digital Media at UC Stata Cruz with a designated emphasis on Computational Media.
My research stands at the intersection of visual studies, transmedia studies, and cultural studies with a focus on gender and racial discourse.
In my practice, I think about how mediums organize and persuade us. For example: my Tarot design. I leverage the symmetry between East Asian mythologies and Tarot’s mysticism to think about how we relate to stories and how stories shape our identity,
Selected Publications
- Al Jammaz, Rehaf, Yasheng She, and Michael Mateas. “Argument Box.” In EXAG 2021 Workshop, n.d.
- She, Yasheng. “A Cure for Woundless Pain: Consumption of Innocence in Japanese Idol Culture,” October 8, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1075/japc.00072.she.
- ———. “Designing the Global Body: Japan’s Postwar Modernity in Death Stranding.” In Made in Asia/America, edited by Tara Fickle and Christopher B. Patterson. Duke University Press, 2024.
- ———. “Melancholic Vortex and Postwar Pacifism in NieR : Automata.” REPLAYING JAPAN 2 (March 2020): 147–55. https://doi.org/10.34382/00013371.
- ———. “The Death of Aerith: Traumatic Femininity and Japan’s Postwar Modernity.” In The World of Final Fantasy VII: Essays on the Game and Its Legacy, edited by Jason C. Cash and Craig T. Olsen. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, 2023.
- ———. “Transnational Galatea: Racializing Anime-Esque Character Design in Genshin Impact.” In Antiracist Futures: Games, Play, and the Speculative Imagination, edited by TreaAndrea M. Russworm and Soraya Murray. Duke University Press, 2024.
Professional Experiences
Arts Professional Pathways Coordinator (2019, 2021 – 2024)
The core mission of Arts Professional Pathway (APP) is to demystify the creative industries for our students and ensure equitable opportunity and access for those who have been historically excluded through discrimination and nepotism. We believe there is no excellence without equity, and there is no innovation without inclusion.
- Vetted, trained, and placed over 50 students in highly competitive paid internships, including Lionsgate and Sony Entertainment.
- Programmed, produced, and coordinated over 15 events, demystifying career pathways into arts and entertainment industries, featuring organizations such as the Guggenheim Museums, Pixar, Netflix, MGM, and individual artists such as Shepard Fairey.
- Drafted grant proposals and successfully received funding to create internship matching funds to support living expenses for students during summer internships. Funding averages $1000 per month for the duration of the internship.
- Created learning materials for students to prepare their job documents, including resumes, cover letters, online portfolios, and thank you letters.
ArtsBridge Coordinator (2021 – 2023)
A partner in ArtsBridge America, a broad national network of 22 universities, UC Santa Cruz ArtsBridge connects University faculty and scholars with classroom teachers and diverse student populations.
- Vetted, trained, and placed over 20 students in Santa Cruz’s Title I Schools, where we prepare students interested in arts education.
- Helped to draft and prepare materials for grant proposals and successfully obtained funds to support more students.
- Programmed, produced, and coordinated training events and ceremonies for the program.
- Budgeted and advocated for a $2000 fellowship for each student and $700 stipends for material needs and transportation reimbursement.
- Created necessary documents, which include an application form, a recommendation system, daily reflections, and other training materials.
Skills
Language
- Chinese (native speaker)
- English (fluency)
- Japanese (near fluency)
Programming
- C#
- C++
- Java
- Python
Media Production
- Substance Painter/Designer
- Adobe Premiere/Audition/Photoshop/Illustrator
- Unity/Twine/Unreal