Karen Shi

East Asian Studies MA student

My name is Karen Shi. I was born in California and raised in Qingdao, Shandong. I hold a B.A. in Honors History and Global Studies, with a minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. My honors thesis examined the legislative reform of marriage laws in China from 1950 to 2020, alongside oral history interviews conducted in Shandong Province. 

My research interests lie at the intersection of gender, law, and memory in East Asia, with a particular methodological focus on oral history. At Duke, I hope to further explore these themes by engaging with interdisciplinary coursework, particularly in philosophy and posthumanist thought. 

Outside of academics, I enjoy playing the piano, flowering, hiking and traveling.