Graduate Students
Zhangyang Xie (he/him) is a first-year graduate student in the Department of African American Studies. He received his undergraduate degree in Africana Studies and Science, Technology, and Society from the University of Pennsylvania. He is particularly interested in the intersection of race, science, and sexuality. In addition to race-based health inequity, he is also interested in the social construction of racial and sexual identities. For his M.A. thesis, he tentatively plans to examine the historical criminalization of queer bodies, prison as a site of gender-affirmation and homosexual tension, and how race and sexuality influence the development of the prison-industrial complex. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music, cooking, and exploring local wineries and distilleries.
Jada Young (she/her) is a first-year M.A. student in African American Studies and Ph.D. student in Educational Policy Studies. She holds a M.A. in Educational Studies with a concentration in Educational Equity, Justice, and Social Transformation from the University of Michigan, where she was awarded the Rackham Merit Fellowship. Additionally, Jada is a proud PEOPLE Scholar alumna of UW-Madison and has a B.S. in Education Studies with a certificate in African American Studies. Her research interests are interdisciplinary across education, African American studies, gender and women’s studies, and carceral studies. Jada’s research explores the criminalization of Black girls in behavior-alternative schools. Outside of academia, Jada enjoys traveling, trying new food, and spending time with her family and puppy!