Dr. Kang (she/her) is an interdisciplinary qualitative researcher, scholar and writer whose work sits at the intersection of design studies, feminist science and technology studies (STS), and urban humanities. Through archival and ethnographic research, Dr. Kang’s research examines civic engagement, place-making practices, and infrastructure development in the era of big tech and sustainability transitions.

Dr. Kang’s primary affiliation is with the Design Studies Dept., and her secondary affiliation is with the Civil Society and Community Studies Dept. at SoHE. She is also a member of the Wisconsin RISE Initiative, Global Human Ecology Network, and faculty affiliate at the Holtz Center for Science and Technology Studies.

Through a humanistic social science approach, Dr. Kang develops three types of tools through her work: 1) conceptual, 2) analytical, and 3) practical. This informs industry standards, policies, practice, and pedagogy. Updates can be found here.

Current student collaborators include: Bonbon Yang (Ph.D. advisee; HCI and design doctoral student), Emily Burke (Summer PA; sociology doctoral student), and Areyana Proctor (Summer PA; communication studies doctoral student).

This work builds upon 10+ years of award-winning work as an independent design researcher, strategist, and advisor, where Dr. Kang led community-centered projects that applied co-design methods to urban planning, policy-making, and digital service delivery processes. This took place at the municipal, state, congressional, and federal levels.

Selected former collaborators include Vera Institute of Justice, Bloomberg Philanthropies’ What Works Cities + Results for America, New Jersey (state) Office of Innovation, and New York (state) Department of Health, in addition to a one-year term with the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders under the Obama Administration. Dr. Kang also held positions in nonprofit management, arts administration and grantmaking prior to embarking on an independent practice.

Dr. Kang's previous academic appointments include NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pratt Institute, School of Visual Art, and Art Center College of Design.

Dr. Kang earned her Ph.D. in Design from Carnegie Mellon University, MA in social design from Maryland Institute College of Art, and BFA with concentrations in photography and art theory from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Feel free to reach out to chat about collaboration, speaking opportunities, or just to chat: eykang2@wisc.edu