Nam Center Fellows Roster & Alumni

Alyssa Bird

I’m currently a senior majoring in Asian languages and cultures with a focus in South Korea. Throughout my studies, I’ve developed a strong passion for language learning and the power of words, as well as a deep interest in fostering cross-cultural understanding through language. Last year, I had the incredible opportunity to study abroad at Yonsei University on the Summer in Korea Scholarship. As a half-Korean student, visiting Korea had long been a personal goal of mine, and being able to do so inspired me to join the Nam Center when I returned. Since then, I’ve met so many amazing people! On campus, I am part of the editorial team for the women’s magazine Her Campus, and I’ve also participated in the KLP Language Exchange with students from Seoul National University. In addition, I volunteer at the Michigan Language Center as a conversation partner, where I help non-native English speakers practice their language skills and learn more about American culture. In my free time, I enjoy reading, hiking, and playing Wordle. 

Leah Phillips

I am a recent graduate with a Bachelor of Science in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology. I was initially drawn to Korean studies through learning about the Hallyu wave through music and have continued my interest by being an Outreach Fellow for one year, and two years as a Research Fellow in the Nam Center for Korean Studies Undergraduate Fellows Program. The first paper I wrote pertained to exploring the ‘K’ in K-beauty, and the second paper explored the role of South Korea as a vaccine manufacturer during the COVID-19 pandemic. My semester abroad in 2024 through the YISS summer program at Yonsei University allowed me to learn more in-depth about the Hallyu wave while putting to use the two years of Korean language courses and taking part in cultural exchange by meeting a wide array of people. I have volunteered at the hospital for three years, as well as been in two different labs during my time in undergrad. The first is part of the Orthopedic Research Department, and the second is in the Caswell Diabetes Institute. In my free time, I enjoy weightlifting as well as taking advantage of the nature that surrounds us by hiking and watercoloring.

Kathleen Fleming

I'm a freshman majoring in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology on the pre-medical track with a minor in religion. I am interested in helping support both the spread of knowledge and access to resources centered around Korean language and culture at U-M and around the Ann Arbor community, and I am particularly invested in helping to curate more local opportunities for engagement with the less widespread aspects of Korean culture. Outside of academics, I enjoy reading, listening to and making music, gaming, and art. 

Madison Beeckman

I'm a fourth year student double majoring in creative writing (where I'm writing a book about cowboys?!) and Asian languages and cultures with a concentration on Korean. When I have free time I like to play video games, read, or try some trendy crafts. The reason I joined the Nam Center is because I wanted to be a part of a community that would teach me more about Korea, but the Nam Center is so much more than that! I've met a lot of amazing people and have eaten a lot of delicious food! 

Spencer Lynn

I'm a junior from Saline, MI pursuing a dual degree in business and political science. I've always been fascinated by politics in Asia, and was a Nam Center Research Fellow during the 2025-2026 school year. On campus beyond the Nam Center, I'm involved with Propel Impact Consulting, BBA Council, TedXUofM, Michigan Foreign Policy Council, the Michigan Journal of Economics, among other organizations. This past school year, I conducted startup research for the United States Department of War's Defense Innovation Unit. I hope to obtain a JD/MBA after graduation, and outside of schoolwork, enjoy reading, hiking, poetry, finding new coffee shops, and soccer. 

Elizabeth Jeffery

Elizabeth Jeffery is a master’s student in the Department of microbiology and immunology at the University of Michigan Medical School. She is interested in exploring microbe-immune cell signaling interactions that may promote the development and progression of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). Recently, she has developed a growing interest in how culture, diet, and medical perception may influence not only the molecular processes observed in IBD but also the ongoing disease and disability stigma worldwide. She is particularly interested in the rapid increase in IBD in South Korea since the 1960s and how urbanization and globalization have promoted cultural, medical, and dietary changes throughout the country, which may have contributed to this epidemiological shift. She is excited to engage with other Korean Studies scholars and advance her understanding of Korean history, culture, and language through the Nam Center Graduate Fellows program. Outside of academia, she enjoys all outdoor activities, traveling, and returning home to rural Texas.

Jace Jung

Jace Jung is a Ph.D. student in English Language and Literature at the University of Michigan, working on Asian American and global Anglophone literatures and posthuman theory. His research focuses on posthuman conceptions of race, being, and belonging as informed by the sensorium, environmental entanglements, and animal and technological multispecies figurations.

Hana Lee

My name is Hanna Lee, and I am a Ph.D. student in political science at the University of Michigan. I am a comparativist working in historical political economy, with a substantive focus on Korea.

My current project challenges the common view that authoritarian rulers refuse to delegate simply because they are personalistic or unwilling to listen. Instead, I provide a systematic explanation for how non-delegation can arise from the survival costs of mistaken approval itself. Even when rulers have capable technocrats and extensive information, delegation may become politically infeasible when a mistaken approval could threaten their survival. I call this the “Competence Trap.” I develop this argument through Park Chung-hee’s South Korea, using archival records from the Export Promotion Conferences.

Outside of research, I enjoy exploring cities on foot, visiting bookstores and cafés, and spending time with friends and family.

Remi Lee

Hello! My name is Remi Lee, and I am a first-year Ph.D. student in comparative literature. I am interested in the Korean diaspora across Japan and Russia, diasporic literature, and how translation and the failure of translation expose tensions between language-nation relationality. In my free time, I enjoy knitting (if you see me at Spun, say hello!), embroidering, writing poetry, and going on long walks by the river.

Kunwoo Kwon

My name is Kunwoo Kwon, and I am a second year master's student in the International and Regional Studies program (MIRS) at the University of Michigan. I work on Tang dynasty Buddhist scholasticism. I hope to understand the intellectual and sociopolitical contexts in which distinctive Chinese interpretations of Buddhist doctrine emerged. Currently, I am developing a research project on the Chinese interpretations of the four perverted views (si diandao, 四顚倒). My other academic interests include Chinese interpretations of ineffability, the influence of state censorship on the Buddhist canon during middle period China, and the history and practice of Buddhist monastic education in Korea