Echo Lyu

Current Locations

Political Economy and Ethnographic Methods

Interested in affective politics, capitalisms and informal economies, crisis, aftermath, and reparation

Chicago; Shanghai

Home

Shijiazhuang, China

Education

Anthropology B.A., University of Chicago

(Past) Affiliations

Shougang Hospital of Peking; NYU Shanghai Urban Lab; Educational NGO Turning Pages; Rhizome (Shanghai); Art Museum at CUHK.

Aspirations

First, continue to be curious about the world and use ethnographic approaches to learn about it. Second, work in industries / companies that I feel meaningful (specifically in technology and spatial / infrastructural design). Third, let more people see the diverse possibilities of social relations with an anthropology mindset.

Previous Locations

Paris; Istanbul

Reflection on Mentorship Experience

I had just graduated with a major in anthropology. While in school, I was fairly theory-oriented but as the end of college approached, I was wavering between transitioning to the job market or continuing in academia. I learned a bit about UX methods and career futures, and was very lucky to find the mentorship program just in time.

Because I am at such an early and unsure position of life, the program was nice just to be informative. I instantly got to learn a lot of the insider’s view from my mentor, Evon Tay, in the regular meeting and chatting with her. I did not really strive for a job because I had a contract work that continued all the way to half a year later, but I learned substantially from this mentorship. My goal for the mentorship was to learn about the real working environment and tasks of a UX researcher, what kind of skills the recruiters would look for, and how to transfer her skills. I felt extremely lucky to have Evon as my mentor, who was very chill and reassuring, had also a meandering career path, and was willing to teach me about how to face the real world once graduating from college.

My mentor, Evon, said to me at the end of our last meeting, “Design is the rendering of ideas.” At the same time, I am a person who is always delighted by ideas, especially ideas of changing people’s habits and social engagements.