Leadership Team

Greeting

Welcome to the APA Studies program! We are a community of students, teachers, and scholars built on a shared interest in APA people's experiences. Our events are driven by our community's needs that are broadly and critically relevant. Please come see us at one of our events and get involved!

Sitara Thobani, Director of APA Studies

A bio description is coming soon!

Maya K headshot

Maya Kalsi is a senior studying Comparative Cultures and Politics with minors in APA studies and Business. She is actively involved on campus, mainly in the professional pre-law fraternity Kappa Alpha Pi and South Asian social justice organization South Asian Awareness network. As the Program Assistant for APA studies, she maintains the APAS website, newsletter, and other facets of the organization.

Program Assistant, APA Studies

Julia

Julia Lee is a fourth-year student studying Global Studies in the Arts and Humanities with an APA Studies minor. Along with the APA Program, she is also a Peer Research Advisor for the Office of Undergraduate Research and a Communications Assistant for the MSU Women of Color Intiatives. She previously served roles as an Intercultural Aide for the Multi-Racial Unity Living Experience Program and a board member of the Hmong American Student Association. Her current research interests are transnational and diasporic studies with a focus on oral history, identity, and memory.  Outside of academics, she loves to cook, sing, and harvest produce from her community garden. As a Program Assistant for APA Studies, she supports the APA Studies website, the newsletter, and other social media aspects as needed.

Program Assistant, APA Studies

Anna Lin headshot
Anna graduated from Michigan State University James Madison College in May 2020. During her time in undergrad, she was very involved with the Asian Pacific American Student Organization (APASO) and was a student in the APA Studies Minor. Following undergrad, Anna went into the non-profit space working with the Asian Pacific Islander Desi-American in Metro Detroit. After working there for a year, Anna transitioned back to Michigan State University to serve as a Coordinator for the Office of Cultural and Academic Transitions and the Advisor to APASO. With the start of Fall 2023, Anna will be going back to school at MSU pursuing a dual degree in the MBA and JD program. Anna is excited to start her legal studies and further explore social justice that may or may not exist for the APIDA/Asian community when it comes to law and the legal system. Outside of academia and working, Anna is dedicated to supporting her family's small business and is active in serving her community by volunteering her time with Alpha Phi Gamma National Sorority's National Board and staying involved with the APIDA/Asian community in Michigan. As a Graduate Program Assistant, she will assist in the overall promotion, development, and organization of the Asian Pacific American Studies Program
Graduate Program Assistant, APA Studies