2023 People

Michelle Park (she/her)
Research Assistant
Education
B.A. Honours in Political Science, University of British Columbia, 2023
Research Area
Contemporary Western Fascism | English Literature | Latin and Classical Roman Antiquity | Comedic Writing | Tech Industry Socioeconomic Analysis
Research Project

Michelle is an honours political science major and will be graduating this fall. She wrote her undergraduate thesis on contemporary western fascism, using a political theoretical framework to discuss the ontological basis of race in fascistic movements we see today. Besides this area of research, Michelle is also interested in studying English literature, Latin and classical Roman antiquity, comedic writing, and the socioeconomic politics of tech businesses. Outside of school she enjoys knitting, long-distance running, and any work by Fran Lebowitz. She hopes to one day travel to Aotearoa (New Zealand) and meet a Kiwi bird. Currently, she is working as a research assistant for the BC Cancer Agency, examining how the negative linguistic framing of Indigenous communities contributes to disparate health outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.

Karen Howatson (she/her)
Retired from Financial Services
Education
B.A. in History, University of British Columbia
Research Area
History | 20th Century History
Research Project

Karen Howatson is a third-year student at UBC majoring in History. She has always been interested in the intersection of history and culture and its impact on social justice, which in many ways the Holocaust embodies. Karen completed “Representations of the Holocaust – Auschwitz” (Cens 303A) in April 2023 and participated in the “Witnessing Auschwitz” seminar (Cens 303D) in the summer of 2023. She will be presenting her research on Auschwitz prisoner labourers in the 2023 Witnessing Auschwitz conference in September 2023. Karen is continuing her Holocaust studies and is enrolled in “History of the Holocaust” (History 441) and “20th Century Germany” (History 356) in the 23-24 Winter term.

Lia Fairbairn (she/her)
Assistant Archivist
Education
B.A. Honours in History, University of British Columbia, 2023
Research Area
Textile History | Material History | Animal History | Women’s History
Research Project

Lia Fairbairn has just completed her Bachelor of Arts in Honours History with High Distinction. Lia is fascinated by how historians can illuminate silenced voices by using innovative means to tell their stories. She is currently working as an assistant archivist for the City of Surrey archives and considering pursuing a Master’s degree in Archival Studies.

Theresa Xu (she/her)
Student
Education
B.A. Honours in Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies, University of British Columbia
Research Area
Roman Social History | Slavery | Violence in Antiquity | Classical Reception in 20th Century Germany
Research Project

Theresa Xu is a fourth-year honours student in the Department of Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies. Her research interests engage Roman social history, slavery, violence in antiquity, and classical reception in 20th-century Germany. She is a member of the Global seminar “Witnessing Auschwitz” in 2023 summer. After the seminar, Theresa developed and edited the Wikipedia entry “Censorship in Auschwitz.” She is also a member of the UBC “Student as Partners” (SaP) program, aiming to design an intro-level course in Slavic Studies in a de-colonized view (both settler-colonist and neo-Russian imperialist) with interdisciplinary approaches.

Nikhitha Guddeti (she/her)
Behaviour Interventionist
Education
B.A. in Psychology with a Minor in International Relations, University of British Columbia
Research Area
Holocaust Studies | Security Studies | Psychology
Research Project

Nikhitha Guddeti is deeply appreciative of the chance to participate in this seminar once again. Her initial experience was through an online format, but now, having visited Auschwitz in person, she can attest to its profound impact. As Dr. Karwowska aptly put it, “Once you are here, you will never go back as the same person,” and she couldn’t agree more. The impact was transformative on both an academic and personal level. This experience has enriched Nikhitha both academically and personally, to the extent that she feels like a fundamentally changed individual upon exiting.

Atrena Azordegan
Piano Teacher
Education
B.A. in Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2023
Research Area
Auschwitz studies | Psychology
Research Project

Atrena Azordegan graduated from UBC psychology in May 2023. She aspires to be a counselor as a career goal because improving mental health is of great value to her. She has also been a piano teacher for 10 years and started learning piano at age 2. Music and psychology are both prominent aspects of her life. This is why she decided to combine these two topics for her research project at Witnessing Auschwitz. She focuses mainly on the way music at Auschwitz positively and negatively impacts the psychology of the victims through tactics of dehumanization and resistance.

Cindy Fu (she/her)
Child Care Administrative Assistant
Education
B.A. in Psychology with a Minor in Education, University of British Columbia, 2023
Research Area
Child Development | Interpersonal Relationships | Developmental Psychology | Mental Wellness
Research Project

Cindy Fu is a recent graduate from UBC Psychology with a minor in Education. Witnessing Auschwitz was a unique academic experience that allowed her to develop new skills and insights both personally and in her studies. Cindy had access to experts and resources in a field of interest that cannot be gained from other courses. As a student outside of CENS and humanities, Witnessing Auschwitz was a novel experience in discipline and academic style. The immersive characteristics of the program not only challenged but also allowed Cindy to hone her academic skills, such as critical thinking, research, and maintaining the lens of a scholar even with difficult subjects. Her focus during the seminar was on children, a continuation of her psychology degree and current work in childcare.

Emily Chen (she/her)
Student
Education
B.A. in International Relations with a Minor in Law and Society, University of British Columbia
Research Area
International Economy | Migration | Sustainability | Resource Management Economics | Microsociology
Research Project

Emily Chen is currently in her fourth-year majoring in International Relations and minoring in Law and Society at the University of British Columbia, but she is currently on exchange in Taiwan! Her stream in International Relations is International Economy and Development. However, she is very interested in topics such as migration, sustainability as well as resource management economics! Emily was born and raised in Toronto, Canada, and moved to Vancouver three years ago for school. Her parents are both immigrants from China. Emily was a participant in the UBC Go Global 2023 Witnessing Auschwitz seminar and had an amazing experience in the program. She enjoys learning about the impacts and experiences of individuals on the microlevel and putting people’s stories into the perspective of the bigger picture to better understand their experiences!