Shiyi Zhao

Pronouns: she/they
Advisor: Lan Duong

Shiyi Zhao is a PhD student in Cinema and Media Studies at the University of Southern California. She holds an M.A. in CaMS from USC and a B.Communication. in Film from HKBU. Her work examines materiality and environment across East and Southeast archipelagic Asias, focusing on extractive urbanization and the infrastructures of logistics and diaspora. She studies migration, displacement, and ecological violence across (de)colonial terrains through film, visual culture, and media history. Through her research, Shiyi aims to offer both critical insight and affective resonance—speaking to the complexities of diasporic life while creating space for opacity, uncertainty, and relationality.