Meet the Yale Conference Team!
Yamato Takabe (Executive Director)
He/Him
Class of 2026
Major: Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
Yamato is a sophomore at Yale University from Buffalo, New York. He is a pre-med that is interested in immunology research and majors in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. Beyond the classroom, Yamato is involved in the Asian American Student Alliance, Japanese American Student Union, Camp Kesem, and the Yale Scientific. He also loves watching sports and movies, playing soccer, and eating/cooking food.
Yolanda Wang (Executive Director)
She/Her
Class of 2026
Major: Political Science
Yolanda (王端, she/her) is a sophomore at Yale University pursuing a degree in Political Science and a certificate in Chinese language. Originally from Buffalo, NY, she is passionate about learning from Chinese traditional art and literature to inform contemporary approaches to intercultural community-building and political organizing. As a daughter of immigrants from Henan, Yolanda is also interested in immigration law in relation to the carceral state and how the Asian American community can organize against mass incarceration in solidarity with Black and Brown communities. Outside of ECAASU, she is also involved with the Asian American Students Alliance, YLS Prison Letters Project, Women Against Mass Incarceration, and the Chinese Language and Career Initiative. In her (admittedly too little) free time, you can find her roasting friends at dinner tribunals, practicing calligraphy at the Chinese building, or napping at the Asian American Cultural Center.
Laura Lin (Finance Director)
She/Her
Class of 2026
Major: Economics
Laura is a sophomore at Yale University majoring in Economics. Beyond ECAASU, she is also involved with the Yale Policy Institute and the Yale Law School Lowenstein Project. In her free time, she enjoys writing, going to the gym, and trying out new asian restaurants.
Jairus Rhoades (Finance Director)
He/Him
Class of 2026
Major: Computing & The Arts
Born and raised in O’ahu, HI, Jairus Rhoades is a second year at Yale college excited to work with his fellow ECAASU colleagues in celebrating intersectionality in Asian and Pasifika communities. Currently pursuing a BA in the Computing & the Arts and an MM in piano performance with the Yale School of Music in the 5 year dual degree program, he studies piano with Professor Elizabeth Parisot and enjoys exploring choral music by Samoan and Hawaiian composers outside of classical genres. He is the current co-president of the Yale chapter of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (YAISES), the event director of the students of the Indigenous Peoples of Oceania (IPO), and a chair of the Yale Undergraduate Piano Collective (YUPC), and looks forward to combing experiences in classical music, computer science, to create solutions that can help bring native and AAPI communities further in STEM fields.
Koby Chen (Logistics Director)
He/Him
Class of 2026
Major: Ethnicity, Race, and Migration; History of Art
Koby is a sophomore studying Ethnicity, Race, and Migration and the History of Art. He is zealous about exploring diasporic modern art, and the ethics of collection and display. After moving many times, from Fuzhou to Vancouver, and now to New Haven, he is always searching for solidarity and community amongst international students like him. Hence, on campus, he is involved in Yale Queer+Asian, the Asian American Students Alliance, and other arts and dance groups. He loves sleeping and lallygagging, as humanities students do. However, you may also find him hiding out in the darkroom or in the pottery studio when he is feeling inspired. Koby is excited to see ECAASU come to life!
Aly Moosa (Logistics Director)
He/they
Class of 2025
Jane Park (Logistics Team)
She/Her
Class of 2026
Sarah Cheung (Logistics Team)
She/Her
Class of 2025
Mark Chung (Marketing & Outreach Director)
He/they
Class of 2025
Major: History (Asia and the Pacific Track)
Mark is a Junior at Yale University studying History on an Asia and the Pacific Specialist track. Growing up in Seoul, South Korea, Mark is passionate about exploring his Korean-American identity and supporting the Asian American and Pasifika communities at Yale. He currently serves as the Co-Head Peer Liaison for the Asian American Cultural Center, and is involved in student groups such as the Korean American Students at Yale (KASY), the Asian American Students Alliance (AASA), and the Yale Buddhist Sangha. Mark’s academic interests include postcolonial national identities (ask him about the history of SPAM!) and the social determinants of healthcare. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, swimming, and playing with the many dogs on campus. Mark is excited to help make this year’s ECAASU conference a reality!
Miya Zhao (Marketing & Outreach Team)
She/Her
Class of 2027
Major: Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
Miya is a first year at Yale University studying Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology and Global Health. Being a Chinese-American from South Carolina, she is passionate about creating safe spaces for Asians who have not yet felt community through throwing events and education. Outside of school, you can find her supporting her friends at their performances, exploring the outdoors, or in an art studio painting. Please message her if you ever want to grab a sweet treat or talk about the latest Dominic Fike or Laufey song.
Patricia Joseph (Marketing & Outreach Team)
She/Her
Class of 2025
Patricia is sophomore at Yale University pursuing a double major in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. She serves as the secretary for Yale Kasama: The Filipinx Club and is involved with the Asian American Students Alliance, Yale Scientific Magazine, and undergraduate research at a flower lab. In her free time, she enjoys doodling and binge-watching video essays.
Kai Chen (Marketing & Outreach Team)
He/they
Class of 2026
Anh Nguyễn (Programming Director)
She/Her
Class of 2026
Major: Urban Studies
Anh is a sophomore at Yale University majoring in Urban Studies, with particular interests in the cultural implications of landscaping, diasporic placemaking, and global urban development. A born and raised Houstonian and Vietnamese American, she’s passionate about Asian American advocacy and identity exploration through food. She currently serves as business lead for Asian Recipes at Yale (ARAY), an events chair for the Vietnamese American Students Association (ViSA) and is also involved in the Asian American Students Alliance (AASA) and Ink and Vellum. Her pastimes include exploring different visual mediums like ceramics, embroidery, video and photography, etc. Anh looks forward to seeing new faces on campus for ECAASU conference!
Sushant Kunwar (Programming Team)
He/Him
Class of 2026
Major: Computer Science
Sushant is a sophomore at Yale University in Silliman College, originally from Branford, CT. He’s majoring in Computer Science. Besides the Asian American Students Alliance, Sushant is also a part of the Yale Computing Society, Nepali Students Society, and Yale Model Congress. In his free time he enjoys hanging out with his friends.
Abigail Hu (Programming Team)
She/Her
Class of 2027
Major: Political Science, Education Studies
Abigail Hu is a freshman at Yale University studying Political Science and Education Studies. She is interested in US K-12 curriculum reform and ethnic studies, peace and conflict, and constitutional law. In addition to Asian American Students Alliance, she is also a member of Yale Policy Institute, the Yale Mock Trial Association, and the Yale Undergraduate Legal Aid Association. She hopes to be a K-12 teacher after college.
Sophia Dai (Programming Team)
She/Her
Class of 2027
Major: Applied Mathematics
Sophia is a first-year at Yale University from Cary, North Carolina. Alongside her passion for Asian-American advocacy, she aims to pursue a major in a STEM field. In her free time, Sophia loves to read, dance with her dance team, and practice the viola.
Matthew Chen (Programming Team)
He/Him
Class of 2027
Major: Ethics, Politics, and Economics; Sociology
Matthew is a first-generation Chinese-American from San Francisco, California and is a freshman at Yale University. He is currently studying Ethics, Politics, and Economics along with Sociology and has great interests in the advocacy and activism for Asian communities.
Abigail Hu (Programming Team)
She/Her
Class of 2027
Major: History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health
Gabby is a first year at Yale University interested in studying the History of Science and History of Medicine on a pre-med track. She is originally from Rhode Island, where she was first introduced to organizing and found a passion for advocating against injustice. As a Chinese adoptee herself, Gabby seeks to discover more about her identity and uplift other adoptee experiences and voices. Aside from her involvement with the Asian American Student Alliance, she is also in Yale’s Queer Student Alliance. As a queer, adopted, Chinese American woman, Gabby rooted in intersectional solidarity, love and resistance.