DNA Fellow Spotlight: Sandi Khine

This year, the Asian Pacific Fund is proud to welcome Sandi Khine and Kelsey Foster as part of the AAPI Data-Narrative-Action (DNA) Fellowship Program. The DNA Fellowship Program, hosted by AAPI Data, is a 6-month, paid fellowship designed to identify emerging leaders passionate about data and research supporting Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities.

Get to know one of APF’s newest team members, Sandi, as she shares about herself and her excitement for the program.

Could you tell us a little bit about your educational background and interests?

I’m a junior at Stanford University studying Science, Technology, and Society. My research interests are in digital surveillance, digital and algorithmic labor, techno-orientalism, the history of technology, and science and literature.

Why were you interested in joining the Data-Narrative-Action Fellowship Program? 

I’m interested in joining the DNA Fellowship program because it’s the perfect opportunity to bring my quantitative skills to a place I have only previously engaged with in other ways. My extracurricular activities are centered on community-building in both the Myanmar-American and broader Asian-American communities. I hope to deepen my contribution to these communities through this program.

What do you hope to learn and contribute through your fellowship? Have you learned anything interesting so far?

I’m most looking forward to learning intimately about the Asian American community organizations in the Bay Area. There are so many people and communities doing work that I don’t know about, and I want to be able to support them with my quantitative skills.

How do you think this program and your learnings from it will prepare you for future opportunities?

I’m looking toward a career in technology ethics and responsible emerging technology development. An enormous part of this is understanding and involving communities that are most impacted by emerging technologies, and I believe this program will equip me with a strong understanding of Asian American communities and issues, especially those in the Bay Area.

Why do you think it’s important to amplify AAPI voices and data?

As a Myanmar-American, I understand that resource allocation depends on the ways that communities are recorded and documented through data. Working on projects through the DNA Fellowship provides an opportunity to reclaim ownership of our own data and the stories that we construct with them, giving us agency and a voice through which to advocate for our needs.

What do you enjoy doing during your spare time?

I enjoy reading, knitting, scrapbooking, going to concerts, and making and drinking beverages!