The Department of Asian Studies is delighted to invite you to our biennial Careers Night! Navigating life after graduation can be hard, so we ask reputable guests and alumni with diverse experiences – at home and in Asia – to inform and inspire current students.
This event will feature keynote speeches from an ex-Consul General Asian Studies alum and a UBC career strategist, as well as round-robin networking sessions where you can connect face-to-face with fellow Asian Studies graduates from a wide array of backgrounds.
You will also have a chance to win various raffle prizes, including a Kindle, a subscription to Duolingo, and an Asian Studies-themed coffee chat starter pack!
Careers Night is the perfect opportunity to gain career insights, make connections, meet fellow students, and feel more confident in taking the next steps on your career path.
- Ask alumni how to utilize a degree in Asian Studies in the job market
- Gain helpful networking tips and experience
- Meet your fellow students and learn about their career and academic plans
- Get a head-start in planning your next move during and after UBC
Date & Time:
Thursday, March 19, 2026 | 5:30pm – 7:30pm PT
Location:
Ponderosa Ballroom, Ponderosa Commons – Oak House, 6445 University Blvd, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z2
This event is open to all UBC students – undergraduate and graduate. Dress code is business casual.
Event Program
5:30 pm – Check-in and reception starts
6:00 pm – Welcome remarks
6:05 pm – Keynote Speech by Jennie Chen (BA ’99), Director of Operations (China), Foreign and Defense Policy at Privy Council Office, Government of Canada
6:20 pm – Keynote Speech by Robyn Stalkie, Career Strategist, UBC Career Centre and Faculty of Arts
6:35 pm – Networking Round Tables: Ask Me Anything with the Alumni
7:30 pm – Event concludes
Keynote Speakers
Jennie Chen, BA ’99 – Director of Operations (China), Privy Council Office, Foreign and Defense Policy, Government of Canada
Jennie is currently the Director of Operations (China) at the Privy Council Office (PCO), Foreign and Defense Policy Secretariat, at the Government of Canada. She started at Global Affairs Canada (GAC) in 2003, with foreign assignments in Beijing on two occasions, Kandahar, and Washington. From 2017 to 2020, she worked at Environment and Climate Change Canada before returning to GAC as the Director of the Northeast Asia and Oceania Division and then Executive Director for the Greater China Political Division. Before joining PCO, she served as the Consul General of Canada in Shanghai, China. She has a B.A. from the University of British Columbia and an M.A. from McGill University. She was born and raised in Vancouver.
Robyn Stalkie – Career Strategist, UBC Career Centre and Faculty of Arts
Robyn Stalkie (she/her) is the Career Strategist for the Faculty of Arts. As an Arts graduate herself, she is committed to supporting students within the Faculty to feel confident as they seek out meaningful work during their degrees and beyond. In her role as Career Strategist, Robyn spends time delivering workshops (resume/cover letter, interview tips, job search strategy, etc.), facilitating career development events like the Arts Career Design Studio, and having 1-1 advising conversations. Outside of work Robyn loves to play word-/video-/board-games of all sorts and dive into on her coursework for the Certificate of Organizational Coaching program through UBC!
Alumni Guests
Logan Anschell, BA ’25 – Clerk, Business and Government Relations
Logan is a University of British Columbia (UBC) political science graduate preparing to start a Juris Doctor (JD) in Fall 2027, with a professional interest in global order, international security, and Canada–U.S. relations.
He currently serves as Clerk within the City of Surrey’s Business and Government Relations division, helping to shape intergovernmental strategy and external stakeholder engagement. His work supports senior leadership in advancing the City’s priorities across multiple levels of government, grounding his global policy interests in hands-on public sector experience and practical governance.
In parallel, he is actively pursuing service in the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves, reflecting a practical commitment to defense, security, and public service that complements his professional and academic trajectory.
Gabriela Chen, BA ’15 – System and Process Specialist/ Merchandise Planning
Shaped by Vancouver, Gabriela has built her career in the outdoor and technical apparel industry and currently leads product demand forecasting processes and tools at Arc’teryx Equipment. Before transitioning into the retail industry, she developed a strong foundation in sales, retail management, and warehouse operations at a publicly traded Japanese trading company. Gabriela attributes much of her success to the broadened global perspective she gained through UBC’s language programs and her participation in Go Global.
Tinnie Chow, BA ’99 – Digital Content Strategist/Founder
Tinnie Chow is a TV executive and digital strategist with 20+ years of experience building global audiences across broadcast, streaming, and social platforms. She has led programming, digital channel, social media strategy and partnerships at MTV, Facebook/Meta in London. She is a pioneer of K-pop launching Asian American MTV channels in New York bringing artists like Rain, Big Bang, 2NE1 Se7en to perform for MTV TRL studios. She is the founder of The Collectiv Digital Entertainment, focused on scaling discoverability for Canada’s BIPOC storytellers.
Casey Collins, BA ’09 – Director of Inter-Religious Studies and Professor of Asian Religions
Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Casey moved to Vancouver in 2005 for university, completing a BA in Asian Area Studies in 2009. He lived in Tokyo from 2009 through 2012 while working for a Buddhist lay organization that later became the subject of his graduate research on Japanese new religions. He earned his PhD in 2023, defending a dissertation on the Japanese religion Shinnyo-en. For nearly a decade, Casey has been an instructor and lecturer at UBC, Columbia College, and now at the Vancouver School of Theology where he is Director of Inter-Religious Studies and Professor of Asian Religions.
Bryan Dunn, BA ’81 – Senior Foreign Counsel, Anderson Mori & Tomotsune Law Offices
Bryan is a 1981 graduate of UBC, Asian Studies (Japanese language major). Following his BA, he spent a few years in Japan, two of which in the resource trading division of a major Japanese trading company. On his return to Vancouver, he entered UBC Law School and qualified as lawyer in 1991, following which he went back to Japan where he continues to practice as Canadian lawyer in Tokyo.
Other than his career as a lawyer, he published his writing in Japanese as a foreign author last year.
Lisa Liu, BA ’22 – UX Writer at Samsung + Freelance Content Designer at Sapling Digital
Lisa graduated from UBC in 2022 with a BA in English Literature and Languages, alongside an Asian Area Studies minor. She began her career through WorkLearn as a Communications Assistant for the Department of Asian Studies, supporting initiatives like this very Careers Night! Lisa also spent a semester abroad as an exchange student at National Taiwan University, where she deepened her connection to her cultural background by experiencing everyday life, and got to work on her language skills firsthand.
After returning from Taiwan, Lisa transitioned into tech as a Communications Specialist at SAP, while freelance UX writing on the side. This led to her first in-house UX Writer role at Later, a Vancouver-based tech company building social media marketing software. Fast forward 5 years, and she is now working as a UX Writer at Samsung. Lisa hopes sharing her story can help show current students how curiosity, arts, and non-linear paths can lead you to meaningful careers in tech and/or design.
Oliver Mann, BA ’13 – Senior Manager, Marketing & Events at the University of British Columbia
If you’d asked Oliver in fourth year what he’d do after graduation, he probably would have told you something in Canada-Asia relations. He was on exchange in Seoul and interning at BC’s Trade Office.
Instead, he graduated and became a professional musician. He signed with a record label, toured internationally, and had a day job doing communications for UBC’s Department of Asian Studies. When he stopped playing music, he started doing photography—shooting models, musicians, actors—and he taught rock climbing in the morning.
Then the pandemic hit. He earned an MA in Communications and now he’s regularly invited to speak on his research (communications and Indigenous engagement) across Canada. In 2026, he started a new role at Innovation UBC where he helps researchers launch companies and bring their ideas to market.
His career path wasn’t what he expected (and nowhere near finished). He hopes he can inspire students to follow their curiosity wherever it leads.
Mason Margotta, BA ’17 – Manager, FTMBA Student Experience
Mason is currently the Manager, Student Experience for the Full-Time MBA program at the Robert H. Lee Graduate School at UBC Sauder. In his role, he coordinates all of the logistics and administration of the MBA program, provide academic advising, and help organize community building initiatives for students. He previously worked in the Faculty of Arts and Residence Life at UBC, and has worked at the University of Victoria in curriculum development and housing. In his free time, he enjoys eating at new restaurants around Vancouver, and owns almost 200 board games!
Melody Pan, BA ’14 – IT Systems Manager / Freelance Translator
Melody has made a career out of her passion for Japanese pop culture, video games and technology. After six years of undergrad at UBC (including one year abroad in Japan), Melody landed her first job as a J-E Translator/Interpreter at Bandai Namco Studios, where she participated in game development and localization. Her Japanese skills (and word of mouth) led to her next opportunity at Waterproof Studios, where she was introduced to the world of CG Animation. What started out as a six-month contract for translation/interpreting would turn into a one-year stint in production, and finally into a career in IT. She continues to brush up on her Japanese skills as the translator of Yen Press’s Final Fantasy Lost Stranger.
