Bio: I’m Sam (they/them pronouns). I am a design engineer, researcher, and community organizer for BIPOC in the outdoors. I am a PhD Student in Mechanical Engineering at Oregon State University, located on the original homelands of the Mary’s River or Ampinefu Band of Kalapuya. I currently work in the Design Engineering Lab, advised by Professor Andy Dong. Before this, I worked at HP Inc. as a senior mechanical design engineer and MEMS process engineer developing HP’s first color MultiJet Fusion 3D printer and 2D inkjet printhead technology, respectively.
My research examines how social norms like gender govern longstanding design theories, protocols, processes, and technologies over time. To address my research questions, I draw from a range of tools: engineering design theory and practice, technofeminist studies, social cognition psychology, design-research, norm-critical design, R.
This website provides a look into my research practice and work social justice community organizing via Corvallis Climbers of Color, an organization I founded that reduces entrance barriers to the climbing and the outdoors for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color). I have been awarded multiple nationally competitive grants to fund my organization’s mission; you can read more about my work in the ‘Corvallis Climbers of Color’ tab of this website.
Positionality: I also bring perspectives as a first-gen engineer and graduate student, a non-binary queer living with an acquired mobility disability, child of Chinese and Korean immigrants, and more to my research. These identities ground me and I am honored and privileged to be doing this work because of my amazing support network of friends, family, and community. I also have a blog where I write more about my queer Asian and disabled identities, including my recovery following a near-death climbing accident in Summer 2022.
Contact: kangsa at oregonstate dot edu
Corvallis, OR, is located within the traditional homelands of the Mary’s River or Ampinefu Band of Kalapuya. Following the Willamette Valley Treaty of 1855 (Kalapuya etc. Treaty), Kalapuya people were forcibly removed to reservations in Western Oregon. Today, living descendants of these people are part of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon (https://www.granderonde.org) and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians (http://ctsi.nsn.us).
