Hope St. John is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Anthropology studying photographic practice in contemporary Qingdao. In examining contemporary photography, Hope uses ethnography to explore how the process of making and sharing images constitutes personal, urban, and national identities across time and space. In addition to using traditional ethnographic methods, she also uses her own photography as a key methodological tool in examining photographic practice through mutual participation. She is currently in the process of preparing for dissertation fieldwork.

Hope is also the current Chair of the China Studies Graduate Student Association, which provides a venue for students to meet with one another, engage in conversations about the field of China studies, and opportunities to interact with visiting scholars. Recognizing the wealth of interdisciplinary experience within the China Studies Program, she endeavors to facilitate cross-disciplinary discussions about China both past and present.