UC Irvine anthropology Ph.D. student Fei Yuan has been selected as one of only ten scholars worldwide to receive the 2025 China Times Young Scholar Fellowship, an honor that recognizes groundbreaking doctoral research. Her award-winning dissertation, “Planning the End of Life: State, Market, and Family Dynamics in Urban China’s Elder Care,” explores how aging adults in China are reshaping what it means to prepare for the end of life - with autonomy, dignity, and care for future generations. The fellowship includes a $7,000 prize in support of her research. Blending ethnographic fieldwork with questions of law, family, and morality, Fei Yuan's research explores how older adults actively navigate financial, medical, and legal systems to shape their own end-of-life care. Below, she shares what drives her research, the “magic” of fieldwork, and why UCI’s anthropology department has been the ideal intellectual environment for her graduate pursuits.

Tell us a bit about your background. Where did you earn your undergrad and grad degrees? What made you decide to pursue your current field of study, and specifically at UCI? What interests you most about your work?

I received my undergraduate degree in political science from Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. Before coming to UCI, I earned master’s degrees in political science and East Asian studies from Duke University.

I took some anthropology courses during my master’s program and found them genuinely fascinating. I was really drawn to anthropology because it lets you see things from so many different perspectives and encourages you to ask both practical and big-picture questions about human societies—there isn’t just one way to look at things. It taught me to be more thoughtful and curious, instead of rushing to answers.

I decided on UCI because the anthropology department is known for its strong focus on the study of medicine, science, and technology, plus transnational studies and digital humanities—all areas that matched what I was interested in when I applied. Even though my current project is totally different now.

What excites me the most is getting to do fieldwork. When you’re out in the field site doing participant research, you really have to open up your thoughts and senses and let go of your old assumptions, but it’s so worth it because it helps you ask more questions. I think this is the charm of doing anthropological research—you get to see different ideas and worldviews collide, and then see what new questions come out of those clashes. It’s like a magical lab.

Tell us about your research. What problem will your findings help solve, and where can someone go to read some of your work?

My research looks at how older adults and their families in China deal with end-of-life care and try to ensure well-being and a dignified death. I focus on how urban, middle-class retirees use financial and legal tools—like estate planning, writing wills, guardianship contracts, and advance medical directives—to keep more control over their decisions as they face physical and cognitive decline later in life. This is very different from the widespread view that elderly people are solely dependent or only recipients of care. What I found is that many of my elderly interlocutors possess a keen awareness of legal and financial risks, often taking a proactive role in planning for the end of life. Rather than deferring to their children, they frame estate planning, hospice enrollment, and even funeral arrangements as moral obligations—measures taken not only to prevent overtreatment and unnecessary suffering at ICU, but also to ease the burden on their families in making fraught ethical decisions and to ensure a dignified death. My research seeks to foster a more inclusive society for older adults by combating ageism and advocating for more accessible legal and financial infrastructures. As more countries approach or surpass the threshold of having over 20% of their population aged 65 and older, the question of how to live well in late life—and how to approach the end of life with dignity—has become increasingly urgent, both in China and globally.

I have published public-facing writings in Anthro News and the CASTAC Blog, sharing my thoughts and reflections on fieldwork conducted at nursing homes and a hospice care center. I am also writing a chapter for an edited book on migration and care, as well as another journal article about how elderly people interact with legal institutions and bureaucracies following the COVID-19 pandemic.

What funding has helped you pursue your program at UCI? 

My fieldwork research was funded by the National Science Foundation and Wenner-Gren Foundation, while my dissertation writing is supported by the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation (CCKF) and the China Times Cultural Foundation. I also received a dissertation completion fellowship from the Graduate Division. Several organizations at UCI have generously supported my pre-dissertation research, including the Long Institute, the Center for Asian Studies, the Center for Medical Humanities, the Initiative to End Family Violence (IEFV), the Graduate Division’s Social Justice Fellowship, and the Association of Graduate Students (AGS) Conference Travel Funding. I am profoundly thankful for the financial assistance offered by these organizations, which has significantly aided my research and enabled my conference travel as a graduate student.

Aside from your busy research and classroom schedule, what other activities have kept you busy during your time on campus?

I’m really passionate about teaching and designing great learning experiences. The UC Irvine Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation has been a fantastic resource for instructors—thanks to their workshops and trainings, I’ve earned both the Certificate in Course Design Essentials and the Certificate in Teaching Excellence. I also have a certificate in Mentoring Excellence. This year, I serve as a peer mentor for the Graduate International Connection (GIC) Program. I help incoming international grad students get comfortable with campus life, discover useful resources, and find a good balance between work and well-being. During orientation week, our team organized several events to create a welcoming atmosphere for new students, and we had a great time meeting lots of new friends.

Who have been your faculty mentors while here, and what impact have they had on your graduate career?

My advisor, anthropology professor Mei Zhan, has been an extraordinary source of guidance and encouragement throughout my academic journey since I entered the program in 2018. I am deeply grateful not only for her insightful and constructive feedback on my work, but also for the unwavering trust she has placed in my ability to lead my own research. Her mentorship has given me the much-needed space to discover and refine my intellectual voice as an international student. I am also profoundly thankful to my committee members. Professor Eleana Kim has been endlessly generous and kind, gently prompting me to ask sharper questions and to craft my writing with greater clarity and purpose. Her intellectual curiosity and warmth have been truly inspiring. Professor Bill Maurer has not only assisted me in developing a more rigorous approach to anthropological thinking but has also exemplified the importance of building an intellectual community. Despite his many commitments as dean, he has consistently offered incisive, timely, and supportive feedback on my work.

Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to learn from and be mentored by many faculty members at the anthropology department whose generosity and guidance have deeply shaped my development. Professor Angela Jenks introduced me to the craft of pedagogy and the principles of inclusive teaching. Professor Kris Peterson helped refine my approach to research design and ethnographic methods. Professor Sherine Hamdy offered invaluable guidance as I crafted a grant proposal from the ground up. Professor Justin Richland deepened my engagement with law and society, while professor Anneeth Kaur Hundle helped me sharpen my critical thinking and writing. Beyond the anthropology department, I’m grateful to professor Kristin Turney in sociology, whose encouragement bolstered my confidence during my first experience as a solo instructor, and to professor Emily Baum in History, who has helped me approach archival research with a historian’s lens. I may not be able to name everyone here, but I’m grateful for all the faculty whose guidance and support have made a real difference in my academic and personal journey at UCI.

When do you plan to complete your Ph.D.? What are your plans thereafter? How has UCI prepared you well for this role?

I plan to finish my PhD in June 2026. I hope to keep doing research and teaching since that’s something I really enjoy. Right now, I’m finishing my dissertation while applying to academic jobs. UCI has offered so many great opportunities for career development—the trainings and workshops from GPSRC, like how to write cover letters, research statements, and prepare for interviews, have been especially helpful. Also, the access to Interstride has been a huge support for international students like me.

Any unique life experiences that have guided your educational journey?

I’ve lived abroad on my own since the age of 18, and I don’t have many chances to visit my family. Conducting research on aging, kinship, and care has made me reflect deeply on the many ways care can be given and received across geographic distances. It’s also pushed me to consider what it means to live well—for both younger and older generations—each facing distinct forms of precarity in today’s world. These personal experiences have shaped how I relate to my interlocutors and have deepened my commitment to exploring how intergenerational connections can be reimagined with mutual understanding and care.

Any other tidbits you’d like to share?

I like drawing and artistic experiments. I’m also into games and game studies. Recently, I used AI to create an RPG-style visual map to track my dissertation progress, making the trek more of a gamified and artistic experience. It’s my way of integrating work and self-care, making writing feel more like an adventure (and occasionally a boss battle).