Program Associate
Olia Zhang is a program associate at the National Committee primarily supporting Public Intellectuals Program and various Committee-wide public programs. Before joining the committee in September 2023, Olia worked in community organizing with Justice is Global, focusing on enhancing U.S.-China climate cooperation through grassroots canvassing and policy advocacy. She has contributed her filmmaking, journalistic, coordinating, and translating skills to art festivals, concerts, and independent initiatives for non-profit organizations, particularly those championing labor and migrant rights and alternative education.
Olia’s lived experiences in the U.S. and upbringing in China motivate and inform her academic and professional endeavors. She graduated from New York University with an individualized major in Social Transformation and Creative Arts and a minor in Global Urban Education. Outside of NYC, she has also studied in Abu Dhabi, Taipei, Hong Kong, and various cities in mainland China, focusing on global policies, social anthropology, education, and the arts. She enjoys spending her leisure time with animals, exploring cities, as well as cooking and sharing meals with friends.