Kelly (Keming) Fu

Kelly Fu is a PhD candidate in Chinese history at Stanford University. Kelly’s work focuses on the development of material science and artificial materials in Republican and PRC eras in China. In particular, she is interested in the early history of plastic materials in China, which is strikingly ubiquitous in an era previously seen as virtually plastic-free. While global networks of knowledge about manufacturing and material science from the U.S. (especially with DuPont chemicals and Ford) fueled this early interest in plastic, making plastic is a fundamentally local venture. She is particularly interested in the entanglements of plastic manufacturing with natural materials sourced from local ecologies, as well as the transition of natural to artificial materials in the manufacturing industry. Bringing her experience working in Yale, Cambridge, Winterthur, and Stanford museums, Kelly hopes to continue her collaboration with public institutions to tell more inclusive stories about the history of science and technology.