I was born and raised in Minnesota. I did the four-year Spanish thing in high school. Mostly gone now, except for "hello", "please", "thank you", and "goodbye". After studying Ojibwe (Chippewa) from 1985-1986 (also all gone now, except for "hello" and "Saturday"), I decided to study Chinese in 1987. I studied Chinese (modern and classical) for three years before spending fifteen months in the People's Republic of China. In addition to focusing on Mandarin Chinese, I have since done two years of Japanese and am now working through Vietnamese.

My China experience started in Tianjin while participating in the Minnesota-Nankai Summer Intensive Language Program jointly coordinated by the University of Minnesota and Nankai University. I then moved to Fudan University in Shanghai for the academic year 1990-1991.

I started out my graduate career at the University of Hawai'i in July 1993. During the first four years I was there from 1993-1997, I had the pleasure of working with many excellent people. I am currently under the supervision of Prof. Ted Yao, who has just published the Integrated Chinese (Levels One and Two) textbook series. I had the honor of designing and laying out the Character Workbook for what is ostensibly known as Level 1.

In academic year 1995-1996 I co-taught Second-year Mandarin Chinese with Prof. Yao and Third-year Mandarin Chinese with Ms. Julia Kwan. For academic year 1996-1997 and Fall 2000 I co-taught first- and second-year Mandarin Chinese, both with Prof. Yao.

I am currently back in Honolulu after living in Beijing, P.R.C. from August 1997 to May 2000. I spent the first year at Beijing University on a scholarship from the Center for Chinese Studies at the University of Hawai'i.

I am trying to finish up my dissertation proposal with a view to graduating in December 2003. Fall 2002 I taught CHN451: Introductory Study of the Phonology and Morphology of Mandarin Chinese. Spring 2003 I am teaching CHN102 (second semester Beginning Mandarin) and EALL140 (Introduction to Chinese Language and Culture).

My interests include Teaching Methods of Chinese as a Second/Foreign Language (CSL / CFL) and Theories of Reading, especially as it applies to Western students learning Chinese orthography. I am looking forward to finishing my Ph.D. in about one year and applying some of the many ideas and concepts I have researched to a career of teaching and classroom research.