People

Meet Our Faculty and Staff

Zhuo Jing-Schmidt

Director, Chinese Flagship Program
Professor of Chinese

zjingsch@uoregon.edu
Office: 318 Friendly Hall

Get to know Zhuo

Professor Zhuo Jing-Schmidt is interested in languages as a window into cognition, emotion, and culture and as a barometer of social discourse and societal change. Therefore, her research focus is not linguistic structure and meaning per se, but the conceptual significance, psychological grounding and sociocultural ramifications of language as a tool of communication and a transmitter of culture. Her published work on grammatical constructions, lexical semantics, and pragmatics arises from this central concern. She is committed to empirical research and her data are largely drawn from Chinese.

In addition, Professor Jing-Schmidt conducts corpus-based SLA research with a focus on the acquisition of writing in Chinese across learner backgrounds.

Kylie Yihua Post

Assistant Director, Chinese Flagship Program

flagship@uoregon.edu
Office: 102C Friendly Hall

Get to know Kylie

Kylie coordinates student support, scholarships, recruitment, retention, community building, and other day-to-day operations at the UO Chinese Flagship Program. Prior to Flagship, she spent nearly 10 years coordinating various international programs, projects, and initiatives under the umbrellas of the Division of Global Engagement and the College of Education. Her work has promoted mutual understanding of educational systems, faculty teaching and research partnership, student exchanges, and other educational collaboration between UO and its global partners. In addition, Kylie has a business background working with a Portland-based equity research firm managing its Asia market research products and consultant network. She is bilingual in English and Mandarin.

Kylie holds an MBA in Marketing and Innovation Management from Portland State University and an MA in English Linguistics from Hebei University, China.

Yugen Wang

Department Head, Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures

ygwang@uoregon.edu
Office: 304 Friendly Hall

Get to know Yugen

Yugen Wang received his Ph.D. in East Asian Languages and Civilizations from Harvard University and an M.A. in Comparative Literature from Peking University. His primary research area is classical Chinese poetry and poetic thought, with a focus on the Tang and Song dynasties. In his book Ten Thousand Scrolls, he made an argument that the excessive allusiveness of the Jiangxi School patriarch Huang Tingjian’s (1045–1105) poetry and his emphasis on the importance of book reading for poetic composition should be understood in the larger historical shift from script to print that was intensely occurring in China at the time. His new book on Chen Yuyi and classical Chinese poetry recently came out with Cambria Press.

Jean Wu

Academic Director, Chinese Flagship Program
Senior Instructor II, Level 3 Chinese

jeanywu@uoregon.edu
Office: 402 Friendly Hall

Get to know Jean

Jean Wu’s teaching focuses on Chinese language, Chinese linguistics, and foreign language pedagogy. Her ongoing research involves second language acquisition, pragmatics, comparative linguistics and Chinese curriculum development. She currently teaches Chinese language courses at UO. She is a regular presenter at national and international conferences on Chinese pedagogy and has given numerous talks on the Chinese language and culture. Professor Wu supervises the professional training of Chinese language Graduate Teaching Fellows at UO, and she has guest lectured on teaching effectiveness at Portland State University.

In addition to her role as Coordinator of the Chinese Language Program and Chinese Major Advisor, Professor Wu has served on the Executive Committee at EALL and the China Executive Board of Oregon University System.

She earned her MA in Foreign Language Education from West Virginia University and her Ph.D. in Linguistics from Michigan State University.

Weijun Chen

Senior Instructor II, Level 4 Chinese

wjchen@uoregon.edu
Office: 172 Gerlinger Annex

Get to know Weijun

Ms. Weijun Chen has been a faculty member in the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures since 2008. She was trained in Chines literature and drama, and her previous teachings including Chinese language courses at all levels. Currently, Ms. Chen teaches Flagship Advanced Chinese as well as Literary Chinese and Chinese Academic Writing.

Fengjun Mao

Senior Instructor II, Level 2 Chinese

fjmao@uoregon.edu
Office: 172 Gerlinger Annex

Get to know Fengjun

Ms. Fengjun Mao currently teaches second-year Chinese as well as Intermediate Language Strategies for the Chinese Flagship Program. Her previous teaching includes Chinese language courses at all levels, business Chinese, media Chinese, and HSK preparatory courses. Ms. Mao trains and supervises Graduate Teaching Fellows and has mentored students from the Second Language Acquisition and Teaching (SLAT) Program.

Denise Gigliotti

Senior Instructor II, Level 1 Chinese

dhg@uoregon.edu
Office: 213 Villard Hall

Get to know Denise

Recipient of the first-ever Tykeson Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching (2015), Ms. Denise Gigliotti has offered her innovative style of pedagogy at the University of Oregon since 2002. A nearly twenty-year veteran in the field, she has taught Chinese language at all levels at three major universities: University of Oregon, Indiana University, and University of California, Los Angeles. Ms. Gigliotti is the author of First-Year Chinese: A Complete Study Guide: A Collection of Examples, Drills, and Exercises for Integrated Chinese Lessons 1-13, published by Kendall Hunt (2013, 2014).

Ms. Gigliotti has embraced the trend of online instruction and given workshops and conference presentations on how to incorporate some of the best of these exciting new resources into an interactive classroom. She became the first educator to create a complete set of online course materials for first-year Chinese on the web platform Top Hat.

Kathryn Paulus

Flagship Student Program Assistant

kpaulus4@uoregon.edu

Get to know Kathryn

Kathryn is a 2023 alumni of the UO’s Chinese Flagship program and majored in Chinese, Linguistics, and Global Studies with a minor in East Asian Studies, graduating summa cum laude. She is a Boren Scholar who is passionate about intercultural communication and global engagement, and joined Flagship to continue improving her Mandarin proficiency and continue learning about the dynamic world around us. For her, working with the Chinese Flagship program after graduation is an exciting opportunity because she is able to continue her own goals of being a global professional, and also able to help inspire and assist other global professionals in the pursuit of their goals.

Meet Our Alumni

Connect with the University of Oregon Chinese Flagship Program and Alumni Network on Linkedin.

Bennet Voorhees, 2009 Graduate

More about Bennet

Data scientist Bennet Voorhees studied Economics as a Flagship student at the UO. “I only started learning Chinese at the UO, and I was able to become fluent and finish my graduate studies in Chinese,” Voorhees said. “And now, 10 years after graduation, my company is sending me to China to do workforce analytics on our companies’ labor force.” 

Lauren Dickey, 2010 Graduate

More about Lauren

Lauren graduated from the University of Oregon in 2011 summa cum laude with majors in Asian Studies and Chinese. She subsequently earned her MA from the University of London (2012) and her PhD from King’s College London and the National University of Singapore (2019), where she led research work on China-Taiwan issues. Her career has spanned research organizations, federal government, and the private sector. Her research focuses on Chinese strategy and the cross-Strait relationship. Lauren’s Chinese language skills and knowledge of the Chinese political environment have been great assets throughout her career, and she has also found that the work ethic she developed during her time in Flagship prepared her for fast-paced, demanding work environments.

Brandon Yeh, 2014 Graduate

More about Brandon

Brandon Yeh graduated cum laude from the University of Oregon in June 2014 with degrees in Chinese and Political Science. He spent his capstone year studying at Nanjing University and interning for an environmental NGO in Southwestern China. After his studies in Oregon, he returned to Nanjing in 2014-2015 to pursue a Graduate Certificate in Chinese Studies at the Hopkins Nanjing Center. In 2016, he received his M.A. from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) with a degree in International Relations and International Economics. He is currently a climate finance consultant at the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), and for a DC-based boutique consulting firm – Climate Finance Advisors. According to Brandon, the UO Chinese Flagship Program benefitted him in many ways: “Not only did it help solidify my Chinese language skills in the classroom, but it also broadened my field of language and cultural understanding through various subject matters and real-life experiences. For example, I could not have successfully completed my internship experience at an environmental education NGO in rural Yunnan without the language and cultural skills that Flagship equipped me with beforehand. This Flagship internship experience has also further solidified my current academic interest and future career goals.”

Katriel Perry, 2016 Graduate

More about Katriel

After graduating, Katriel Perry headed straight back to China to look for a job. While she was in Nanijng on Capstone, Katriel had volunteered as an English teacher at a local middle school. There, she realized her love of teaching young people. Without that experience, she says, “I probably wouldn’t have considered looking into teaching kids in China.” Upon her return, she soon found a job at a private kindergarten in Beijing. She says, “When I came over to China in 2014 for the Harbin summer program, I made a lot of expat friends in Beijing. Since then, I have developed those friendships and expanded my social group. That’s how I found this job. Guanxi is very important!” She is required to speak, read, and write in Chinese all day at work, and is often relied upon as a translator. “I never thought I would end up teaching English to Pre-K students in China, however, I must say I love my job. My kiddos are adorable.” Now, Katriel says, she is happily settled in Beijing. “I have a lovely and spacious apartment, a job that I love, a wonderfully diverse social group and two rescue puppies that I love to pieces. Without Flagship, I would not be where I am now. Thank you to all the teachers and staff both in the USA and in China for all your direction and support. It’s been a wonderful journey!”

Erik Thorbeck, 2016 Graduate

More about Erik

Erik Thorbeck majored in Planning, Public Policy, and Management (PPPM) and Chinese, and now works as a Project Analyst at Nicobar Group LLC in Shanghai. Erik joined Flagship with the goal of becoming a Foreign Service Officer for the US Department of State. “I’m still considering this for later,” he says, “but my internship with the British Chamber of Commerce during my Capstone year exposed me to the consulting industry in China, and how western firms based in China could offer expertise to firms entering China by combining knowledge of policy, industry, languages, cultures, and economics.” In his current role Erik is deepening his understanding of the Chinese nuclear industry in order to assist foreign firms in China’s transition to more sustainable energy. “It turns out that there’s a lot of overlap between my academic background in urban planning, and the energy sector. The technical aspects of what I do are extremely interesting, and I continue to learn new things every day.” Erik says the most rewarding part about living in Shanghai is being “exposed to people from incredibly diverse backgrounds, all coming here to further their understanding of China and the world.”

Gwendolyn Snider, 2017 Graduate

More about Gwendolyn

Gwendolyn Snider graduated from the University of Oregon in spring 2017 with a degree in Planning, Public Policy, and Management. After completing her Capstone year and graduating from the UO, she stayed in Nanjing to pursue a graduate certificate in Chinese studies at the Hopkins-Nanjing Center as a Boren Scholar, and then completed an M.A. at the John Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. She credits the Flagship Program with preparing her for the language she needed to succeed in graduate studies in China. Gwendolyn now lives in Washington, DC, and works at the Department of Justice. The Oregon Chinese Flagship Program drastically changed the shape of Gwendolyn’s studies and career path. When she entered the UO as a freshman, she enrolled in Chinese 101 without having any previous experience in Mandarin. “It is only thanks to the Flagship’s resources and faculty that I was able to progress to the Capstone year,” Gwendolyn says. “The Capstone year itself was also very formative for me.” Through her internship, Gwendolyn discovered a love of international relations and diplomacy in addition to city planning. Gwendolyn acknowledges the rigorous academic nature of the Flagship Program and also credits the program with its ability to create lasting, meaningful relationships. “I had the pleasure of getting to know other Flagship students from across the United States with similar goals and interests,” she recalls of her experience in the program. “And I had the opportunity to form relationships with Chinese people both in my field and beyond it.”

Ava Lu Jamerson, 2018 Graduate

More about Ava

Ava Jamerson graduated cum laude from the University of Oregon in December 2018 with a B.A. in Chinese and an B.S. in Business Administration. She attended Capstone Year in her junior year as a Boren recipient, studying Chinese and Finance at the University of Nanjing and interning for an international marketing agency in Shanghai. After graduating, Ava completed an internship with a DC-based AI startup, where she worked as a China data analyst. Now she lives in Washington, DC, and is currently at the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration. In her spare time, she works at The China Guys, a passion project co-founded by two of her capstone classmates. According to Ava, the Chinese Flagship program played a huge role in her career development. “Having the opportunity to go on Capstone opened so many doors for me. Very few can say that they have worked and studied in China by the end of their undergraduate experience, so it really makes you stand out from the crowd.” Ava also made lifelong friends at UO’s program and in Capstone. Her last bit of advice was, “If you are on the fence about Chinese, take the leap because you’ll develop many of the other skills that come with language learning, meet some really smart people, and always have an instant connection with a fellow China Watcher.” Read more about Ava here.

Cyrus Ray, 2020 Graduate

More about Cyrus

Cyrus graduated from Portland Christian High School and is a first-generation college student. For the first year of his Chinese learning journey, he was entirely self-taught. “I checked books, websites, videos, and peers that were from China to learn as much as I could. Incidentally, I was researching about language education in America for my Senior Thesis, and one of the books I was reading mentioned government funded programs and grants that promote language education in colleges. In this section, I learned about the Chinese Flagship program, and googled locations that hosted this program, one of which was the University of Oregon, an in-state college.” When he took an entering language assessment for placement in UO classes, he says, even though “I taught myself and had no defined level, I was given the chance to take a three-in-one summer course for 3rd year Chinese” before starting college. Now he is majoring in Business Finance and Chinese, and won the 2016-17 Flagship Achievement Award. Cyrus actively trains in long distance running, and has completed three marathons including the Eugene marathon twice!

Ellie Yeo, 2020 Graduate

More about Ellie

Ellie Yeo started at the University of Oregon in 2016 with a plan to join the Chinese Flagship program. Through Flagship, she was able to spend almost every summer of undergrad abroad in both Taiwan and China. In 2019, she attended the Flagship Capstone year in Nanjing, China where she met the most amazing classmates and teachers, whom she still talks to them almost daily. Unfortunately, she was unable to finish her Capstone year due to the outbreak of COVID-19. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Oregon in June 2020 with a Degree in Chinese and Second Language Acquisition. Currently, she is at the University of Oxford pursuing a Master’s in Contemporary Chinese Studies, researching Chinese American ethnicity and identity. Though she was unable to finish her Capstone year, she said, “My time with Flagship at UO, various study abroad, and that six months in Nanjing were truly life changing; it gave me the desire to learn more about China and pursue my masters.”

Samara Schuman, 2021 Graduate

More about Samara

Samara Schuman graduated magna cum laude as a Chinese major with double minors in political science and business administration. She is a Boren Scholar, and studied abroad a total of six times in China, Taiwan, and Jordan. She attended PIB, ICLP Taiwan, CIEE Shanghai, SIT’s Geopolitics in  Jordan, and Flagship’s virtual Capstone year. Samara worked at Expo 2020 Dubai as a USA Pavilion Youth Ambassador. Her career goal is to work as a Public Diplomacy Foreign Service Officer. 

Ella Gilbertson, 2022 Graduate

More about Ella

Ella is a 2022 graduate with a BA in Cultural Anthropology and Chinese, and took classes through Yangming University in Taiwan as a part of the Chinese Flagship Capstone program. In 2019, she spent the summer in Shanghai as a part of the CIEE program offered through Flagship. She joined Flagship to continue to improve her Mandarin skills after a year abroad in Taiwan in high school. In the future, she  hopes to return to Taiwan and work as a cultural anthropologist. According to Ella, the UO Chinese Flagship Program has afforded many opportunities to connect with great professors and classmates at UO, Shanghai, and Taiwan. Though through the pandemic her journey was filled with challenges, she believes that everything she has learned will be of great help in the future.

Dylan Armstrong, 2023 Graduate

More about Dylan

Dylan Armstrong is a Spring 2023 graduate with a BA in Chinese and Economics. He completed the overseas Capstone in Taiwan Capstone with a national certificate for professional proficiency in Mandarin and received the Freeman Internship Scholarship. Dylan says “I joined Flagship in his freshman year of college because I wanted to continue to improve my Chinese, and I knew I wanted to study abroad during undergrad to get a more global perspective. Flagship, with its capstone as well as summer programs, was the perfect program for me to achieve those two goals.” Dylan is also an admittee of the John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies Hopkins–Nanjing Center to commence in Fall 2024. “I really think that the ability to feel comfortable entering any daily situation in Chinese is one of the greatest skills I’ve learned.”, he says. ” I no longer feel nervous trying to speak to natives and can make small talk incredibly easily. This will be incredibly useful as I enter another intensive language program at the Hopkins Nanjing Center.

Evelyn Woo, 2024 Graduate

More about Evelyn

Evelyn Woo graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Oregon’s Robert D. Clark Honors College with double majors in Global Studies and Chinese. She was fully funded to study abroad at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University through the Chinese Flagship’s Capstone Program by receiving scholarships from the National Security Education Program, UO Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures, UO Division of Global Engagement, and the Robert D. Clark Honors College. During her academic year in Taipei, she worked at an international intellectual property law firm and received the distinction of a “Language Flagship Certified Global Professional.” After returning to the States, Evelyn was selected to serve as a Legislative Intern for Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici at the U.S. House of Representatives. In Fall 2024, Evelyn will pursue a Juris Doctor degree at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School to explore the intersection of law, business, and international affairs.

Meet Our Student Leadership Team

Banzhang 班長, the UO Chinese Flagship Program’s Student Leadership Committee, offers representation and leadership opportunities for Flagship students. Learn more on our Get Involved page.

President:
Anais Thomas
Year: Junior
Major/Minor: Chinese & Global Studies
Why did you join?

Flagship is an amazing program that would help me improve my Mandarin skills from no knowledge at all to full proficiency. I needed a program that would give me the support to reach my goal of fluency, and Flagship is the perfect program for that.

Vice President & Member Engagement: Grace Guertin
Year: Junior
Major/Minor: Business Administration & Chinese
Why did you join?

I joined Flagship to surround myself with like minded people all wanting to learn the language.

Executive Member: Isaac Reeder
Year: Junior
Major/Minor: Business  (OBA) & Chinese Minor
Why did you join?

I was in Chinese immersion and have been studying Chinese since kindergarten, and fell in love with the language and culture. I thought Flagship was a great opportunity to meet people, learn more Chinese, and study abroad.

Secretary:
Rachel Wallace
Year: Sophomore
Major: Global Studies & Chinese
Why did you join?

I wanted to use Chinese throughout my life and make connections. I also wanted to have a sense of community with other Chinese learners. 

Public Relations:
Aeri Romanello
Year: Junior
Major: Chinese
Why did you join?

To learn Mandarin! And for the awesome study abroad opportunities and support from professors and instructors in the program. 

Treasurer:
Ellie Howard
Year: Sophomore
Major/Minor: Chinese
Why did you join?

I wanted to become more involved at the UO.

Executive Member:
Matan Goldman
Year: Sophomore
Major: Linguistics & Chinese
Why did you join?

I wanted to use Chinese throughout my life and make connections. I also wanted to have a sense of community with other Chinese learners. 

Executive Member:
Shelby Doden
Year: Sophomore
Major: Chinese & Business
Why did you join?

Banzhang seemed like a great opportunity to get involved within Flagship and meet others in the program.