Board of Directors

Zhiyin Renee Dong is an associate professor of Chinese and Second Language Studies in the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at the University of Delaware (UD). Dr. Dong teaches a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses, including Chinese language courses at all levels, second language acquisition theory courses, and world language pedagogy and education courses. A regular presenter at national world language conferences such as the ACTFL Annual Convention and the National Chinese Language Conference, Dr. Dong actively participates in teacher preparation programs at UD and the state of Delaware. She was one of the principal investigators of Delaware's first Mandarin Chinese StarTalk program and has worked extensively with K-16 Chinese world language teachers in the Mid-Atlantic region since 2009. Dr. Dong's primary research interest includes Instructed Second Language Acquisition, Chinese as a world language pedagogy, Chinese syntax, and psycholinguistics. Using various experimental methods, including the Event-Related Potentials (ERP), she studies how classroom-based teaching practices affect second language learning outcomes. Her latest work in this area, L2 Processing of Filled Gaps: Non-native Brain Activity Not Modulated by Proficiency and Working Memory, examines the brain responses of advanced second-language speakers as they process complex sentence structures and morphology. Dr. Dong received an MA and a Ph.D. in Linguistics and Cognitive Science from the University of Delaware.  

Huang Yan is a native speaker of Hakka, Cantonese and Mandarin. She has been teaching Chinese language and culture for 20 years and Cantonese for 10 years. She is a senior teacher at Friends Select School in Philadelphia, where she expanded Mandarin classes to middle and lower schools. She teaches high school Mandarin at all levels. She designs and directs courses and teaching materials, and develops partnership programs for Mandarin students with international Chinese students. She also founded the Chinese Culture Club in Friends Select School to introduce Chinese history, culture and arts. The club hosts a school-wide assembly every year in partnership with her Mandarin students and the Asian Student Union. A lifelong learner, she regularly attends conferences and sometimes serves as a speaker. Huang Yan has been a mentor to young Chinese teachers. Huang Yan received a master's degree in Chinese fine arts from Beijing Capital Normal University.

Bei Zhang is the World Languages Department Chair and Mandarin Program Head Instructor at Westtown School, with almost 20 years in Chinese language education. Her experience spans multiple educational settings, including secondary schools and universities, where she has successfully created and revitalized three Chinese language programs across three institutions. As a certified Modern Classroom Project Expert Mentor and ACTFL Facilitator in Training, Bei mentors language educators from all over the world and is dedicated to advancing innovative teaching methodologies and supporting educator development. She has presented at numerous national and international conferences on Chinese language pedagogy and educator growth and leadership. Her publications focus on task-based instruction, immersion approaches, and curriculum design for effective Chinese language acquisition. 

Bei's leadership extends across a variety of institutional committees and initiatives. She currently serves as the Director of International Students, Host Family Program Coordinator, and Co-Director of Farrow LEAP (Leadership, Empowerment, Affinity, Purpose) Program, while also leading many school-wide committees at Westtown School. Previously, she served as Director of Language Methodology and Assistant Department Chair of Modern Languages at Marianapolis Preparatory School. Bei holds an M.A. in Asian Studies and a B.A. in Language Education.

Faye Wei has nearly 20 years of experience teaching Chinese in the Greater Philadelphia area, working with students from elementary to secondary and adult learners. She holds a master’s degree in Computer Science from Villanova University and currently teaches lower school Chinese at Friends Select School in Philadelphia, where she designs curricula specifically tailored for young learners. Faye creates engaging, student-centered lessons that integrate language, culture, and educational technology. Her students have received recognition in local and national competitions. She actively pursues professional development and has presented at conferences and workshops. Faye organizes and leads annual Chinese cultural events for the lower school and plays a key role in coordinating the yearly Lunar New Year celebration for the entire school community. To Faye, the most important aspect of language learning is that it be joyful, meaningful, and rooted in authentic cultural experiences.

Dr. Shuhan C. Wang (王周淑涵) is the President of ELE Consulting International, LLC; she is also the Project Director of the Chinese Early Language and Immersion Network (CELIN) at the Asia Society. Dr. Wang has held a variety of prominent positions in language education, including Deputy Director of the National Foreign Language Center (NFLC) at the University of Maryland and Co-Principal Investigator of the STARTALK Project. She was the Executive Director for Chinese Language Initiatives at the Asia Society and Education Associate for World Languages and International Education for the State of Delaware. Since 2012, she has been serving as an advisor to the Ministry of Education in Singapore on the Mother Tongue and Chinese Primary Curriculum Projects. She served on the boards of the Chinese Language Teacher Association, Foreign Language Annals, Joint National Committee for Languages, National Council of State Supervisors for Languages, National Council of Association of Chinese Language Schools, and Longview Foundation for World Affairs and International Understanding. Dr. Wang has provided consultations, program evaluations, curriculum, material, and assessment development, and professional development for schools, school districts, international schools, universities, and state governments, and the Sesame Workshop Mandarin Project. She has co-authored a number of textbooks, including Flying with Chinese, a series of standards-and performance-based learning system for K-6 learners and a high school textbook. She is co-editor of a series of CELIN Briefs published by the Asia Society. Her work has been published in books and peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Wang has two MAs, one in Communication from Ohio State University, and the other in Bilingualism and Teaching English as a Second Language from the University of Delaware. She received her PhD in Educational Linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania.

Kim is currently a full time Mandarin Chinese teacher in Hempfield High School in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania.  She has taught Chinese at Hempfield High School since 2011.   Kim was one of the instructors for the Berks County Intermediate Unit’s Summer Chinese Academy for two summers.  Her responsibilities for the summer Chinese Academy including curriculum planning and teaching for K-6.  In the summer of 2012, she was involved with the very first Startalk student program in Berks County, and was the Lead instructor for the Berks County Startalk Student program for 5 years.  Kim received her Bachelor degree in Music Education from Clearwater Christian College in Florida and taught music both in elementary and high school.  After relocated to Pennsylvania, she obtained the teaching certificate of Pennsylvania both in Music and Chinese.  Kim attended a Startalk Teacher Training Program that was held in the Pedagogy Institute in Indiana University, Indiana.  She also has a Master of Science degree in Instructional Media from Wilkes University.

Maiheng Shen Dietrich is a senior lecturer in foreign languages in the department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Pennsylvania. She is the coordinator and chief instructor of Beginning Chinese. She has been actively involved in classroom instruction, curriculum design, new teacher training and action research since 1995. She has taught a wide range of courses, from language to literature in both Chinese and English. She has initiated and completed various curriculum and material development projects, including compiling a Chinese reader for literature courses, and co-authoring (serving as the lead author and editor) a textbook for beginning Chinese. A regular conference panel organizer and presenter, she has mentored many young instructors in this capacity. Since 2012 she has also served as instructor in several Startalk teachers programs. Her research interests include teaching methodology, pedagogical grammar, language and culture as well as language and literature. Maiheng S. Dietrich holds a MA in English language and literature and a PhD in Chinese language and literature from the University of Minnesota.

Mengyao Chen is a Chinese Dual Language Immersion (DLI) Specialist in the Delaware DLI Program. Dr. Chen provides regular and ongoing professional learning opportunities and coaching for Chinese immersion teachers and administrators, as well as collaborating with the DLI team at the Delaware Department of Education to support the implementation of a high-quality Chinese immersion curriculum. She also assists the Chinese DLI districts in implementing the Delaware DLI model with fidelity and supports Chinese DLI administrators and teachers in understanding and analyzing immersion data. Dr. Chen is an educator and researcher with a diverse teaching background in K-12 and university programs. Her research interests include preparing and training Chinese immersion teachers and developing open educational resources. Dr. Chen has published her work and served as a reviewer for peer-reviewed journals. She also frequently presents her work at international and national conferences related to language education.