Education
Ph.D., Purdue University, Interpersonal Communication, 2007
M.A., University of Illinois at Chicago, Communication Studies, 2002
M.A., Beijing Normal University, China, Linguistics, 1996
B.A., Capital Normal University, China, English Education, 1993
Personal Statement
I am originally from Beijing, China where I also completed my B.A. in English Education (1993) and M.A. in English Sociolinguistics (1996). I came to the United States in 1999 when I attended the University of Illinois at Chicago; I have since lived in Chicago, West Lafayette before moving to Duluth in 2006 when I joined the Department of Communication at UMD.
I completed my Ph.D. in interpersonal communication at Purdue University in West Lafayette. As an interpersonal communication scholar from East Asian culture, my interest in how culture influences interpersonal communication is genetic. Hence both my teaching and research are at the nexus of interpersonal and intercultural communication. I regularly teach Interpersonal
Communication Theory (COMM 3200), Relationship Communication (COMM 3205), Theories of Intercultural Communication (COMM 4210), and Social Support and Well-being (COMM 4999). I also teach a quantitative research method course of Communication Inquiry: Social Science Method (COMM 2030), which reflects my primary methodological approach to research. It is a privilege to be in a teaching profession where I can facilitate others to understand the world a little bit better and simultaneously, I can grow myself.
My primary research interests resolve around supportive communication in personal relationships across cultures, specifically, what different and similar beliefs people hold about providing emotional support, giving advice as a form of problem-focused support, and avoidance as a form of support. A second line of interest is about politeness theory and its application across cultures. Politeness theory by British scholars Brown & Levinson is the starting point of my academic career since 1993. It bridges my research in English Sociolinguistics and Interpersonal Communication. This interest has led to a few entries in the International Encyclopedia of Interpersonal Communication, Intercultural Communication, and Language and Social Interaction. Living in Minnesota, I am interested in understanding “Minnesota nice” from the politeness theory perspective, and I plan on collecting data on this subject. Another ongoing interest is on intercultural competence. The most recent project is a collaborative study about redefining intercultural competence using the Delphi method. We collected three rounds of data from nearly 70 intercultural scholars from eight countries in the East and the West. This study has been published in the Journal of Studies in International
Education. Deep down, my interest in culture and communication reflects my motivation to understand how cultural adaptation and fusion evolve over time and how individual identities change along this process.
In addition to my professional work, I enjoy hiking in neighborhood trails, traveling, reading, thinking, spending time with my family, and just staying in the office sometimes for nothing. The communication department at UMD is a place of great people, energy, creativity, and fun.
Courses Taught
COMM 2030 - Communication Inquiry: Social Scientific Methods
COMM 3200 - Interpersonal Communication Theory
COMM 3205 - Relationship Communication
COMM 3210 - Group Communication
COMM 4210 - Theories of Intercultural Communication
COMM 4999 - Senior Seminar on Social Support and Well-being