ABOUT ME

I was born and raised in northeast China--China's rustbelt, went to high school in Guangzhou--China's southern frontier for reform and opening-up, and attended college in Nanjing--one of China's most ancient capitals. My personal experience of growing up in a rapidly-changing China after the Cultural Revolution and my close connections with people in China's countryside, small cities, and big cities have fueled my passion and compassion in both my research and teaching--I want to make sense of China's dazzling metamorphosis and share that knowledge.

I majored in British and American literature at Nanjing University when China was enthusiastically embracing the world after joining the WTO. I also studied law at NJU with an ambition to contribute to a rule-of-law world, but eventually returned to the arms of my first love--literature. At UC, Riverside, I indulged myself in interdisciplinary studies in the Comparative Literature program, which turned out to help me approach modern Chinese literature, arts, culture, and society in a comprehensive way.

In my spare time, I enjoy reading, hiking, cooking, watching old movies, and working on small sewing/building projects. I am a dog lover and was a proud guardian of a sweet beagle.