I am an educator, a researcher, an observer of cultures, and a writer. I have taught kindergarten through graduate school. In my research I study young children’s learning in China and the United States. I am a consultant on educational and research matters, and I direct the Bridging Cultures: US/China Program at Mount St. Mary’s College in Los Angeles.

I have been traveling to China since 1989 to conduct research about how children learn. (I study young children in the United States too.) I also have several collaborations there. I believe that it’s vital we in the West get to know China and Chinese people. Diplomatic and international crises often have at their heart a lack of fundamental understanding of other cultures.

My passion is to help people in the United States and China appreciate each others’ rich talents and potential. You can learn more about my experiences through China Images.

Over the decades I have run a high school program for the American Friends Service Committee, led a traveling seminar of high school students to Eastern Europe in the days of the Soviet Union, taught elementary school in urban California, coordinated the Voices from the Inside project at the Claremont Graduate University, and directed the elementary education program at Mount St. Mary’s College. I have also, with my husband (another educator), built a cabin in the mountains of California and spent hours and hours discussing education.

Academic Papers & CV