I have taught a wide range of courses on Chinese and Asian religions at Purdue University, UC Berkeley, Indiana University, and Long Island University’s Global College. These courses have included study abroad classes in China and Taiwan. I have also collaborated with students on a number of field studies of American immigrant communities. My goal as an educator is to make Chinese Religions come alive through innovative teaching methods. I am developing new Geographic Information Studies (GIS) technologies to help students relate class readings to current events, local communities, and social problems. I further develop students’ experiential understanding of course content by studying the cultural aspects of China’s religious writings through field observation. These activities help students articulate various ways that religion shapes ethnic, national, and gender identities, both in the U.S. and abroad. It also creates a collaborative atmosphere in which students help one another think independently and write effectively.
