Faculty & Administration
Hangzhou Faculty & Administration
TAO HONG, Director, Hangzhou. A native of Beijing, Tao Hong received her B.A. in English Literature from Beijing Foreign Studies University (Bei Wai) in 1988, a Certificate in Applied Linguistics from the University of Warwick, England, in 1994, an M.A. in Chinese Linguistics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2000, and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Chinese Linguistics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison conducting research on Chinese phonology. She taught English at Beijing Foreign Studies University from 1994-1998, winning a Best Teacher Award (ChenMeijie Jiang) in 1996, and has taught all levels of Chinese at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and then at Princeton University from 1998 to 2004. She was also a Foreign Student Advisor and Administrator in the International Students Office at Beijing Foreign Studies University, 1988-1993. In 2002, Tao Hong was one of the lead instructors, coordinating the 4th level, for the Princeton-in-Beijing program at Beijing Normal University (Bei Shi Da). She is familiar with both the city of Hangzhou and Zhejiang province and has long been captivated by the cityscapes and surrounding countryside, which are so typical of southern China, as well as the local cuisines.
JOHN XENAKIS Assistant Director, Hangzhou.
John grew up in Morris Plains, New Jersey, where he studied Spanish and Latin in high school. At Wake Forest University John began studying Chinese and, despite being intimidated by the hours spent writing characters, fell in love. The year 2007 was John’s first trip to China when he studied abroad in Shanghai. Following his graduation from Wake Forest, he returned to China to teach English, first at a kindergarten in Shanghai and then at a university in Dalian. Gaining the experience working in diverse locations helped open his eyes to some of the great places in China to explore and learn about. Most recently, John was in Taipei studying Chinese until returning home this summer and being hired as the Assistant Director of the MIC Hangzhou program. John is excited to work with study abroad students to help them immerse themselves in their new environment and discover what they love about China.