Staff Bios |
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OUCI Social Networking
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Executive Staff
M.B.A., Business Administration, East Carolina University, UNC Sharon Gou is the director of the University of Oklahoma Confucius Institute (OUCI) and the co-director of the China Outreach Institute. The Confucius Institute is a collaborative program between the OU College of Arts and Sciences and University Outreach, College of Continuing Education. Its mission is to promote the teaching of the Chinese language and culture to individuals through mutually beneficial partnerships with governments, corporations and educational and research institutions. Gou works closely with members of OUCI executive committee to provide strategic vision and direction for the institute. As the director of the China Outreach Institute, Gou connects the educational resources of OU to China and offers the OU community travel opportunities to learn about China. The institute also supports and enhances current Chinese business partnerships with University of Oklahoma Outreach and the continuing development of business partnerships through training and development. Gou is responsible for the administration of training programs with public, private and government agencies such as TsingHua University, Zhejiang University, SMIC International School, Zhejiang Technology University of Economics, China Association for International Exchange of Personnel, State Administration of Work Safety, PetroChina Limited and China National Offshore Oil Corporation. Prior to becoming a Sooner, Gou worked as a business analyst at Nortel Networks in Raleigh, N.C. and as a quality control manager/engineer in City of Beijing’s Cultural and Historic Preservation Bureau. In her spare time, Gou volunteers as the principal of Oklahoma ABC Chinese School in Norman and serves as the advisor for the Society of Chinese Scholars and Students at OU. Clydia Forehand, PhD PhD, in Educational Studies, University of Oklahoma-Norman, MME, Music Education, BME Music Education, University of Tulsa. Clydia Forehand is director of the East Asia Institute (EAI) and associate director of the University of Oklahoma Confucius Institute (OUCI). She is a veteran educator in Oklahoma schools, with experience in Broken Arrow, Jenks, and Tulsa Public School districts. The East Asia Institute is a program that supports international exchanges, study tours, and professional development between Oklahoma schools, teachers, students and those in East Asia. In partnership with the OU College of Arts and Sciences, it is housed in Tulsa at OU’s Shusterman Center. The University of Oklahoma’s Confucius Institute (OUCI) is part of a global network of more than 300 such entities in 90 nations, committed to promoting Chinese language education and facilitating cultural exchanges with the People’s Republic of China. Dr. Forehand is also a Fellow with Oklahoma A+ Schools and a presenter with the San Francisco (CA) Symphony’s Keeping Score Project. In those roles, she facilitates workshops, clinics, and other graduate/continuing education projects for teachers and others throughout the state and nation on behalf of educational reform through the arts. Dr. Yiqing Huang, Deputy Director Dr. Yiqing Huang is the Deputy Director of OUCI and the Professor at College of Chinese Language and Literature at Beijing Normal University. Staff
Amy Liu worked as a Financial Analyst in a major commercial bank in China before she came to the United States in 1997. She got her MBA from Oklahoma City University two years later and worked as Collection Analyst in a local bank. She started her studies at the University of Oklahoma in 2001 and obtained her MS degree in Computer Science in 2004. She also worked as a volunteer Chinese teacher in the Norman Chinese School. She officially started working in OUCI on Jan. 8th, 2007. She is very grateful to be one of the first staff to work at OUCI from scratch. To her, OUCI is not just a job, but an opportunity to build a bridge between the people of US and China. It is exciting to witness the public's soaring interest in learning Chinese language and culture; it is even a bigger honor to be a part of this excitement. She is very proud to be Sooner educated, Sooner employed!!
Megan Gaspar has been with OU for 8 years and OUCI since its inception. She was Jessica Stowell's assistant and now does special projects and PR.
Johnna Marie Yoder, 王喬安, MA Certificate in Intermediate Chinese, TamKang University, Taipei, Taiwan Johnna Yoder is the program coordinator for the University of Oklahoma-Tulsa Confucius Institute (OUCI) and the East Asia Institute (EAI). Beyond her responsibilities coordinating and overseeing the various functions of the office, she also seeks out possible grant and funding opportunities, provides Chinese K-12 teachers’ professional development opportunities and has developed a Mandarin course for adult learners. Before joining the Tulsa based OUCI and EAI, Johnna spent the last three years in an education consulting position with Envision Study Group in Taipei, Taiwan. Johnna acted as the company’s only native English-speaking representative and presented services to and counseled students while also building partnerships with global universities to support their international objectives. Johnna has used her overseas working experiences to make a positive contribution to her community today. As a representative of RESSA, she works to communicate the value of its services to the public and to potential funders. As a volunteer of Catholic Charities Immigration and Refugee Services Program, she has assisted in the resettlement of over 50 refugees, providing employment counseling and interpretation. She also acts as an involved member of TYPROS and is a board intern in Tulsa Global Alliance. Faculty
Xiaoxiao Li is the adjunct professor of international management and management & organizational behavior, microeconomics and macroeconomics, Intermediate Chinese at University of Central Oklahoma. His research interests include China’s economic reforms, U.S.-China trade and cultural exchanges.
Xin Chen is a visiting professor from Yunnan University. He has been teaching Chinese as a foreign language for 20 years. He is an expert in teaching Chinese courses at beginning, intermediate and advanced levels. Courses offered by Professor Xin Chen include: Chinese comprehension, Chinese grammar, Chinese listening and speaking, Chinese reading, HSK intensive training and Chinese culture, etc.
Graduate Assistants
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OUCI Norman Office: Phone: (405) 325-0208; Fax: (405) 325-0725 ~ OUCI Tulsa Office: Phone: (918) 660-3498; Fax: (918) 660-3490 |
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Amy (Xiaozhong) Liu, Managerial Associate
Megan Gaspar, Assistant
Xiaoxiao Li 
Xin Chen
Luping Wang
Yao (Zoe) Chen
Xiyao Yang