Current Fellows in Education, Health, and Arts

Yale-China Fellow at Yali High School

Lucas is originally from San Francisco California and graduated from Yale in 2026 with a B.A. in Global Affairs and Economics and an Advanced Language Certificate in Mandarin Chinese. Lucas dedicated a large portion of his time at Yale to volunteering with the Yale Prison Education Initiative where he tutored incarcerated students.  He co-founded the Caribbean Affairs Conference at Yale (CACY), focusing on improving international relations through education and cultural exchange. He has also worked as an English Teacher for Summerbridge Hong Kong where he taught English to middle-school aged students. Lucas also trains, competes and teaches Capoeira, a Brazilian Martial Art which he hopes to incorporate into his teaching at Yali. Lucas is so excited to continue building relationships and immersing himself in the vibrancy of Changsha.

Yale-China Fellow at the Chinese University of Hong Kong

Aimee is a proud second-generation Chinese American who grew up between New York City and Connecticut. She graduated from Yale in 2025 with a B.A. in History. Her senior thesis explored NATO’s Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society (CCMS), a pioneering initiative launched in 1969 to address global climate and social issues. Aimee has previously interned at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., and with International Bridges to Justice in Geneva, Switzerland. At Yale, Aimee served on the board of the Yale Undergraduate Piano Collective, worked as an Alumni Researcher for the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, mentored through IRIS, edited for the Yale Undergraduate Law Journal, and volunteered with the Yale New Haven Hospital’s Living History Project. Her semester abroad in Sweden was pivotal in sparking her interest in teaching, where she served as an English teaching assistant at a local high school. Aimee is thrilled to have the opportunity to live and serve in her grandparents’ hometown, where she looks forward to learning Cantonese, exploring the chamber music scene, and immersing herself in Chinese culture! In the future, she hopes to pursue a career at the intersection of international law and policy.

Yale-China Fellow at the Chinese University of Hong Kong

Arantxa (she/her) graduated in May 2025 from Yale University with a degree in English Literature and an Advanced Language Certificate in Mandarin Chinese. At Yale, she served on the English department’s student advisory board, acted as the Yale Chinese Language and Career Initiative’s Director of Events and Speakers, co-chaired Yale’s only Peruvian cultural group, worked as one of two Timothy Dwight (TD) Chief Aides, and mentored underclassmen as a TD First-Year Counselor. Arantxa was also involved in the New Haven community as a Yale-China New Haven Public Library Senior Fellow and an intern for New Haven Reads. Outside the classroom, Arantxa loves taking long walks, sketching, trying new coffee shops and baking with her friends. She is looking forward to starting a career in education, and cannot wait to meet CUHK and all its wonderful students! 

Yale-China Fellow at the Chinese University of Hong Kong

Alicia is a second generation Chinese American, raised in Minnesota, and currently living in Irvine, California. She graduated from Yale University in 2026 with a B.A. in both English Literature and Art. Her work, whether it be designing as Creative Director of The New Journal, conducting provenance research for the Yale University Art Gallery, or writing proposals at Sotheby’s, often centered on the rich overlap between these two fields. Teaching was another common theme: she regularly led company classes and rehearsals for Yaledancers, and periodically volunteered as a writing tutor and arts teacher back home in California. Following a pivotal experience living and studying in Beijing as a Richard U. Light Fellow in Summer of 2024, Alicia became interested in starting her post-grad life in Asia. She looks forward to realizing that dream with Yale-China, and continuing to expand her cross-cultural knowledge through lived experience. She is especially looking forward to building relationships with CUHK’s students and professors, and to learn from them just as much as she hopes to teach as a fellow. She invites anyone who is interested in learning more, or even in visiting HK, to drop her a line at any of her socials. She couldn’t be more excited for the next two years!

Yale-China Fellow at Yali High School

Yale-China Fellow at the Chinese University of Hong Kong

Marco is a South Floridian with Ecuadorian and Puerto Rican heritage. He completed his bachelor’s degree at Yale in Global Affairs and History, and is a recent alum of the Geneva Graduate Institute where he earned his Master’s in International and Development Studies. Marco’s professional experiences include serving as an Instructional Assistant at Teachers College, Columbia University, and as a Development Associate at International Bridges to Justice. In his free time, Marco enjoys exploring the wonders of Italian cinema, polishing his language skills, and cheering for Ecuador’s national fútbol team. He also practices all kinds of sports, specializing in taekwondo and long-distance running. As a new resident of one of Asia’s most international cities, Marco is looking forward to learning from the many communities that call Hong Kong home!

Doug Murray Fellow at Xiuning High School

Originally from Providence, Rhode Island, Isaiah graduated from Yale in 2025 with a B.A. in Linguistics and a certificate in Chinese. Academically, he is interested in how people use ideologies about language to construct social meaning, particularly in relation to the construction of ethnicity and place in contemporary Taiwan and China. At Yale, he worked on research projects investigating the semantics of indigenous Australian languages and producing documentation materials for Loma, a language spoken in Guinea and Liberia. He is also an enthusiast of nature and music, having served as a leader for Yale’s First-Year Outdoor Orientation Trips and co-chaired the Yale University Guild of Carillonneurs. Isaiah is excited to learn to appreciate both the beauty and challenges of teaching and life in Xiuning County over his two years in China. He hopes that he will be able to transform his love for the entanglement of language and culture into meaningful and horizon-broadening experiences for Xiuzhong students. After serving as a Fellow, he plans to continue learning about the Sinophone world by pursuing graduate studies in anthropology.  

Yale-China Fellow at Yali High School

Joe Thames grew up all his life in the town Derry, Ireland. He graduated from Yale with a B.A. in History and an Italian language certificate in 2025. At Yale, he was a Peer Liaison and the Engagement Fellow for the Office of International Students and Scholars along with working in the Admission’s Office. He was also an archivist at National Museums Northern Ireland back home. He speaks three languages proficiently, two conversationally, and hopes to add Mandarin to the list. 

Having written his thesis on westerners in China, and having worked in international student education administration outside the classroom, Joe’s interest in cultural exchanges led him to this fellowship. In Changsha, he’s excited to visit the Hunan Museum and live in a large, ancient city for the first time. He hopes to interactively teach about both US and Irish culture, maybe even through traditional sport like Gaelic football. 

Yale-China Fellow at Xiuning High School

At Yale, Carlos studied Global Affairs. He applied for the Yale China Fellowship for the opportunity to live in a remote part of China and learn what life is like for students, teachers, and members of this community. He believes that personal and professional relationships are the key to building strong international relations.

He is looking forward to hosting dance and drawing sessions at the English library, learning about his students interests, and putting together the annual musical!

In his free time he hopes to improve his Chinese, explore the local towns, villages, and mountains, read, draw, and drink lots and lots of tea!

Yale-China Fellow at Yali High School

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, Giri graduated from Yale with a B.A. in Global Affairs, a certificate in Global Health Studies, and as a Yale Journalism Scholar. His academic work focused on global health policy, science communication, and amplifying healthcare access among the world’s most neglected populations. Outside the classroom, Giri performed worldwide as a tenor with the Yale Spizzwinks(?), directed photography and science coverage for the Yale Daily News, served as an education counselor for the HAVEN Free Clinic, researched the cost-effectiveness of prescription medicines, mentored TD first-years as a FroCo, and served as a patient navigator for Afghan refugee families. As a student-journalist, he also spent two years reporting for CNN, covering breaking medical news for its healthcare unit, and as a production intern for Fareed Zakaria GPS, the network’s flagship global affairs program.
After the Fellowship, Giri aspires to a career as a physician-writer. In the meantime, however, he is excited to return to his roots as an educator: before college, Giri spent a year serving as an AmeriCorps member and STEM educator during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, when he’s not teaching, you’ll find him brushing up on his Mandarin, strumming his guitar, and scootering around in search of Changsha’s finest vegetarian cuisine.

Yale-China Fellow at Xiuning High School

Daniel graduated from Yale in 2026 with a B.A. in Classics; before New Haven, he called New Jersey and New Hampshire home. At Yale, he edited the Yale Literary Magazine, served as the Head Gallery Guide at the Yale University Art Gallery, and taught New Haven Public School students through Citizens Thinkers Writers. In his free time, he sang in the a cappella group Doox of Yale and volunteered at Sunrise Cafe. His academic work focused on Greek tragedy, modern and contemporary literature, and critical theory. He is so excited to meet the Xiuning community, improve his Mandarin, and support his students!

Yale-China Fellow at Xiuning High School

Originally born in Chongqing, Peter grew up in Vancouver, Canada and graduated from Yale University in 2025 with a B.A. in Ethics, Politics and Economics. His academic work explored the intersection of law and political economy and his thesis focused on inequalities within the international commercial arbitration system. Peter also worked at the Yale Economic Growth Center on development economics research. While at Yale, he served as a FOOT leader, Co-Captain of the Yale Club Swimming team, President of Yale Chi Alpha, and was passionately involved in playing the Harkness bells as part of the Guild of Carillonneurs. In Anhui, he is excited to share with his students his love of creative writing and the outdoors, and learning much from them in return. After the fellowship, Peter will be matriculating at Harvard Law School through the Junior Deferral Program, and is grateful and excited to spend these deferral years forming meaningful relationships with the community in Xiuning!

Chinese Teaching Fellow at Metropolitan Business Academy and Wilbur Cross High School

Lu Min graduated from Hunan Normal University with a Master's degree in Subject Teaching (English). Before joining the Yale-China Fellowship, she worked as an English teacher and homeroom teacher at Nanya Meixihu High School in Changsha, where she developed a passion for language education and student development. Outside the classroom, she enjoys sports and traditional Chinese cultural activities, especially paper cutting, knitting, and other hands-on crafts.

As a Chinese Teaching Fellow, she is excited to share the Chinese language and culture with students in New Haven while learning from different educational approaches. She looks forward to building meaningful connections with her students and fellow educators while exploring new perspectives on language and culture.

K.C. Li Chinese Teaching Fellow at Conte West Hills Magnet School

Zhang Ziwei graduated from Central South University with a Master’s Degree in English Interpreting. Currently teaching English at Yali High School, he brings a calm and experienced teaching style to the classroom, while maintaining a warm and engaging rapport with his students. He believes that education goes beyond what is found in textbooks, and that English can serve as a window through which students discover a broader world and develop a deeper curiosity about it.

Beyond teaching, Zhang enjoys watching movies and playing badminton, and he is also looking forward to trying pickleball during his time in the United States. During his year in New Haven, he hopes to build meaningful connections with the local community, both in and beyond the classroom, while sharing Chinese language and culture with his students and helping them develop an interest in learning Chinese. He hopes to make the most of this year by embracing the experiences, perspectives, and everyday life around him, and to bring those insights home to enrich both his work and his life in China.

Chinese Teaching Fellow at John C. Daniels School

Zhou Bing earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography from Anhui Normal University in 2008. Since August 2008, he has worked as a geography teacher at Xiuning High School in Anhui Province. During his teaching career, he obtained a Level 3 Psychological Counselor qualification and a Chinese-English Bilingual Tour Guide Certificate. In 2021, he was honored as an “Outstanding Teacher of Xiuning County.” His personal motto is: “Do things that contribute to the progress of society.”

NHPS Language Fellow at Worthington Hooker School

Kelly is a sophomore in Yale College studying Political Science and East Asian Studies with a concentration on China. Hailing from Newton, Massachusetts, she joined Yale-China in 2025 supporting ESOL learners at Worthington Hooker School. At Yale, Kelly is involved with several campus publications and enjoys movie marathons, Sondheim musicals, and Olmo bagels in her free time. Her interest in modern and classical Chinese literature, history, and politics began at a young age. In the past summer, she was lucky enough to have had the opportunity to study abroad in Taipei, Taiwan through the Richard U. Light Fellowship.

NHPS Language Fellow at Metropolitan Business Academy

Anna Lehman is a junior in Yale College hailing from Charleston, South Carolina, and majoring in Global Affairs with a certificate in Data Science and Mandarin. She joined Yale-China in 2024 as a New Haven Public School Fellow, teaching Mandarin at the Metropolitan Business Academy. At Yale, Anna also participates in a cappella as a singer in the New Blue, Yale’s oldest female undergraduate organization, and as a dual-hatted tour guide both for campus admission and at the Yale University Art Gallery. Her interest in the Chinese language stems from her early childhood, and she has studied abroad in Hsinchu, Taiwan through the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) in 2022, and as a Light Fellow in Beijing, China in 2024.

NHPS Language Fellow at Co-op High School

Nicholas is a Junior in Yale College studying Global Affairs and Economics. Growing up in Hong Kong, he supports Chinese language learners at Co-Op High School as a New Haven Public Schools Fellow. Nick’s interests lie in inclusive economic development, and he spent his past summer in India and Ghana working in impact finance and development economics research. At Yale, Nick is involved with the Economic Growth Center, the Yale Men’s Club Volleyball Team, and the Chinese American Students Association. He has also been fortunate enough to study language abroad in Osaka, Japan, with the support of the Richard U. Light Fellowship.

New Haven Free Public Library Fellow

Camille Chang is a senior in Silliman majoring in the History of Art and East Asian Studies. She teaches with the Gallery Guide program at the Yale University Art Gallery and is a teaching fellow for the Japanese Language Department. She has previously taught Chinese and English language in various programs at Yale. In conjunction with her studies, Camille is passionate about learning through making and craft exercises, including green woodworking and bespoke shoemaking.

New Haven Free Public Library Fellow

Rebecca Park is a first-year M.Div. candidate at Yale Divinity School. Having grown up across the US, China, and South Korea, she has a wide range of international experiences informing her work and studies. She graduated from Williams College in 2022 with a B.A. in Economics and Political Science. Upon graduation, she went to Taiwan as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant for two years, where she supported English language learning for elementary and university students. In the past year, she volunteered at the Taizé monastic community in France, walked the Camino de Santiago, and bikepacked around Taiwan. Her future career plans include chaplaincy and work at the intersections of faith, social justice, and public policy.

New Haven Free Public Senior Library Fellow

Jessica is a junior from Chicago, Illinois studying Statistics and Data Science at Yale College. Outside of classes, Jessica is the Director General of Committees for Yale Model United Nations Europe, Under-Secretary-General of General Assemblies for Yale Model United Nations held on campus, and President of the Yale Sustainable Consulting Collective. In her free time, she works at Yale’s social science library, enjoys rhythmic gymnastics, plays the piano, and watches Chinese TV shows and movies.

2024 Yale-China Resident Artist

Jennifer Yuqing Cao (曹语晴) is a first-year MFA scenic design candidate at Yale David Geffen School of Drama at Yale. Based in NYC and China, her work in theater and dance as an international artist focuses on the possibilities of space and storytelling. She believes that her design on stage does not act as a still supplementary but as a crucial and active participant in the narration. Selected works including Once 一场 (China National Tour) as the set designer, costume designer, and production stage manager; Set Design for Here’s a Blue Morpho For You (NYU CSSA GALA), The Comedy of Errors (NYU Tisch NSB), My Heavenly Favorite (assistant scenographer, International Theater Amsterdam).

More about the designer: https://jenniferyuqingcao.com/

2026 Chia Health Fellow

Huan Liu received her master’s degree in Nursing from the Xiangya School of Nursing, Central South University. She currently works as a nurse supervisor in the Department of Gynecology at the Third Xiangya Hospital, with six years of clinical experience. Her research focuses on women’s health, fertility preservation, health promotion, and digital health. She is particularly interested in developing innovative and accessible approaches to support women’s reproductive and long-term health. In her leisure time, she enjoys traveling, and experiencing different cultures.

• Faculty Mentor: Dr. Zhao Ni, Assistant Professor at Yale School of Nursing

• Fellowship Topic: “Improving Fertility Preservation Decision-Making and Care Accessibility among Reproductive-Aged Women with Cancer”

2026 Chia Health Fellow

Huiting is a registered nurse at the Second Xiangya Hospital and a PhD candidate in Nursing at the University of Malaya. Her research focuses on the psycho-social and behavioral aspects of diabetes management, particularly among individuals with early-onset type 2 diabetes. She investigates the longitudinal relationships among financial toxicity, diabetes distress, self-management, and health-related quality of life. Drawing on her clinical experience, she aims to inform person-centered interventions that address the financial and psychological challenges of living with diabetes. Her research interests also include digital health approaches to supporting diabetes self-management.

• Faculty Mentor: Dr. Soohyun Nam, Gayle King Lee Professor at the Yale School of Nursing

• Fellowship Topic: “Financial Toxicity, Diabetes Distress, and Health-Related Quality of Life in Early-Onset Type 2 Diabetes: A Longitudinal Study”

2026 Youth Mental Health Fellow

Qiongni Chen is a psychiatric nurse at the Second Xiangya Hospital. She holds a Master of Nursing Science degree and serves as a Chief Nurse and Deputy Director of the Clinical Nursing Teaching & Research Office.

Her clinical practice and research have long focused on nurses' mental health, stress management and coping strategies, emotional regulation and management, and parent-child communication guidance.  She is committed to promoting mental well-being and strengthening mental health support through clinical practice, education, and research.

In her spare time, she enjoys running, working out, and watching comedy movies. Together with psychiatrist Yuqiong He, she is one of the inaugural fellows of Yale-China’s new interprofessional program on Youth Mental Health.

• Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eunice Yuen, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and in the Child Study Center

• Fellowship Topic: “Advancing Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Training in China”

2026 Youth Mental Health Fellow

Dr. Yuqiong He completed her medical education and clinical training at the Second Xiangya Hospital. She currently serves as a child and adolescent psychiatrist in the Department of Psychiatry at the Second Xiangya Hospital, where she has four years of clinical experience.

Her research primarily focuses on the neurophysiological and neuroimaging mechanisms underlying depression in children and adolescents, as well as the development of novel neuromodulation approaches for the treatment of psychiatric disorders. In addition to her clinical and research interests, she is passionate about the education and training of child and adolescent psychiatrists, with a particular interest in different models of professional training and their implications for the development of the field of child and adolescent psychiatry. Together with psychiatric nurse Qiongni Chen, she is one of the inaugural fellows of Yale-China’s new interprofessional program on Youth Mental Health.

• Faculty Mentor: Dr. Eunice Yuen, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and in the Child Study Center

• Fellowship Topic: “Advancing Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Training in China”

2026 Social Behavioral Sciences Fellow

Dr. Hu is an Associate Professor of the Department of Social Medicine and Health Management at Xiangya School of Public Health, Central South University. She obtained her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology and Ph.D. in Social Medicine and Health Management from Central South University. She has also received training in research ethics at Yale University and global health at the University of Washington. Her research focuses on school-based mental health promotion and suicide prevention, intervention, and mental health services for older adults in rural communities, and ethical issues in mental health research and practice. She has led two province-wide surveys of student mental health and school mental health services in Hunan and has developed training programs reaching more than 10,000 teachers. Her work has received national and provincial awards for outstanding achievements in educational research and practice.

2026 Yale-China Health Fellow

Ting Cao is a gerontologist and researcher at the School of Public Health, Kunming Medical University. She holds a Master’s degree in Sociology/Gerontology from Renmin University of China and a PhD in Social Sciences from Lingnan University, where she previously worked with the Asia-Pacific Institute of Ageing Studies (APIAS).

She also has industry experience as a geriatric health assessment expert supporting a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) in Yunnan, China. Her current research focuses on aging policy, healthy aging, and community-based elder care, with particular attention to how social support systems, care capacity, and service accessibility shape older adults’ health and wellbeing in rural contexts.

• Faculty Mentor: Dr. Xi Chen, Associate Professor at the Yale School of Public Health

• Fellowship Topic: “A Study on Community Care Services for Older People in Rural Yunnan”

2025 Chia Health Fellow

Gang Gan graduated from the Nursing Master's Program jointly established by Central South University and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).  She currently works as an emergency department nurse at the Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, with six years of clinical experience.  Her research focuses on workplace violence prevention in emergency departments and psychosocial interventions for elderly patients. In leisure time, she engages in travel, physical training, and voluntary public welfare activities.

• Faculty Mentor: Dr. Joanne Iennaco, Professor of Nursing at the Yale School of Nursing

• Fellowship Topic: "Developing a Digital Problem-Solving Therapy Intervention to Alleviate Depressive Symptoms Among Rural Solitary Elderly in Western Hunan"

2025 Chia Health Fellow

Xueling Xiao is an Associate Professor at the Xiangya School of Nursing, Central South University. Her research centers on promoting health-enhancing behaviors and understanding their psychosocial underpinnings, with a particular focus on populations at risk for HIV and individuals living with HIV. With a sustained commitment to public health, she has designed and evaluated innovative online training programs aimed at increasing the uptake of healthy behaviors. As an educator, she is also dedicated to integrating innovative digital tools into nursing education to cultivate students’ logical reasoning and critical thinking skills.

• Faculty Mentor: Dr. LaRon E. Nelson, Independence Foundation Professor of Nursing at the Yale School of Nursing

• Fellowship Topic: “Exploring Older Adults’ Preferences for Advanced Digital Agents in HIV Risk Reduction”