Michelle Tan, Academic Director
After receiving her BA and MA in Chinese Studies from the National University of Singapore, Michelle went on to specialize in Chinese language and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in linguistics at Cornell University. Coming from the multilingual and multicultural society of Singapore, Michelle speaks a variety of languages and enjoys meeting and working with people from different cultural backgrounds. She has worked as a Chinese language teaching assistant at Cornell University and was a visiting Chinese language instructor at Washington State University. Michelle previously held a number of administrative positions in public and private sectors, including serving as press and cultural assistant at the German Embassy in Singapore, and as arts administrator for a performing arts center.


Eric T. Miller, Program Director
Eric Miller, who will serve as Program Director, has also spent a good deal of time studying in China. Eric first studied Chinese in Dalian in 1988. Later he returned to direct a study abroad program there. He earned his BA in Anthropology from Juniata College in 1990 and a certificate in China Studies from the Hopkins-Nanjing Center in 1997. Eric will be completing his PhD in Anthropology in 2002 through the University of Pittsburgh. He spent one year living in a village in Shandong Province conducting his dissertation research about aging and intergenerational relations in rural China. He is also interested in Chinese popular religions and has taught courses about East Asian cultures, East Asian religions, and the anthropology of religion.


Li Ruoxia, CET Academic Assistant
Li Ruoxia is a native of Shanxi Province. She graduated from Central South University with a degree in Public Relations in summer 1999. Li Ruoxia has worked for the Bank of China as an assistant and obtained Advanced Secretarial qualification in 2000. She is pleased to become a member of the CET team and looks forward to seeing CET grow.



Shen Peng, CET Program Assistant
Shen Peng is a Beijing native who graduated from the Beijing Foreign Studies University with a degree in Tourism English in summer 2000. He speaks fluent English (and Chinese). Shen Peng has a wide range of interests, but traveling forever remains his top choice. He is looking forward to outings with American students and helping more and more CET students improve their Chinese language skills.