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Our Team
Board Members |
Starfish Staff |
Support Staff |
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 Wei Ji Ma |
 Diane Geng |
 Zhao Junfang |
 Hu Laxian |
 Zheng Kai |
 Steven Liu |
 Belinda Liu |
 Nancy Hsieh |
 Sara Lam |
 Diana Wu |
 Tommy Liu |
 Wang Yanzhen |
 Li Zhuxia |
 Marco Flagg |
 Michelle Wang |
 Nikita Guo |
 Annie Zhou |
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Rural China Education Foundation Board Members
Wei Ji Ma, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board
Wei Ji (also: Whee Ky) Ma is an Assistant Professor of Neuroscience at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, USA. He grew up as a third-generation Chinese in the Netherlands, where his grandparents migrated in the 1920s. He obtained his Master's in Physics (1996) and Mathematics (1997) and his Ph.D. in Physics (2001) from the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. He then went on to do postdoctoral research in computational neuroscience at the California Institute of Technology (2002-4) and the University of Rochester (2004-8). At Caltech, he also served as Vice-President of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association (2004). He has long-standing interests in education psychology, education policy and science outreach. His active involvement with education in rural China started in 2004 with a study trip to learn about China's education system.
Diane Geng, Co-Founder and Executive Director
Diane obtained an EdM in Human Development and Psychology from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and bachelor degrees in Economics, International Relations, and Chinese from the University of California at Davis. She researched rural education and NGOs in China as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar and was a Kroc Fellow at National Public Radio (NPR) in Washington, DC. Diane was a Reynolds Fellow at Harvard University in 2006-2007. She and RCEF Co-founder Sara Lam were named Echoing Green Fellows in 2007 for their work with RCEF.
Sara Lam, Co-Founder and Research & Development Director
Sara Lam obtained an EdM in International Education Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and her BA in Elementary Education from the University of Minnesota. She researched rural education and collaborated with various non-governmental organizations on rural education projects as a 2004-2005 Third Millennium Foundation Fellow, then continued on to do curriculum development and professional development work in rural and rural migrant communities and develop RCEF programs until 2010. She and RCEF Co-founder Diane Geng were named Echoing Green Fellows in 2007 for their work with RCEF. Sara is currently a doctoral student in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Wisconsin - Madison.
Diana Wu, Member of the Board
Diana Wu is an alumna of the 2006 Summer Volunteer Teaching Program. After graduating from Columbia University with a master’s degree in International Affairs and Social Work, Diana has worked as a consultant focused on gender equity and international development. From her work, she has gained a strong interest in pro-poor development and social movements. She has previously worked with CARE, a large international NGO, on action research, program design and knowledge management, where she mainly collaborated with offices in East/Central Africa and South Asia. Diana first joined RCEF as a summer volunteer teacher in 2006 and then served as RCEF’s Human Resources Director. Currently based in San Francisco, Diana enjoys exploring the city's foodie treasures, reading, in addition to muddling through new languages.
Starfish Rural Youth Cultural Research Center Staff
Zhao Junfang, Executive Director, Starfish Rural Youth Cultural Research Center
Zhao Junfang is from Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China. She received her master’s in Gender Studies from Shaanxi Normal University in 2007. During her graduate studies, she participated in Ford Foundation-sponsored research projects on rural Chinese women’s culture and livelihoods. She was a middle school teacher for four years and taught at the Xi’an Translation Academy for one year.
Hu Laxian, Curriculum & Teaching Specialist, Starfish Rural Youth Cultural Research Center
Hu Laxian is from Yongji, Shanxi Province, China. She has received numerous teaching awards, during her long career as a classroom teacher (10 years) and educational researcher (20 years). She was the deputy director of the Yongji City Educational Bureau Research Institute and is on the board of several educational associations. She has mentored over 50 teachers and is the author of many papers about primary school curriculum reform.
Zheng Kai, Program Manager, Starfish Rural Youth Cultural Research Center
Zheng Kai is a from Yuncheng, Shanxi Province. After graduating from college in Chongqing, he worked in Nanjing for three years. His interests include organizational and personal development, social networking, knowledge management, children's reading, and education. He has many years of experience as a volunteer in children's reading activities and rural library management. His hobbies include traveling, reading books, and all things good and beautiful.
Tommy Liu, Communications Officer, Starfish Rural Youth Cultural Research Center
Tommy is a native of Nanjing and has grown up and received his education in China, the U.S., and Canada. He graduated from Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Vancouver, British Columbia. He enjoys hiking, listening to music, and reading.
Wang Yanzhen, Curriculum Teacher, Starfish Rural Youth Cultural Research Center
Yanzhen is a native of Yongji, Shanxi Province. She is a long-time elementary school teacher and taught for five years at Guan Ai Primary School, RCEF’s former school partner. She enjoys music and reading books.
Li Zhuxia, Curriculum Teacher, Starfish Rural Youth Cultural Research Center
Zhuxia is a native of Yongji, Shanxi Province. She holds a degree in elementary school education fromYuncheng Normal Academy (a teacher training school) and has fifteen years of teaching experience. Her hobby is music and playing the keyboard.
Support Team
Steven Liu, Information Technology Director
Steven Liu graduated with a MA in Development Studies from the University of East Anglia, Norwich and an MSc in IT from Queen Mary University, London. He took part in RCEF’s Summer Volunteer Program in 2006 and used the knowledge gained from that experience to inform the writing of his dissertation on parental attitudes towards student-centred teaching. He worked full-time for RCEF between 2007 and 2009 and has also previously worked for Global Witness, Transparency International and the Red Cross. Still RCEF’s Director of Information Technology, he also works as a freelance web designer/developer (stevenliu.com), specialising in creating websites for non-profits.
Belinda Liu, Educational Consultant
Belinda is an experienced teacher, school reformer, and education thought partner who is adept at bringing best practices from education reform in the United States and adapting them to the needs of programs in rural China. As a U.S. Fulbright Scholar in 2009-2010, she has been on a global quest to learn and apply the most effective and innovative strategies to teaching underserved children and adults from diverse cultures and backgrounds. More about Belinda’s work and services can be found at: www.belindaliu.net.
Nancy Hsieh, Chief Financial Officer
Nancy Hsieh is currently an Associate Brand Manager at Daymon Worldwide, specializing in brand management and innovation for Wegmans Brand. Previously, she worked at UCLA Anderson where she managed a center for international business education and research and designed academic conferences and programs. For four years, she served as Deputy Director of LACEA, a non-profit organization aimed at promoting economic research in Latin America. Nancy is particularly interested in microfinance and its impact on communities in developing countries. She received her MBA in marketing and strategy from University of Rochester’s Simon Graduate School of Business in 2009. She also holds a B.A. in history and American literature from UCLA. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the world, photography, and thinking about life's many mysteries.
Marco Flagg, Materials Design Director
Marco Flagg graduated with a BFA in Documentary Photography from Rochester Institute of Technology. He has studied Chinese at Bejing Culture and Language University. During his time with RCEF he has worked to create a variety of design materials. He also has developed and taught arts and crafts classes at the organization's partner schools.
Nikita Guo, Co-Director of Development, U.S. Northeast
Based in New York City, Nikita Guo is a Vice President at RJR Capital Group, a boutique investment bank. She previously worked at Ziff Brothers Investments' private equity group and Citigroup's Investment Banking division. Nikita graduated from Texas A&M University with a BS degree in Electrical Engineering. In college, she was an active student leader in promoting awareness of Asian culture and international issues, and was experienced in fundfaising through grants, events & student organizations. Growing up in Shenzhen, a city filled with migrant workers, and having visited rural elementary schools herself, Nikita has witness the growth of enormous wealth disparity between coastal urban cities and inland rural areas. She believes that education is core to bridging the gap, and she is dedicated to the cause of RCEF.
Michelle Wang, Co-Director of Development, U.S. Northeast
Michelle is an MBA candidate at the Yale School of Management. Before Yale, She worked in strategy consulting in State Street Corporation's Global Strategy Group, where she helped the company examine viable business models and develop growth strategies. Prior to this position, Michelle worked in Aon Corporation where she analyzed clients' businesses and participated in product development. She obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Finance and Risk Management. Born and raised in China, Michelle has long standing interests in China's financial infrastructure development, economic reform policy for rural development and psychology. Her hobbies include dragon boat racing, snowboarding, and traveling.
Annie Zhou, Co-Director of Development, U.S. Northeast
Annie Zhou is an associate with the World Policy Institute, a leading global think tank, conducting foreign and economic policy research and facilitating donor and event management. Previously she was an associate for the Quantitative Investment Group, a hedge fund of Neuberger Berman (formerly Lehman Brothers Asset Management) responsible for client services, marketing and business development. Prior to Neuberger Berman she worked for MetLife Investments as a derivatives analyst. Annie is extremely passionate about non-profit work and is actively involved with a number of China-related organizations including the China Institute and The Chinese Finance Association, where she is on the Board of Directors. Annie enjoys traveling, fine arts, music and horseback riding.
