Qun Ao, Professor and Program Director of Chinese, and Associate Professor in 2006 at Brandies University. She earned a Ph.D. in Second Language Acquisition and Linguistics 1999 and a MA in Foreign language Education 1992 at University of Pittsburgh and a BA in Chinese Language and Literature 1977 at Shaanxi Normal University, China. She was the Director of the Chinese Programs at Brandeis University, the University of North Dakota, Shaanxi Normal University, and Academic Director for Johns Hopkins University-Nanjing Center at Nanjing University, China. She also taught Modern and Classical Chinese, Chinese Media, Business, Calligraphy and Culture courses at University of Massachusetts Amherst, University of Pittsburgh, University of North Dakota, and Middlebury College Chinese Summer School. She is a certified Trainer since 2000 and Tester since 1995 for the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) by American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR). She is a member of ACTFL and Chinese Languages Teachers’ Association (CLTA) since 1992. 

After joining DFL, she served as the Director for the courses: LC203, LC204, LC371, LC372, LC440, LC470, LC475, LC476, LC483 and LC484; served as the Department Academic Counselor for the class 2018 Chinese majors and minors and led and taught 6 Chinese AIADs in Changchun and Xi’an, China from 2008 to 2012 and 2015. She led the Spring Immersion Program in Beijing, China 2016. Her work with cadets also involved in mentorship for PL300 course, Chinese Cultural Forum, Independent Studies, and AIs. She served as the point of contact (POC) for DFL Majors Assessment 2020; taught foreign language testing and assessment, writing workshop for DFL Summer Faculty Workshop from 2008 to 2012 and 2019; taught LN380 for Chinese linguistics 2008. She also serves as Director for courses LN487, LN488 and Honor Program since 2016; POC for DFL Mentorship Colloquium from 2016 to 2019, Chair for DFL Senior Faculty Meeting from 2010 to 2012. She also served multiple times on Assistant Professors Search Committees for Spanish, German, and Chinese Programs. Her service to USMA includes Academy Professor Search Committee 2018; POC for China Townhall 2017; Superintendent Civilian Faculty Advisory Committee from 2016 to 2019; Life-Language Learning Committee from 2015 to now, Diversity Committee from 2015 to 2019 and alternate member of the Admissions Committee from 2011 to 2012. 

Dr. Ao's research interests are foreign language acquisition, language testing and assessment and Chinese language and culture instruction. Her major publications in books and articles include Illustration of the Radicals of Chinese Characters (Revised Edition 2021), “The Sociocultural-Cognitive Underpinnings in Error Correction: A Descriptive Study on Acquisition of Chinese Tones.” (2021), “Effects of Teaching Communicative Writing on Chinese Proficiency at Intermediate Level.” (2021), Learning Chinese Language and Culture (2019), Watching the Clouds go By (2015), Where Does the Wind Blow (2013), Illustration of the Radicals of Chinese Characters (Traditional Chinese version, revised and enlarged edition 2012), The Sky Is Bright with Stars (2012), Chinese Philology: Knowledge and Issues (2009, 2nd Printing 2013), Illustration of the Radicals of Chinese Characters (2008, 4th Printing 2015), The Moon Is Always Beautiful (2008), How Far Away Is the Sun (2007), Chinese Language and Culture (2002, 7th Printing 2014), “Awareness of Radicals and Retention of Chinese Characters in Long-Term Memory: The Factors that Influence American Students’ Learning Chinese Characters” (2012), “The Mismatching of Teachers’ Intention and Students’ Understanding During Error Correction” (2006), “A Passport Traveling Around the Earth Two Times,” (1999), and etc.