OTHER PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE


  • Professor of Linguistics, Center for Language Sciences, School of Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences, Beijing Normal University at Zhuhai, Guangdong, China, August 2021-December 2023.
  • Distinguished Foreign Scholar (海外学术大师), for the Innovation Centre for Research on the Information Structure of China's Minority Languages (中央民族大学"中国少数民族语言信息结构"创新引智基地), 15 November 2017 - 15 November 2021. (Adjunct position which involves being at Minzu University for talks and advising at least one month per year.)
  • Visiting Scholar, Department of Linguistics, University of the Philippines, Diliman, August 2017 - April 2018.
  • Professor of Linguistics, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, July 2012-August 2021.
  • Administrative activities while at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore:
    • Chair, search committee for tenure track position in Conversation Analysis (2018-19)
    • Member, search committee for tenure track position in Cognitive Linguistics (2018)
    • Member, NTU Teaching Council (since August 2018)
    • Coordinator, School of Humanities Interdisciplinary Cluster for Research on Intercultural Interaction (since March 2018)
    • Research Coordinator, Division of Linguistics and Multilingual Studies (since 2012).
    • Member, Management Committee, Division of Linguistics and Multilingual Studies (July 2012-June 2017).
    • Head, Division of Linguistics and Multilingual Studies, Nanyang Technological University (1 January 2013-31 December 2015).
    • Member, HSS School Management Committee (January 2013-December 2015).
    • Member, Search Committee for Distinguished Professor in WKWSCI (2015-16).
    • Chair, Search Committee for Associate Professor in Philosophy (2015).
    • Chair, Search Committee for Assistant Professor in LMS (2015).
    • Member HSS Taskforce on Administrative Restructuring (2014-15).
    • Peer Reviewer for teaching (Sem 2, 2013-14).
    • Chair, HSS SREC for February 2013 Faculty Reappointment Exercise
    • Chair, HSS SREC for June 2013 Faculty Reappointment Exercise
    • Chair, HSS Taskforce on Academic Restructuring (2013)
    • Member, HASS Tier-3 Committee (2013-14).
    • Member, HSS SRCPT for PT9
    • Member, HSS SRCPT for PT10
    • Member, WKWSCI SRCPT for PT9
    • Member, WKWSCI SRCPT for PT10
    • Member, Investigation Committee on the Inquiry into Staff Concerns at Confucius
      Institute, NTU
    • Member, HSS Search Committee for Global Chinese Literature and Culture position
    • Member, HSS Search Committee for Pre-Modern Chinese History and Intellectual
      History position
    • Member, HSS Search Committee for LMS Psycholinguistics position
    • Member, HSS Search Committee for LMS Sociolinguistics position
    • LMS Postgraduate Coordinator and Chair of Postgraduate Committee, August-December,
      2013
  • National Science Council Visiting Professor, Institute of Linguistics, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, Feburary-July 2012.
  • Chair of Linguistics, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia, July 2004-January 2012.
  • Administrative activities while at La Trobe University:
    • Linguistics Program Coordinator (January 2005-November 2009; July 2010-Jan. 2012)
    • Director, Research Centre for Linguistic Typology (July 2008-September 2010)
    • Performance Evaluation and Development Scheme Supervisor (January 2005- Jan. 2012)
    • Director, Research Centre for Linguistic Typology (July 2008-September 2010)
    • Member, La Trobe University Research and Graduate Studies Committee (2008-2010)
    • Member, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Research and Graduate Studies Committee (2008-2010)
    • Member, School of Communication, Arts, and Critical Enquiry Head's Advisory Committee (2005-2009; July 2010-present)
    • Chair, University Publications Committee (2005-2008)
  • Visiting Scholar, October-November, 2010
    Peking University, Beijing, China, (Funded by HanBan under Visiting Sinologist Program)
  • Visiting Scholar, November-December, 2008
    Institute of Linguistics, Academia Sinica Taipei, Taiwan
  • Cheung Kong Scholar (长江学者) (Chair Professor), February 2005-February 2008
    Central University of Nationalities, Beijing, China
  • Associate Professor of Linguistics (A Scale), July 1, 2002-June 30,2004
    Department of Chinese, Translation and Linguistics, City University of Hong Kong Kowloon, Hong Kong
  • Administrative activities while at City University of Hong Kong:
    • Member, Programme Validation Panel for Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Social Work with minor in Counseling (2003-04)
    • Elected Member, Departmental Staffing Committee (Sept. 2003-August 2004)
    • Member, Selection Panel for the Teaching Excellence Awards 2003/2004
      Dept. Coordinator for the Cross-Institutional Course Enrolment Scheme (June 2003-04)
    • Member, Faculty Committee on Research Seminars (Sept. 2002-)
    • Research Coordinator, Dept. of Chinese, Translation and Linguistics (1996-2002)
    • Member, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Research Committee (1996-2002)
    • Member, Advisory Board for the Graduate Studies and Research Newsletter (1997-2002)
    • Program Leader, Master of Arts in Linguistics (Mid-1997-Feb. 2001)
    • First Year Tutor, Master of Arts in Linguistics (1997-2001)
    • Member, Department Executive Committee (1999-2000)
    • Member, MA in Translation and Interpretation Program Committee (1998-2000)
    • Member, Working Group on Review of Self-financing and Postgraduate Taught Programmes and Departments (2000)
    • Department representative to the Working Group on the Credit Unit System (1998-99)
    • Department representative to the Working Group on Funding Support for Research Infrastructure (1996-1997)
  • Visiting Fellow, July – December 2002
    Research Centre for Linguistic Typology, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
  • Associate Professor (B Scale), September 1997 – June 2002
    Department of Chinese, Translation and Linguistics, City University of Hong Kong Kowloon, Hong Kong
  • Invited Course Presenter, July 6-16, 1998
    Fourth Australian Linguistics Institute, The University of Queensland Brisbane, Australia
    (Taught”Morphosyntactic Typology and Grammaticalization in Sino-Tibetan”)
  • Visiting Fellow, June – August 1998
    Research Centre for Linguistic Typology, The Australian National University Canberra, Australia
  • Associate Research Fellow, February 1994 – June 1998
    Institute of History and Philology Academia Sinica ,Taipei 11529 Taiwan, ROC
  • Research Assistant Professor, September 1996 – August 1997
    Department of Chinese, Translation and Linguistics, City University of Hong Kong Kowloon, Hong Kong
  • Visiting Professor (Directeur d’Etudes), September – November, 1994
    Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris, France
  • Assistant Research Fellow, August 1990 – February 1994
    Institute of History and Philology Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529 Taiwan, ROC
  • Adjunct Associate Professor, 1991 – 1993
    National Tsing-Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, ROC.
    Taught four classes: Pragmatics, Functional Syntax, Typology, and Tibeto-Burman Linguistics.
  • Research Assistant, January 1987 – June 1990
    Sino-Tibetan Etymological Dictionary and Thesaurus Project (James A. Matisoff, Principle Investigator),
     University of California, Berkeley.
    Duties included computer programming, data-base management, etymological reconstruction, and editing/production of monographs, fascicles.
  • Graduate Student Instructor III, Linguistics 5 (Introduction to Linguistics), Fall, 1987
    Department of Linguistics, University of California, Berkeley.
    Created and graded exams, homework; led discussion sections.
  • Graduate Student Instructor II, Chinese 10A-10B (Intermediate Chinese), Aug. 1986 – May 1987
    Department of Oriental Languages, University of California, Berkeley.
    Taught classes, created and graded exams, homeworks.
  • English as a Second Language Instructor, various courses,  September 1980 – July 1981
    Department of Continuing Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai. Developed and taught my own courses.
  • Editor/Writer/Translator and Director of Research and Development, Eurasia Press / China Passage, New York, 1983 – 1985.
    Most noteworthy: as Contributing Editor, did major rewrite of large portions of The China Guidebook for the 1984 and 1985 editions, and worked as Advisor/Translator for the first and second W. H. Kellogg Foundation China Study Tours, May 12 – June 12 and June 13 – July 11, 1984, respectively.