Faculty and Staff

Lin Hong (洪琳)
Program Director

Lin Hong is an associate professor of Chinese at COCC, who has overseen the Chinese program at COCC since 2015. Growing up in Harbin, China, Lin always felt a strong connection to school — the blackboards, the friendships, the dedicated teachers. After earning MA and BA degrees in Chinese language and Chinese linguistics, Lin has been teaching the Chinese language in China and in the U.S. for 20 years. She enjoys cooking, knitting, and cross-country road trips.  

Le Tang （唐乐)
Lead Instructor

Le Singleton received her MA in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics from Renmin University of China. She has been teaching Chinese as a second language for almost two decades. She has taught at the University of Michigan, the Middlebury Summer Chinese School, and the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey before becoming a lecturer at Stanford University. She is also a certificated ACTFL OPI, WPT, and AAPPL tester. During her free time, Le likes drawing, painting, and reading romance novels.

Dean Richards
K-12 Pedagogical Expert

Dean Richards is the director of Secondary Curriculum, Instruction, and Systems at Bend-La Pine Schools. He earned a Master's Degree in Education from the University of Oregon. Dean has more than 20 years of experience in education - both in the classroom and working with administrators. Dean has a diverse background with expertise in curriculum writing, professional development, response to intervention, assessment, and much more.

Ada Chao (赵玉萍）
Instructor

Ada Chao will lead the high school class this summer for the STARTALK program. Ada received an MA in Education from Michigan State University and an MA in Teaching from Pacific University. She has been teaching Chinese Mandarin in the Sisters School District for more than four years. Ada teaches introductory Chinese to AP Chinese in Sisters High School.  She also coordinates the Chinese Language Program in Sisters School District. She previously taught in Dah Yung Senior High School in Kaohsiung Taiwan and supervised the overseas program. She enjoys traveling, hiking, and running during her free time.

Aichun Hu (胡爱春）
Instructor

Aichun Hu received her bachelor's degree in physics education from Nanjing Normal University and then graduated from the University of Glasgow with a master's degree in education. She worked as a Chinese teacher in New Jersey for four years and received high reviews from the students. She likes to incorporate scientific thinking into the study of the Chinese language and culture, encouraging students to learn a language from different perspectives. She is currently the Chinese teacher at Caldera High School. She likes to observe the stars, watch movies, and play Chinese chess.