January 9, 2018

Assistant teaching professor in the Department of Global Studies and Modern Languages Ni Ou, MSEd, loves international food and guiding her students on cultural discoveries.

Hometown: Shanghai, China
Degree: Master of Science in Education, University of Pennsylvania
Research interests: Chinese language pedagogy, Chinese grammar

What did you do before coming to Drexel?
I taught Chinese at UPenn.

What is your favorite book? Movie?
It is hard to say just one book or one movie, but I always enjoy books about Chinese history.

What is your favorite food or restaurant?
I love all kinds of great food from all over the world! My favorite food probably is fish and tofu soup, because my parents always cooked that for me when I was little. It carries many memories. My favorite Chinese restaurant in Philadelphia is Jane G’s. I highly recommend it.

When is the last time you did something “for the first time”? What was it?
I watched the stars on a summit (Mauna Kea in Hawaii).

What/who inspires you?
My father.

If you could have any super power, what would it be?
An “anywhere” door.

What was the most impactful moment of your own college career? 
It is hard to say just one moment. I teach Chinese language, so I am lucky to be able to see big changes in my students very often. I would say the most impactful moments are the times that I see my students made their first steps into a new cultural environment. I feel so proud as the guide on their journeys of discovery in an unknown world.

Which current event/issue do you think students should know more about and why?
I cannot think of any specific issue, but students need to be open to ideas, respect things that are different from what they are familiar with, and listen to different voices so that they can gain an informed, comprehensive viewpoint and appreciation for things of a different cultural background. 

What would students be surprised to learn about you?
I have a Youtube channel for learning Chinese. (I have not worked on it for a while, though.)

If you could relive a moment in your life what would it be?
I do not want to relive any moment in my life. I believe the best is yet to come.

What did you want to be when you were a kid? What made you want to become a professor?
Both of my parents are teachers, so I have always wanted to be like them. I gradually realized that I wanted to do my best to help young people. I would like to broaden their world, relieve their stress, make them become one step closer to their goals, and make such small changes to the world.

What do you hope to add to the CoAS community?
As the only Chinese faculty member in CoAS, I hope to bring a knowledge of Chinese and East Asian cultures to the community, prepare my students for intercultural communication, and promote their cross-cultural awareness and appreciation.