Governance
John Wang, Chair ()
Mr. Wang is a Principal in the Portfolio Operations group at L Catterton the largest consumer focused private equity firm in the world. In this role, he actively partners with portfolio executives to drive value creation through commercial and operational business transformation. Prior to that he held senior operating roles at Centerbridge Partners and A.T. Kearney’s Consumer and Retail Practice focused on areas including Branding, Innovation and Operations. Mr. Wang began his career as a Designing Engineer at General Motors. A proud YingHua parent, Mr. Wang has lectured at The MIT Sloan School of Business and the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon on topics ranging from business strategy to project management. He holds an MBA from The Harvard Business School and a BS in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering from Cornell University.
Mr. Wang is a Principal in the Portfolio Operations group at L Catterton the largest consumer focused private equity firm in the world. In this role, he actively partners with portfolio executives to drive value creation through commercial and operational business transformation. Prior to that he held senior operating roles at Centerbridge Partners and A.T. Kearney’s Consumer and Retail Practice focused on areas including Branding, Innovation and Operations. Mr. Wang began his career as a Designing Engineer at General Motors. A proud YingHua parent, Mr. Wang has lectured at The MIT Sloan School of Business and the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon on topics ranging from business strategy to project management. He holds an MBA from The Harvard Business School and a BS in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering from Cornell University.
Heather Howell
Heather Howell is a Research Scientist in the K-12 Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Center at ETS. Her research focus includes the study of teacher content knowledge for teaching, with a focus in secondary mathematics teaching, and the study of teacher learning around instructional practices such as discussion and argumentation. She is a principal investigator of ongoing work funded by the National Science Foundation (Grant No. 1621344, 2032179, and 2037983) exploring the use of simulated teaching in methods classes using the Mursion® environment as a way for new teachers to practice ambitious teaching methods in low stakes environments before working with children. Heather holds a MS in Mathematics, a MA in Mathematics Education and a PhD in Teaching and Learning with specialization in Mathematics Education from New York University. Previously, she taught mathematics in grades 9-12 and at the undergraduate level, mathematics teaching methods for future elementary and secondary level teachers, and mentored mathematics teachers in grades 6-12 in New York City. Her son is thriving as a student and member of the YingHua community.
Heather Howell is a Research Scientist in the K-12 Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Center at ETS. Her research focus includes the study of teacher content knowledge for teaching, with a focus in secondary mathematics teaching, and the study of teacher learning around instructional practices such as discussion and argumentation. She is a principal investigator of ongoing work funded by the National Science Foundation (Grant No. 1621344, 2032179, and 2037983) exploring the use of simulated teaching in methods classes using the Mursion® environment as a way for new teachers to practice ambitious teaching methods in low stakes environments before working with children. Heather holds a MS in Mathematics, a MA in Mathematics Education and a PhD in Teaching and Learning with specialization in Mathematics Education from New York University. Previously, she taught mathematics in grades 9-12 and at the undergraduate level, mathematics teaching methods for future elementary and secondary level teachers, and mentored mathematics teachers in grades 6-12 in New York City. Her son is thriving as a student and member of the YingHua community.
Celia Liu ()
Dr. Celia Liu brings an interdisciplinary background and a wide range of experiences from K-12 community schools, the U.S. higher education environment, as well as from non-profit organizations to Ying Hua International School. She received her EdD (Doctor of Education) from the University of Pennsylvania. She also holds an MBA in Public Accounting and an MS in Taxation from Fordham University’s Graduate School of Business, and an MAT (Master of Arts in Teaching) from Rutgers University. She joined the College of New Jersey (TCNJ) in 2010, teaching Chinese language and philosophy courses, and she has also taught accounting courses for TCNJ and Rutgers Business School’s MBA program. Dr. Liu is frequently invited to attend international teaching conferences and to conduct educational workshops on issues related to international education regularly. She also obtained the eligibility to be certified as a teacher in K-12 World Language Education and Early Childhood Education in the State of NJ. Dr. Liu has full-certification as an official oral proficiency interview (OPI) examiner (grader) for American Council for Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). Serving as a board member for CACA (Chinese American Cultural Association) since 2009, the vice president for ANJCS (Association of New Jersey Chinese Schools), a board member for ACS (Association of Chinese Schools) and the Principal for Edison Chinese School, Dr. Liu has maintained extensive involvement with the community-based schools since 1997. Dr. Liu strongly advocates for the Chinese citizens’ involvement in local elections and actively assisted with municipal and board of education campaigns for many years in Edison, New Jersey
Dr. Celia Liu brings an interdisciplinary background and a wide range of experiences from K-12 community schools, the U.S. higher education environment, as well as from non-profit organizations to Ying Hua International School. She received her EdD (Doctor of Education) from the University of Pennsylvania. She also holds an MBA in Public Accounting and an MS in Taxation from Fordham University’s Graduate School of Business, and an MAT (Master of Arts in Teaching) from Rutgers University. She joined the College of New Jersey (TCNJ) in 2010, teaching Chinese language and philosophy courses, and she has also taught accounting courses for TCNJ and Rutgers Business School’s MBA program. Dr. Liu is frequently invited to attend international teaching conferences and to conduct educational workshops on issues related to international education regularly. She also obtained the eligibility to be certified as a teacher in K-12 World Language Education and Early Childhood Education in the State of NJ. Dr. Liu has full-certification as an official oral proficiency interview (OPI) examiner (grader) for American Council for Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). Serving as a board member for CACA (Chinese American Cultural Association) since 2009, the vice president for ANJCS (Association of New Jersey Chinese Schools), a board member for ACS (Association of Chinese Schools) and the Principal for Edison Chinese School, Dr. Liu has maintained extensive involvement with the community-based schools since 1997. Dr. Liu strongly advocates for the Chinese citizens’ involvement in local elections and actively assisted with municipal and board of education campaigns for many years in Edison, New Jersey
Eric Lock
Eric Lock comes to the Yinghua International School’s Board of Directors with 20 years of experience as a social work educator. Since earning an M.A. in Social Welfare Administration at the University of Chicago, Mr. Lock has taught social welfare policy and administration courses at the University of Chicago, University of Washington, and University of Wisconsin. He currently teaches at the Rutgers University School of Social Work as an Associate Teaching Professor in both its BASW and MSW programs. Mr. Lock’s teaching and research has centered on how innovative human services agencies implement new ideas while managing complex political and policy environments. Beyond his academic work, youth development is Mr. Lock’s first love as a social worker. While a graduate student in Chicago, he co-founded and developed an innovative sports program for disadvantaged youth on the city’s south side. While in Chicago, Mr. Lock also worked as a social services administrator, managing a work-training program for developmentally disabled adults. Since moving to New Jersey to join the Rutgers faculty, Mr. Lock has been involved in criminal justice reform work through his church in New Brunswick and the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey. He is currently working with fellow faculty at the Rutgers School of Social Work exploring ways to increase the school’s outreach to, and support of, former felons seeking to pursue higher education through the New Jersey’s STEP program. Beyond work, Mr. Lock enjoys spending time with his two teenaged children, exploring New Jersey’s many beaches, as well as its biking and hiking trails, and volunteering as a Sunday School teacher at his church in New Brunswick. Every once in a while, he even dusts off his old drum set and raises a ruckus in the basement, trying to resurrect his former glory days as a rock n’ roll drummer (which usually reminds why he never quit his day job…).
Eric Lock comes to the Yinghua International School’s Board of Directors with 20 years of experience as a social work educator. Since earning an M.A. in Social Welfare Administration at the University of Chicago, Mr. Lock has taught social welfare policy and administration courses at the University of Chicago, University of Washington, and University of Wisconsin. He currently teaches at the Rutgers University School of Social Work as an Associate Teaching Professor in both its BASW and MSW programs. Mr. Lock’s teaching and research has centered on how innovative human services agencies implement new ideas while managing complex political and policy environments. Beyond his academic work, youth development is Mr. Lock’s first love as a social worker. While a graduate student in Chicago, he co-founded and developed an innovative sports program for disadvantaged youth on the city’s south side. While in Chicago, Mr. Lock also worked as a social services administrator, managing a work-training program for developmentally disabled adults. Since moving to New Jersey to join the Rutgers faculty, Mr. Lock has been involved in criminal justice reform work through his church in New Brunswick and the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey. He is currently working with fellow faculty at the Rutgers School of Social Work exploring ways to increase the school’s outreach to, and support of, former felons seeking to pursue higher education through the New Jersey’s STEP program. Beyond work, Mr. Lock enjoys spending time with his two teenaged children, exploring New Jersey’s many beaches, as well as its biking and hiking trails, and volunteering as a Sunday School teacher at his church in New Brunswick. Every once in a while, he even dusts off his old drum set and raises a ruckus in the basement, trying to resurrect his former glory days as a rock n’ roll drummer (which usually reminds why he never quit his day job…).
Elizabeth Pepek
Elizabeth Pepek has a background in business strategy and analytics. She graduated with honors from Georgetown University before obtaining her MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management. Elizabeth began her career at American Express in a marketing and operations capacity for American Express Gift Cards. After business school, she accepted a position with McKinsey & Company, the global leader in business strategy consulting. In this role, she served Fortune 500 companies in a range of industries to improve profitability by reducing cost structures and capturing new business opportunities. Most recently, Elizabeth worked at the FBI as an intelligence analyst in White Collar Crime and Counterintelligence. She also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Princeton Symphony Orchestra, where she is the chairperson of the annual fundraising gala for 2019 and 2020. Elizabeth has four children aged 9, 8, 5, and 4, two of whom attend YHIS.
Elizabeth Pepek has a background in business strategy and analytics. She graduated with honors from Georgetown University before obtaining her MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management. Elizabeth began her career at American Express in a marketing and operations capacity for American Express Gift Cards. After business school, she accepted a position with McKinsey & Company, the global leader in business strategy consulting. In this role, she served Fortune 500 companies in a range of industries to improve profitability by reducing cost structures and capturing new business opportunities. Most recently, Elizabeth worked at the FBI as an intelligence analyst in White Collar Crime and Counterintelligence. She also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Princeton Symphony Orchestra, where she is the chairperson of the annual fundraising gala for 2019 and 2020. Elizabeth has four children aged 9, 8, 5, and 4, two of whom attend YHIS.
Laurie Schrimpf
Laurie Schrimpf is a licensed CPA in New Jersey and holds the designation of Chartered Global Management Accountant. She is the Senior VP of Finance for Michael Graves Architecture & Design. In this role, Laurie defines and executes the firm’s strategy in accounting, financial planning, audit, tax, treasury, risk management, and IT. Prior to this, Laurie’s career spanned more than 15 years in the financial oversight and management of entrepreneurial businesses and professional service firms. Laurie received a B.S. in Business Administration with an Accounting Concentration and a Minor in Finance from California State University San Bernardino. She received her M.S. in Accountancy with an emphasis in Taxation from San Diego State University. She was a participant in the Executive Education program, Leading Professional Services Firms, at Harvard Business School. Laurie is passionate about multicultural understanding and language learning. She speaks Spanish and studied Italian for a year. She has lived in Germany and London, spent summers in Mexico, and has travelled through 40 countries. Since 2015, Laurie has continuously hosted participants from an international cultural exchange program, through which she has welcomed visitors from China, Mexico, Brazil and Colombia. A mother of three, Laurie supported her eldest daughter’s international exchange program to Chile for her junior year of high school. Her two youngest children attend Ying Hua.
Laurie Schrimpf is a licensed CPA in New Jersey and holds the designation of Chartered Global Management Accountant. She is the Senior VP of Finance for Michael Graves Architecture & Design. In this role, Laurie defines and executes the firm’s strategy in accounting, financial planning, audit, tax, treasury, risk management, and IT. Prior to this, Laurie’s career spanned more than 15 years in the financial oversight and management of entrepreneurial businesses and professional service firms. Laurie received a B.S. in Business Administration with an Accounting Concentration and a Minor in Finance from California State University San Bernardino. She received her M.S. in Accountancy with an emphasis in Taxation from San Diego State University. She was a participant in the Executive Education program, Leading Professional Services Firms, at Harvard Business School. Laurie is passionate about multicultural understanding and language learning. She speaks Spanish and studied Italian for a year. She has lived in Germany and London, spent summers in Mexico, and has travelled through 40 countries. Since 2015, Laurie has continuously hosted participants from an international cultural exchange program, through which she has welcomed visitors from China, Mexico, Brazil and Colombia. A mother of three, Laurie supported her eldest daughter’s international exchange program to Chile for her junior year of high school. Her two youngest children attend Ying Hua.
Anna M. Shields
Anna M. Shields is a professor of Chinese literature in the Department of East Asian Studies at Princeton University, where she has been since 2015. She has been in higher education since 1996, working as a teacher of Chinese language, literature, and culture and a higher education administrator at six different institutions, including the University of Arizona, the University of Michigan, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She received her B.A. (in French and Comparative Literature from Washington University in St. Louis (1987), her M.A. from Harvard University in Regional Studies-East Asia (focus on Chinese literature, 1990), and her Ph.D. in Chinese literature from Indiana University (1998). As a parent of three boys, she has also had personal experience with many elementary and secondary education settings in the United States, and herself attended a small independent school, Randolph School in Huntsville, Alabama, for twelve years, where she graduated in a class of forty students. Her first book has appeared in Chinese and her second book is forthcoming in Chinese in winter 2019. Her research website can be found at https://princeton.academia.edu/AnnaShields.
Anna M. Shields is a professor of Chinese literature in the Department of East Asian Studies at Princeton University, where she has been since 2015. She has been in higher education since 1996, working as a teacher of Chinese language, literature, and culture and a higher education administrator at six different institutions, including the University of Arizona, the University of Michigan, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She received her B.A. (in French and Comparative Literature from Washington University in St. Louis (1987), her M.A. from Harvard University in Regional Studies-East Asia (focus on Chinese literature, 1990), and her Ph.D. in Chinese literature from Indiana University (1998). As a parent of three boys, she has also had personal experience with many elementary and secondary education settings in the United States, and herself attended a small independent school, Randolph School in Huntsville, Alabama, for twelve years, where she graduated in a class of forty students. Her first book has appeared in Chinese and her second book is forthcoming in Chinese in winter 2019. Her research website can be found at https://princeton.academia.edu/AnnaShields.