Following my rural upbringing and military service, I began my academic journey studying Confucianism, rhetoric, and pedagogy. After which, my family and I lived abroad in both Beijing and Taipei studying Mandarin, teaching and translating, and exploring East Asia for a few more years. 

We later returned to North America to pursue additional training in modern Chinese political history and Chinese IR theory in Washington, D.C. At the same time, I worked as a researcher at a think tank, investigating the environmental impacts of the Belt and Road Initiative. 

When the COVID lock down began, I decided to leave D.C. and returned to teaching as a university lecturer in Colorado while I applied to PhD programs. 

Presently, I am researching and teaching Modern Chinese history in the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa's Department of History. I plan to complete my dissertation in the next few years, then look for a permanent university teaching position. In my work, I leverage world/global history, global intellectual history, and global studies methods.