Department of Education

Hometown: Shanghai, China    
Educations: University of California, Irvine '23 BA in Business Economics and BA in Art   

Duoyi Yao earned a dual degree in Business Economics and Art, with a minor in Digital Art, from the University of California, Irvine. Growing up, she underwent various stages of education in both her native country, China, and the United States. This unique experience gave her an understanding of the two education systems and cultures, fueling her commitment to helping language learners who struggle with cultural identity. Her first teaching experience involved instructing Chinese language and culture to second-generation immigrants at a local Chinese school in California.

Through various internships in both traditional and online settings in higher education in China, she discovered flaws and challenges arising from the urgent trend of the digitalization of education brought about by the pandemic. This prompted her to envision making a difference as a future educational policy designer or implementer, aiming to combine and develop the strengths of both systems to better prepare students back home for international higher education in the post-pandemic world.

Duoyi is also an artist who enjoys exploring various mediums, ranging from traditional oil paint and sculpture to digital illustration. With her research and data analysis skills from her economics background and her creativity as an artist, she is eager to excel in the program and seize this valuable opportunity to move closer to her vision.