Clearly Boldly Unequivocally - The University of Montana Foundation

Ardently
Committed to reshaping education in China.
Jun Wang sees a win-
dow for educational reform in his native
China, and he intends to widen it.
Now in his second year of doctoral studies
at The University of Montana,
Wang is optimistic about his opportunity
to effect change. “The atmosphere
here is warming [toward absorbing information
from beyond our borders].
There is much good to learn from other
countries. We can select the best,
combine that with what we know, and
apply it to our systems. This can only
benefit us.”
Wang knows what he is talking about.
Since September 1997, he has held various
posts as a teacher of English at
middle schools, in Gansu, and at Ningbo
University, Zhejiang, China. Before
completing the 2007-08 academic year
at UM, Wang was a non-degree grad uate
student in the School of Education.
Previously, he earned a master of education
degree in leadership at Car diff
University, South Wales.
Encouragement to apply to UM came
from Suzy Hampton, Ed.D. ’95.
In 1998, on one of her several visits to
China, she met Wang at the school in
which he was teaching. His work for her
as interpreter initiated a lasting
friendship, kept active for several years
via e-mail. In 2005, Wang was named
a visiting scholar to UM, under sponsor
ship of his college. “This experience
triggered the notion of continuing
my graduate studies at UM.” Wang later
successfully competed against other
doctoral candidates for UM’s Moser-
McKinney Education and History
Jun Wang
Fellowship, which is renewable for three
years and fully covers tuition and fees.
His career in pursuit of a degree from
UM was on track.
Wang notes that it is “a great experience
to work with American classmates in
primary, high-school, and college classroom
settings.” These experiences
involve much give-and-take learning,
from both Chinese and American
perspectives. Frances O’Reilly, assistant
adjunct professor, Department of Leadership
and Counseling, for whom Wang
served as interpreter last year, describes
Wang as “congenial, engaging, with
great interpersonal skills.” Suzy and her
husband Hamp agree. “Jun is remarkable.
We can’t begin to imagine what
[great things] he will accomplish in the
educational leadership field.”
A significant feature of The Phyllis J. Washington Education Center, scheduled to open in 2009, will
be high-tech/soft-touch learning labs. The building will include two preschools with an observation
room allowing groups of students and faculty to observe interactions of children. The preschools will
incorporate the most current educational technology and serve as “test beds” for research and
development within the facility’s Educational Technology Research and Development Center. Virtual
observation conference rooms will provide video and audio records of classroom activities, and
elementary education students will participate in field/practicum experiences in this environment.
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