Researcher

Yan Z. Ciupak

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Researcher Bio

Yan Z. Ciupak, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Sociology

E-mail: yciupak@nmu.edu

Education:

Ph.D. University at Buffalo (SUNY-Buffalo/UB), 2009 B.A. Shandong University-Main Campus, Jinan, China July 2001

Social Stratification and Mobility, Immigrants, Sociology of Education, Globalization, and Contemporary Chinese Society.

Teaching Philosophy:

For me, the task of the teaching profession is NOT as much about teaching a subject as an expert, as it is about enabling learning. It is NOT as much about passing on knowledge and the “right” set of morals as it is about fostering critical thinking and empathy. Therefore, my goal as an educator is to provide students with the theoretical, conceptual, and analytical tools to investigate the social world. In this process, students discover their own truths about themselves and the world around them.

“Good teaching comes from the identity and integrity of the teacher.”

-- Parker Palmer, 1998 (The Courage to Teach, P.10)