Dr. John Liang loves language studies and enjoys exploring theory and practice in language learning and teaching. He sets as his top priority equipping students to be effective classroom teachers and professional language educators who are committed to lifelong learning. Before coming to NYU Shanghai, he served for 22 years as a professor of TESOL and as Director of TESOL Programs at Biola University, California and for 4 years as ESL Coordinator in the Learning Center at the University of California, Riverside. Dr. Liang is a recipient of CATESOL’s Pearson Longman Spirit of Teaching Award, an award in recognition of an ESL professional’s excellence in teaching, and the Sadae Iwataki Award, a lifetime achievement award in recognition of a CATESOL member's outstanding service. A prolific presenter at professional conferences, he is very active in practitioner research in English Language Teaching. His single- and co-authored articles have also appeared in INTESOL Journal, CATESOL Journal, and edited books published by Peter Lang, Routledge, and Cambridge Scholars. His academic and professional works come in a wide range of areas, including grammar pedagogy, ESL materials, second language reading and writing, language assessment, and technology-enhanced language learning.

Dr. Meng Zhang is a Clinical Assistant Professor of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) at New York University Shanghai, an Adjunct Professor of Education at Shanghai Jiaotong University, and the Associate Editor of the International Journal of EAP. She received a Mater of Arts degree in TESOL from University of Southern California and a Ph.D. in Foreign, Second and Multilingual Education from The Ohio State University. Dr. Zhang has extensive experience in designing and teaching EAP and ESL courses in China and in the U.S. Her students are from a range of nonnative English-speaking countries and cultures. Dr. Zhang’s research interests include second language speaking and writing, academic socialization, and the design-based research methodology. Her publications can be found in several prestigious journals, such as TESOL Quarterly and International Journal of Educational Research. Moreover, Dr. Zhang is a public speaker and a creative writer. She gave her talks at the TEDx 2022 Conference and several library events held in Shanghai. Her books titled I Confess (poetry and prose) and Rains in the Sixteen (poetry and prose) were published by China Federation of Literary and Art Circles Publishing House in 2023 and 2007 respectively.