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Dr. Ye Shen
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I am the director of the MiNT Laboratory. I currently work as an Assistant Professor in the School of Education at the Johns Hopkins University. Before that, I was an Assistant Professor at the University of South Florida and Dean's Diversity Postdoctoral Fellow at The Ohio State University. When I am not writing papers, I love to spend time with my family and play with my big camera.
As a globally oriented scholar, I conduct rigorous empirical research with the goal of influencing policy and informing language teaching and learning in diverse educational and community contexts. Through quantitative studies utilizing behavioral and neuroimaging measures, I aim to understand the complex and multifaceted processes underlying multilingual language, school readiness, and academic development. I am particularly interested in exploring how children’s linguistic, cognitive, and environmental factors interactively shape their trajectories as multilinguals. My research has been funded by American Educational Research Association, National Science Foundation, American Psychological Association, and Language Learning Journal.
My work has been published in leading academic journals across education and psychology, including Review of Educational Research, Journal of Educational Psychology, Learning and Individual Differences, and Contemporary Educational Psychology. I have received numerous early career awards and is acknowledged as an Early Career Interdisciplinary Scholar by the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) and Editorial Fellow at the Journal of Educational Psychology.
I graduated from the University of Delaware with a Ph.D. in Education in 2022. I hold a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a bachelor’s degree in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language from the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics in China. Prior to pursuing my academic career, I worked as an elementary school Chinese immersion teacher in Delaware.
I am always happy to discuss science and collaborate with people. Feel free to contact me!
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Also see: **Google Scholar | LinkedIn**
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Zihan Zheng
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Zihan Zheng earned her M.S.Ed. in International Teaching and Global Leadership with a focus on Creative and Innovative Education from Johns Hopkins University and her B.A. in Psychological Sciences with a minor in Education Science from the University of California, Irvine. Her academic background bridges psychology, education, and research, focusing on how learning environments influence students' social-emotional development, self-concept, and sense of belonging. Her research interests include gifted education, bilingualism, and mental health in educational contexts. Within the MiNT Lab, she looks forward to engaging in projects that explore multilingual children's cognitive and emotional development and contribute to evidence-based practices supporting diverse learners.
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Dr. Claudia Ofori Donkor
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Dr. Claudia Ofori Donkor is a physician and public health researcher with over six years of experience in pediatrics, critical care, and infectious disease in Ghana. Her work in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit sparked her passion for addressing preventable health disparities through research, education, and systems improvement. At the MiNT Laboratory, she brings her clinical expertise and interest in early child development and health equity to support projects that advance understanding of bilingual children’s language, literacy, and academic outcomes. She is committed to using evidence-based research to improve the health and learning experiences of children in diverse and underserved communities.
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Yilin (Elaine) Fang
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Yilin (Elaine) Fang holds a B.A. in Psychology from Syracuse University and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Education (International Teaching and Global Leadership) at Johns Hopkins University.
Her research interests center on second language acquisition, the development of bilingual and multilingual learners, and applied linguistics, with a particular focus on how personality traits, attitudes, and psychological factors influence language learning outcomes. She is also interested in exploring how technology and inclusive pedagogy can enhance English language education for diverse learners.
As a researcher with experience in both psychological counseling and language education, Yilin aims to contribute to interdisciplinary research that connects psychology, education, and linguistics to understand better how emotional and cognitive factors shape language learning experiences and inform culturally responsive teaching practices.
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Junxin Li
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Junxin Li holds a B.A. in English Language and Literature from Tianjin University of Commerce and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in International Teaching and Global Learning (Applied Research) at Johns Hopkins University.
Her research interests focus on applied linguistics, bilingual, and multilingual learners’ development, and second language acquisition. She is particularly interested in how technology and innovative pedagogy can enhance language learning and promote inclusive education in diverse contexts.
As a member of the MiNT Lab, Junxin aims to contribute to research on language learning processes and the design of effective, culturally responsive educational practices.