Project ALICE

 

A Study of Acculturation, Loneliness, Identity, Community/Social support, and Emotional Wellbeing of Chinese International Students

 
 
 

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to understand the current experiences of Chinese international students during the turmoil of the COVID-19 pandemic and the U.S. presidential election

Who is Eligible?

  • Age above 18

  • Chinese passport holder

  • Currently receiving education from a U.S. institution 

  • You can currently live in the U.S., China, or anywhere in the world

What is involved?

  • ~15 minute online survey here

  • You can voluntarily participate in a randomized selection of follow-up interviews. 

  • You may choose to participate in a lucky draw at the end of the study 

 

Our Team

Xiaoqiao Zhang, PhD (Co-PI)

Xiaoqiao Zhang, PhD (Co-PI)

Xiaoqiao Zhang, PhD, is a research fellow at Mass General Brigham. Her expertise is in qualitative and mixed-methods research focusing on international students’ acculturation stress and how higher education impacts their overall sense of belonging. She recently received her dual-title doctoral degree in Lifelong Learning and Adult Education and Comparative and International Education from Penn State University. She has worked in the international higher education field for over 9 years as an international student recruiter, advisor, and researcher. As an international student from China from a young age herself, she has used her personal journey to support new students coming to the US to transition and create workshops to understand these matters better.

Fifi Wong, BA (RA)

Fifi Wong, BA (RA)

Fifi Wong received her B.A. in Clinical Psychology from Tufts University. Her time living in and interacting with people from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Asian communities within the United States sparked her interest in the development and revision of culturally-based mental health prevention, intervention, and psychoeducation.

Justin A. Chen, MD, MPH (PI) 

Justin A. Chen, MD, MPH (PI) 

As Executive Director and Co-Founder of the MGH Center for Cross-Cultural Student Emotional Wellness, Justin A. Chen, MD, MPH delivers talks and trainings for families, clinicians, and educators throughout the United States on promoting the emotional health and psychological resilience of diverse student populations. As a practicing clinical psychiatrist, Dr. Chen specializes in the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders in young adults. An Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School, his research focuses primarily on cross-cultural psychiatry, stigma, racial/ethnic disparities in mental health service utilization, and medical education.

 Major Collaborators

Yinan Liang, BA

Yinan Liang, BA

Yinan Liang, BA, is a first-year MA student at Teachers College, Columbia University, major in Clinical Psychology. She received her B.A. degree in Psychology from Brandeis University, 2020. She is currently volunteering at the CCCSEW as an administrative coordinator for the Consortium Program, as well as the Let's Talk virtual conference and Project ALICE. She is conducting positive regard related study at TC for Dr. Farber's lab and working on the suicide-related study as an RA at NYSPI for The Center for Practice Innovations (CPI) and Mount Sinai Beth Israel, and. She also volunteered at Samaritans, a crisis hotline, supporting callers who are in emotional distress. As a Chinese American international student, her future goal is to get a Ph.D. degree in clinical psychology and work with cross-culture studies on depression, suicidal ideation, and stress-related topic, especially include working with Asian/Asian-American students and families.

Xi Lin, PhD

Xi Lin, PhD

Xi Lin, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Interdisciplinary Professions at East Carolina University, North Carolina. She is expertise in quantitative research method, and her research focuses on international students and international faculty in the US higher education, instructional strategies for distance learning, and learning motivation of adult learners. Dr. Lin is the Assistant Editor of the Journal of International Students and Consulting Editor of Adult Education Quarterly. Her research has been published in the Journal of International Students, Educational Media International, Journal of Leadership Studies, Adult Education and Human Resource Development, and eLearn Magazine.

Nicole Wang-Trexler, PhD 

Nicole Wang-Trexler, PhD 

Nicole Wang-Trexler, PhD, is the Associate Director of Data Science and Research at AI for Business and Wharton Customer Analytics, at the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania. She supports the Director of Research and Education in the design, scope, and execution of experiential learning and research projects. Nicole holds a dual titled Ph.D. in Learning, Design, and Technology and Comparative International Education from the Pennsylvania State University, and an MS. Ed. from the University of Pennsylvania. She has over 10 years of research experience in data analytics across different fields. She is also the founder of Penn Alumni Club of Central PA.