Wenhao Diao is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of East Asian Studies and an affiliated faculty member in the interdisciplinary graduate program of Second Language Acquisition and Teaching at the University of Arizona.  She received her Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University and her B.A. and M.A. from East China Normal University.  As an applied linguist, she is particularly interested in the intersection of language and culture.  Her research deals with the socio -linguistic and -cultural aspects of language learning and use. She has primarily focused on the phenomenon of study abroad -- particularly going to and from China. She also studies the linguistic and discursive construction of identity among these learners and their Chinese hosts (such as gender, place, and youth).  Her work has been funded by the U.S. Department of Education and the Chinese Language Teachers Association (USA).  Her articles have appeared on journals such as Applied Linguistics, Modern Language Journal, System, and so on.  She also co-guest edited a special issue for the L2 Journal themed Study Abroad in the 21st Century.  Prior to joining the University of Arizona, she has taught at Middlebury College, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Virginia, and East China Normal University.