Crystal Hsia's Bio

Crystal Hsia is a program administrator at the U.S.–China Institute at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, where she focuses on K–12 educator training and professional development programs that promote the understanding of East Asia in classrooms across the United States and around the globe. In 2025, Crystal continues to lead nationwide efforts under the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia (NCTA) at US-China Institute to empower teachers with the tools, content knowledge, and confidence to bring East Asian history, culture, and current affairs into their curricula. Her work bridges higher education research and K–12 practice, designing seminars, workshops, and community partnerships that make Asia accessible and engaging for students of all backgrounds. Born and raised in Taipei, Taiwan, Crystal studied Applied Chinese Linguistics and Culture at the National Taiwan Normal University (Teacher’s College) and earned her master’s degree in Instructional Technologies from San Francisco State University’s School of Education. Before joining USC, Crystal started her language education studio - Mandarin For U in 2016, an online language service company that provided tailored Chinese training for K–12 learners and professionals at global companies such as Airbnb, LinkedIn, Apple, Google, Netflix, Scale AI, and Dropbox. She also implemented decentralized learning spaces while teaching face-to-face courses at the University of California, Davis (2019–2020). Crystal is an active member of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and the American Association for Applied Linguistics (AAAL), and she participates in EDUCAUSE to explore innovations in educational technology. Beyond her institutional work, she regularly organizes community language events and volunteers as a language ambassador for Duolingo, promoting accessible multilingual education and lifelong learning.