Education: BA, Wuhan University, China, 2002; MA, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, 2005; PhD, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, 2010. At SPU since 2010.
Dr. Zhiguo joined the Seattle Pacific faculty in 2010, and she specializes in East Asian history with a focus on imperial and modern China. Her research explores the social, cultural, urban, and environmental dimensions of Chinese modernization. And her doctoral dissertation, “Big Is Modern: The Making of Wuhan as a Mega-City in Early Twentieth Century China, 1889–1957,” reflects her long-standing interest in how Chinese cities have been shaped by politics, development, and environmental challenges.
Dr. Ye’s scholarship includes work on modern Chinese urban transformation and environmental crises, including her published research on the Great Flood of 1931 and the pressures of urban modernization. Her teaching spans core and upper-division courses such as “The Emergence of the Modern Global System,” “Traditional East Asia, and Nation,” “City and Identity in China: History From Within.”
In addition to her work in the classroom, she has served SPU in numerous leadership roles, including acting director of the Asian Studies Program (2018–2024), and she regularly contributes to the campus and broader community through public lectures, academic events, and interdisciplinary engagement.
Please view Dr. Ye’s CV for more information.