USF RICCI INSTITUTE STAFF (In alphabetical order)

Academic Director, vacant until Fall 2013

In the interim. please contact:
Melissa Dale, Executive Director
Center for the Pacific Rim at mdale3@usfca.edu

Wu Xiaoxin, Ed.D.; Associate Director, Resource Development

Dr. Wu received his Ed.D. in International and Multicultural Education from USF in 1993. His research work is on the history of Christian higher education in China. His publications include: China and Christianity: Burdened Past, Hopeful Future (co-editor; 2000), A Catalog of Christian Documents: Sources from the Rare Book Collection of the Shanghai Municipal Archives (co-editor, 2002), and Edward J. Malatesta, S.J.: A Friend of China(co-editor, 2004).

Robert E. Carbonneau, C.P., Ph.D.;  Archival Specialist

Fr. Rob Carbonneau is a Passionist priest from the eastern United States. He received his Ph.D. in American and East Asian History from Georgetown University. He has taught U.S., Chinese, Japanese, World and Catholic mission history. From 2007 to 2008 he taught as a foreign expert in Chongqing, China. An expert on the Passionist China mission to twentieth century Hunan, Fr. Rob continues to hold the position as Passionist historian.

May Lee; Program Assistant

Ms. Lee joined the University of San Francisco in 1996. With her excellent computer skills, bilingual (English and Chinese) proficiency, and operational experience, she is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Institute. She also creates all the Institute's publicity materials, including Institute's distinctive editions of Pacific Rim Report, the Friends of Ricci Newsletter and the semi-annual Research Newsletter.

Mark Stephen Mir; Research Fellow and Technical Services Director

Mr. Mir received a BA from San Francisco State University, and MA in Asia Pacific Studies from the University of San Francisco. He is responsible for the Institute’s information technology, library resources, and multilingual computing development. He is editor of Princely Gifts and Papal Treasures: The Franciscan Mission to China and Its Influence on the Art of the West, 1250-1350.


Jan Vaeth; Research Associate

A native of Germany, Mr. Vaeth received his BA in Chinese from the University of Bonn and, after two years at the University of Nanjing, his MA in Asia Pacific Studies from the University of San Francisco. He is involved in the online conversion of the Institute’s library catalog, the electronic conversion of the Japonica-Sinica collection, as well as academic publishing. He has taught German at a private German school and translates modern Chinese fiction into German and English.