Mary Fong, a Cal State San Bernardino professor of communication studies, will discuss her personal experiences as well as her research on Chinese communication patterns at the university’s next Conversations on Diversity series, presented by the University Diversity Committee.
 
Her talk, “Understanding the Chinese Way of Communicating,” will take place Tuesday, Jan. 28, from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Santos Manuel Student Union.
 
Fong will also discuss her 2019 memoir, “Two Heart Nuts to Crack!,” which offers insights into Chinese social interactions, including her early memories of growing up in Los Angeles as a daughter of Chinese American immigrants. It is the first memoir of her “A Magnificent Mess!” trilogy.
 
In addition to studying Chinese communication patterns in cultural and intercultural interactions, Fong’s research interests also include the communication patterns of African Americans and North Americans. Fong – who teaches intercultural communication, ethnography of communication and spiritual communication – has also co-edited and co-authored the textbook, “Communicating Ethnic and Cultural Identity,” and has been published in a number of journals and other print sources.
 
She has been recognized for her three research presentations on Top Paper panels in the Language and Social Interaction Division and the Intercultural and International Division at the National Communication Association (NCA) and Western States Communication Association (WSCA) conventions.
 
Fong is the former chair for the Spiritual Communication Division of NCA and is the former chair of the Asian Pacific American Communication Division (APAC) affiliated with NCA. She has also chaired the APAC Caucus of NCA and is the past president of the Association for Chinese Communication Studies of NCA.
 
At CSUSB, Fong has served as the ethnic studies coordinator (2003-06) and teaching associate coordinator (2002-07). She has been a recipient of the University Diversity award and the university-wide Outstanding Adviser award.
 
Fong earned her doctorate from the University of Washington, her master’s from Cal State Long Beach, and her bachelor’s from the University of Southern California.
 
The CSUSB University Diversity Committee began its Conversations on Diversity series in spring 2005 and strives to bring three renowned speakers to campus on a specific topic of diversity each fall, winter and spring quarter.

Topics include, but are not limited to, race, ethnicity, religion, women’s issues, gender and sexual orientation.

To learn more about the quarterly series, visit the Conversations on Diversity webpage. 
 
For accommodations or more information about the event, contact Twillea Evans-Carthen at (909) 537-3103.


“Understanding the Chinese Way of Communicating,” will take place Tuesday, Jan. 28, from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Santos Manuel Student Union.