Yanan Fan

Yanan Fan is a Professor in the Department of Secondary Education at San Francisco State University, where she has been since 2006. Her research focuses on the literacy learning of immigrant adolescents and teacher education, particularly within socioeconomically and culturally complex urban school settings. She has extensive experience in language education, starting as an English teacher in Beijing, China, and later working with secondary teachers and students in Michigan before pursuing her Ph.D.

Dr. Fan holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum, Teaching, and Educational Policy (2006) from Michigan State University, with a concentration in Second Language Literacy. She also earned an M.A. in English Literature (2000) from Beijing Normal University, a B.A. in English Literature (1992) from Capital Normal University, and participated in a Fulbright Graduate Fellow program in American Studies (1995) at Shanghai International Studies University.

Her research interests emphasize the interplay between language development and identity formation among immigrant youth, as well as strategies for preparing educators to support ELL students. Notable projects include examining collaborative writing tools in middle schools and analyzing how mainstream teachers can learn from ELL students in diverse urban environments. She has also published on teacher narratives in China’s bilingual schools and the role of service learning in ELL pedagogy.

Dr. Fan has secured significant grants, including a 2017 California State University Development of Research and Creativity (DRC) Grant focusing on ESL classrooms and the Common Core, and a 2017 SED Collaborative Grant for online course development. She has also received funding for community engagement and international development initiatives, such as the Faculty International Development Grant (2007) and multiple California State University Faculty Affirmative Action Grants (2006, 2007, 2009).