About the Director
A unique feature of each Central College Abroad program is the on-site program director. The on-site program director has a unique role, in that he/she is a part of most aspects of the students’ experience, from student advising to teaching a class to leading group excursions. Central College Abroad takes pride in the personalized attention that it can provide its students.
David Purnell, interim director for the China program, started in his new role fall of 2007. David came to China via Central College, where he is an associate professor of English with specialties in the areas of linguistics and ESL. In addition to his teaching, he served as Central’s director of international student services for five years. David has extensive experience in China and a great deal of enthusiasm to share his knowledge and experience with students. He has led Central’s summer China program in Hangzhou the past few years and also has served as a faculty liaison to the program.
As an undergraduate, David majored in East Asian Studies at University of Pittsburgh and later, through Wittenberg University, spent a year in Taiwan. After graduation and teaching ESL in the United States for several years, he taught at Beijing Second Foreign Language Institute from 1985-89.
