Our Faculty

I bring more than two decades of experience in education and school leadership across public and private schools in the U.S. and China. This year marks my 15th year at Avenues. As a founding member of Avenues New York, I served as Director of the Chinese Immersion Program before joining Avenues Shenzhen as Founding Head of Kindergarten and later Head of the Primary Division. This is my third year as Head of School.

Working closely with our faculty and the global Avenues R&D team, I have helped shape a curriculum that is locally rooted and globally connected. As an educator who works across languages and cultures, I am passionate about helping students build cultural confidence, embrace diverse perspectives, and develop the curiosity and adaptability to thrive in an interconnected world.

With over 25 years of experience in teaching and educational leadership across schools in five different countries, including leading division launch initiatives at Avenues Silicon Valley, I hold a deep commitment to creating learning spaces that are both safe and rigorous. I believe education is at its best when it honors the humanity of everyone: teachers, students, and families.

As we enter this next phase of learning and growth together, I have the privilege of leading our Secondary School (Grades 6–12), alongside our extraordinary faculty and leaders.

I joined Avenues Shenzhen in 2019, relocating from Avenues New York to help open the Early Learning Center. Over the years, I have served as Associate Division Head and Director of Academic Innovation and Pedagogy, working across grades and divisions to support teaching and learning. This year, I am deeply honored to step into a new role as Head of Primary School which spans Small World to Grade 5. It feels like coming full circle, and I could not be more excited to work closely with our youngest learners and you. At Avenues, we make learning better, and that starts right here in Primary School. 

We are counting down the days until we welcome your children back. There is something so special about the energy of a new school year, and we cannot wait to see them walk through our doors. 

I am honored to begin this school year as Avenues Shenzhen's Head of Student Life. This marks my 21st year as an educator, spanning across schools in Canada, Macao and Chengdu before joining Avenues 4 years ago.  My own journey as a learner has taken me across continents and through different educational systems, shaping my belief that schools should be places where every student is truly seen, deeply challenged, and genuinely supported.

This year, I look forward to deepening our partnership with families and ensuring that every student thrives, not just academically, but as whole people. Welcome to a wonderful year ahead. 

This year marks my 15th year as an educator, with eight years of leadership within the Avenues network. After serving at Avenues São Paulo, leading division launch initiatives at Avenues Silicon Valley, and working as Associate Division Head here at Avenues Shenzhen, I am thrilled to step into my new role as the Head of Academic Excellence. 

My passion lies in building vibrant, inquiry-driven learning environments where students thrive across languages and disciplines.

This year, as Head of Academic Excellence, I will be focusing on curriculum alignment, pedagogical practices, and driving our academic programs. To our wonderful families, thank you for your continued partnership, trust, and collaboration as we embark on this exciting journey together.

It is my great honor to be at Avenues for my fourth year as Associate Head of Secondary School. Since 2015, I have developed deep expertise in curriculum design, bilingual teaching, school leadership, and teacher training. I am thrilled to bring this experience back to the Avenues community that I love deeply and where I feel a true sense of belonging.

My role this year centers on ensuring every student is truly seen, known, and empowered to thrive. I will partner closely with teachers to build a structured, positive learning culture to support students’ academic progress, social-emotional well-being, and personal growth, upholding high standards of care and conduct. I warmly look forward to all we will create together in this exciting year ahead.

I joined Avenues Shenzhen in 2019 as a member of the founding team and have played a key role in the development of both the ELC and Primary Divisions. Educated at Beijing Normal University and Teachers College, Columbia University, I bring more than a decade of experience across teaching, educational leadership, and curriculum design in China, the U.S., and Europe.

As Associate Head of Primary School, I am committed to delivering an exceptional learning experience for every child—one that combines academic excellence with inclusion, cultural understanding, and a deep respect for individual strengths. I work closely with teachers and families to ensure that each student is known, supported, and appropriately challenged to reach their full potential.

My focus this year is to strengthen instructional practice, empower teachers through coaching and professional learning, and build strong partnerships with families—all in service of helping every child grow with confidence, curiosity, and purpose.

I am excited to be joining Avenues Shenzhen as the Associate Head of Student Wellbeing. I bring 21 years of educational experience as a classroom teacher and school counselor across schools in five countries, and I have dedicated my career to fostering supportive environments where young people can thrive both academically and emotionally. 
 
As the Associate Head of Student Wellbeing, I will work closely with our Primary and Secondary teams to further establish social-emotional learning as a key component of the Avenues Shenzhen experience. We want to ensure that every child feels safe, valued, and understood. I will also partner closely with families to further strengthen our culture of care and proactively support student growth. 
 
Together, we will continue building a compassionate community where every student has the tools and support to flourish. 

I am a lifelong learner with 18 years of teaching experience across higher education and international schools, with a multidisciplinary background in Chinese Language and Literature, Economics, and Education. I joined Shenzhen Avenues six years ago as a founding member of the Middle School team and currently serve as Associate Head of Chinese Program, overseeing curriculum design, teaching research, student outcomes tracking, and assessment for Grades 1–9. 

I am excited to step into the new school year with all of you. My goal is to guide our students from meaningful learning to deep learning—where curiosity leads, questions open doors, and together we explore Chinese language, literature, and culture while connecting learning, thinking, and the real world.

I joined Avenues Shenzhen in 2022. With more than a decade of experience across China, France, and the UK, I’ve been especially drawn to how meaningful learning helps students understand themselves and the world around them. My cross-cultural experiences have reinforced my belief that the most meaningful learning begins with curiosity and grows through authentic experiences, meaningful relationships, and engagement with the real world. 

This year, I will lead Avenues Shenzhen’s secondary signature programs—including Mastery and the Global Impact Diploma (GID)—while continuing to strengthen partnerships with families, universities, organizations, and community experts. My goal is to ensure these programs feel relevant, inspiring, and connected to what students care about most.

I serve as Associate Head of the Math Program at Avenues Shenzhen, where he supports mathematics learning and teaching across the Primary and Secondary Divisions. With nearly two decades of experience as a mathematics educator and instructional leader in the United States and Asia, I am passionate about helping students develop curiosity, confidence, and a deep understanding of mathematics. 

I believe mathematics education should develop more than procedural fluency, it should cultivate reasoning, problem-solving, communication, and the ability to apply mathematical ideas in new contexts. 

I will work closely with faculty and families to ensure students build strong foundations, develop confidence, and grow as independent mathematical thinkers from their earliest years through future academic pathways. 

Across more than fifteen years of experience in Spain, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and China, I’ve had the privilege of working in diverse educational settings and collaborating with international communities to design programs that go far beyond sport.  
 
As the WAM and Athletics Coordinator at Avenues, I’m committed to creating an engaging, inclusive, and innovative WAM curriculum that supports students’ physical, social, and emotional development.  I view physical education as an opportunity for resilience, strong relationships, and thoughtful leadership—alongside the joy of moving. I look forward to partnering with families throughout the year to support students’ growth with confidence, character, and wellbeing in mind. 

Robert Bu specializes in boarding management and adolescent emotional care at international schools, serving as Dean of Residential Life at Avenues Shenzhen. He has worked at renowned international and bilingual schools across Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Foshan, Suzhou, and Qingdao. Robert’s approach is rooted in holistic education; he believes boarding education goes beyond life management—it must also embrace students’ emotions and growth. With a Bachelor’s in English and six years of boarding experience, he focuses on creating a “home away from home,” integrating emotional support, academic guidance, and health services. He works closely with families to safeguard students’ well-being and empower independent, compassionate individuals prepared for life’s challenges

With nearly 20 years in education, I am entering my eighth year at Avenues Shenzhen. My seven years as part of the divisional leadership team have given me a deep understanding of our school's philosophy and the diverse needs of our community. In my new role as Director of Operations and Administration, I will support all divisions by ensuring that our operational and administrative systems provide a strong foundation for teaching and learning, to create an efficient, safe, and inspiring environment so that every child can thrive.  

I am grateful for your trust and partnership over the years, and I am always here to listen and collaborate. Together, we will make this a wonderful year for our children. 

An experienced and forward-looking education leader, Jeff has served as president of Avenues: The World School since 2013. Under Jeff’s leadership, Avenues is developing one school with many interconnected and interdependent campuses located in leading cities around the globe. Today, Avenues serves more than 3,000 students at its campuses in New York, São Paulo, Shenzhen and Online. Additional campus development efforts are currently underway in other leading global cities including Silicon Valley, Miami, Shanghai and London.

Prior to joining Avenues, Jeff served for seven years as president and CEO of National Heritage Academies (NHA), one of the largest K-8 education management organizations in the United States, which serves more than 55,000 students at nearly 90 charter schools in nine states. Jeff led a team of 4,000 people, managed a $400 million budget and oversaw all aspects of the fast-growing organization. Under Jeff’s leadership, NHA opened more than 20 new schools, had 100 percent of its charters renewed and significantly improved student learning outcomes. In total over the course of his career, Jeff has been responsible for the education of more than 250,000 students.

Prior to his career in education, Jeff held various leadership positions in investment and corporate banking. He served as community president of National City Bank and president of Westwater Group, a Michigan-based diversified management and investment company with interests in education, manufacturing and other industries.

Jeff earned a B.A. degree in political science from Hope College.

William Lidwell is vice president of Tiger Works, the research and development group at Avenues. Will began his career as a systems designer and consultant for NASA, specializing in cockpit automation and astronaut training. He is author of several books, including the best-selling Universal Principles of Design, which has been translated into more than 20 languages; Deconstructing Product Design, a social deconstruction engaging more than 20 experts and 100 classic products; and Guidelines for Excellence in Management, a compendium of research-based guidelines supporting effective management and leadership.

Will lectures on topics of psychology and design for The Great Courses and Lynda.com and is a former lecturer on instructional system design and industrial design at the University of Houston. He is a co-founder of the company that has become the online learning division of Underwriters Laboratories and holds a diverse array of patents, ranging from coffee table and eyeglass frame designs to advanced methods of interacting with online animated assistants.

Having lived on four continents for a total of 26 years overseas, Tim has been fortunate to lead some of the world’s most iconic international schools, including the Jakarta Intercultural School in Indonesia, the American School in Japan, the Country Day School in Costa Rica and Graded - The American School of São Paulo, Brazil. During his time in Indonesia, Tim was named the 2015-16 International Superintendent of the Year by the Association for the Advancement of International Education (AAIE).

At Avenues, Tim has worked closely with the research and development team on programs seeking to reimagine the future of education, including the Avenues Mastery Academy and Avenues Studio Hamptons, and served as co-head of Avenues Online in 2018. Among other activities, he currently serves on Avenues’ global education team and co-leads Avenues’ initiatives on safeguarding and wellbeing across its campuses. Tim also serves on the NEASC Commission for International Education.

Min joined Avenues in 2015 as global director of strategy and campus development. In 2017, she was promoted to vice president of people and culture, responsible for leading Avenues’ global talent team.

Min brings more than 20 years of strategy, talent and operations experience to her work at Avenues. Previously, Min was the senior vice president of operations at Teach For America, where she supported the training and development of 4,000 new teachers each year. She also led the restructuring of the human resources division at the New York City Department of Education, developing processes and systems that impacted more than 150,000 teachers and staff members. Min previously worked as a strategy consultant and financial analyst with L.E.K. Consulting and Merrill Lynch.

Min earned her B.A. from Wellesley College. The mission of Avenues is especially close to her heart as she is herself the product of a global education, having grown up in seven countries in Asia, Europe and North and South America.

Mei has more than 18 years of experience in global business development and thought leadership. In her current role, Mei is responsible for expanding the footprint of Avenues: The World School across China—a challenge she embraces with passion and commitment.

Most recently, she served as operating partner at CITIC Capital in China, where she was responsible for screening potential investees as well as nurturing existing clients in the education, technology and media sectors.

Mei earned an M.B.A. from Murdoch University (Perth, Australia), where she lived for several years.