Professor Zhang is an associate professor of the School of Social Development and Public Policy, Beijing Normal University (BNU). Dr. Zhang earned his Ph.D. from the School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University. His research interests focus on emergency management and policy processes. He is a member of the editorial board of China Emergency Management. In May 2008, he founded the Wenchuan Earthquake Taskforce (WET) with the mission to promote links and synergies between, and the coordination of, Wenchuan earthquake rehabilitation, reconstruction, and redevelopment activities in the socio-economic, humanitarian, and development fields, as well as to support policy integration in all functional areas with his colleagues at BNU. WET operates as a think tank in research, training, policy and regional counsel, and international programs. At WET, Dr. Zhang worked in the Sichuan disaster area for more than four months. Dr. Zhang was also a member of State Wenchuan Earthquake Experts Council. During his Asia Programs fellowship, Dr. Zhang will research the emergency capabilities of China’s township management.