QUEENS COLLEGE ONLINE DONATION
We encourage you to support the mission of the Queens College Foundation by making a gift to the Dr. Peishi Wang Memorial Fund.
Peishi Wang was born and raised in the People’s Republic of China and upon graduating from Liaoning College of Education with a Bachelor’s of Arts in 1991 she came to the United States by herself to begin a Master’s of Arts degree in Deaf Education (Parent-Infant Education) at Gallaudet University, which she received in 1994. She worked for Fairfax County Early Intervention Services from 1998-2001; this practical experience greatly informed her teaching and research. Dr. Wang received a certificate in teaching young children with Visual Impairments and Multiple Disabilities from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry in Philadelphia in 2000 and subsequently earned her Ph.D. in Special Education with a focus on students with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism in 2005 from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Dr. Wang began her academic career in September 2005 at Queens College, City University of New York, as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Special Education in the Department of Educational and Community Programs. The following fall semester, she started as a full time Assistant Professor of Special Education. Dr. Wang received tenure in 2011, was promoted to Associate Professor in 2014, and was promoted to Full Professor in spring 2022.
Dr. Wang was a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst – at the Doctoral Level (BCBA-D) – and held a permanent certification in special education from New York State. Her academic career was devoted to addressing the intersectionality of disability and culture with a primary focus on the implementation of evidence-based practices in early intervention and early education for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities from diverse backgrounds. Over the course of Dr. Wang’s distinguished career, she contributed to the field in three interrelated areas: 1) identifying evidence-based, culturally sustaining early intervention and early childhood special education practices to support young bilingual children with ASD and other developmental disabilities; 2) identifying evidence-based, culturally sustaining practices to partner with and support families of young children with ASD and other developmental disabilities from diverse backgrounds; and 3) developing graduate coursework to prepare early childhood special education teachers to meet the complex needs of young children with exceptionalities and families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Dr. Wang’s teaching and research also focused on developing curricula for children with special needs and teacher training in China—where she had a long-term relationship with the Beijing Wucailu Children Center—in addition to similar work in Bangladesh. Dr. Wang was a dedicated colleague, teacher, mentor, and friend. She died after a long illness on October 19, 2022 at the age of 53. She is survived by her husband, Gary Levenson, son Maxwell, 17, daughter Simone, 14, and brother Peiqian of Longwood, Florida.
The Dr. Peishi Wang Memorial Fund is intended to honor her work and enable aspiring graduate students to gain the necessary knowledge and skills to be effective bilingual early childhood special educators.