Xiaozhong Wen, Ph.D.
Board Chair

Dr. Xiaozhong Wen is an Associate Professor in the Division of Behavioral Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, at the State University of New York at Buffalo. He directs the Maternal and Child Health Research Program and teaches graduate courses, bringing deep expertise in preventive medicine, epidemiology, and biostatistics to advancing maternal and child health.

Dr. Wen holds an M.D. in Preventive Medicine and an M.S. in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from Sun Yat-sen University, a Ph.D. in Epidemiology from Brown University, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Obesity Prevention at Harvard Medical School/Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute.

His research addresses a broad spectrum of critical maternal and child health issues, including tobacco use prevention and cessation, pediatric obesity and cardio-metabolic risk, nutrition, early-life developmental origins of health and disease, and childhood growth trajectories. Ongoing projects include NIH-funded studies on postpartum smoking relapse prevention and cessation of dual cigarette and e-cigarette use among low-income mothers, as well as sustainable breastfeeding promotion. Additionally, the center supports USDA- and Egg Nutrition Center-funded studies on maternal and child nutrition interventions. He has authored approximately 110 peer-reviewed publications and served as Principal Investigator on multiple major grants from the NIH, HRSA/MCHB, USDA, the Egg Nutrition Center, and the New York State Department of Health.

As a nonprofit chair, Dr. Wen applies his scientific leadership to translate rigorous research into practical community initiatives, promoting community integration and harmony, and providing support and opportunities for diverse populations and new immigrants who face limited resources or social isolation.

Kalen Liang
Board Director, Secretary

Kalen Liang spent 26 years in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where she was deeply involved in immigrant advocacy, community service, and cultural integration. She is a recognized host and planner of community cultural events, and has extensive experience facilitating programs that unite communities, support newcomers, and enhance cross-cultural understanding.

As a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant, Kalen has provided professional guidance to immigrant communities, supporting them in navigating immigration processes, adapting to language, and integrating into Canadian culture.

Since 2024, as a newcomer to Western New York, drawing on her decades of experience, Kalen continues to lead initiatives that empower community members, strengthen organizational capacity, and preserve and promote shared cultural heritage in Western New York and beyond.

Jinting Wu, Ph.D.

Community Wellbeing

Dr. Jinting Wu is an Associate Professor of Educational Culture, Policy, and Society at the University at Buffalo and an educational anthropologist whose work centers on marginalized communities across cultural and national contexts. Trained in educational policy studies, curriculum and instruction, and international development education, her research employs ethnographic methods to examine how schooling, policy, and social structures shape the lived experiences of rural populations, ethnic minorities, immigrants, and children with disabilities amid rapid economic, political, and global change.

Her scholarship critically explores education as both a site of structural vulnerability and a space for negotiation, resilience, and transformation. Before joining the University at Buffalo, Dr. Wu served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Macau and as a postdoctoral fellow in educational sciences at the University of Luxembourg, contributing a strong comparative and international perspective to her work.

Beyond academia, Dr. Wu is deeply engaged in community wellbeing and volunteer service. She is a certified coherence trainer with the Institute of HeartMath and a meditation instructor with the Heartfulness Institute, with nearly a decade of experience teaching science-based wellbeing and healing practices to educators, professionals, and community groups. She is committed to bridging rigorous academic inquiry with holistic, transformative practices to support empowerment, healing, and social connection across diverse communities.

Sean Smith
Board Director

Sean Smith is an Information Technology professional with extensive experience in many fields of IT, including hardware and software troubleshooting, network design and implementation, structured wiring, and cybersecurity. He is an avid gamer by night and a kind-hearted volunteer and friend to all. He is a hobbyist photographer, a handyman, and a problem solver. Sean is currently a Network and Firewall Administrator for multiple organizations around the Western New York area, both in profession and as a volunteer. Sean uses his skills and hobbies as a volunteer to raise money for local charities, to bring support to local immigrant communities, and to foster friendship and connections among others. Or as some might say, he builds networks.

Sean believes in learning by trade and in tangible actions to bring about positive results. He is always up for a new challenge, even if nervous at first. He is a caring brother to three younger siblings, a major supporter of his family, and is always willing to lend a hand to those in need. Sean is often working behind the scenes and asks for nothing more than knowledge, friendship, and a delicious meal in return. He wishes to travel the world to explore new ideas and experiences.

Yongxin Liu
Founder & Executive Director

Yongxin Liu graduated from Shanxi Normal University and worked as a journalist in Shenzhen, China’s Special Economic Zone, reporting on public welfare, healthcare, and philanthropic issues. At the same time, she served for ten years as a supervising mentor for university interns. This media background shaped her sustained engagement with social realities, public systems, and issues affecting underserved populations.

After settling in the United States, Yongxin devoted her professional efforts to education and community-based nonprofit work. In Western New York, she has been involved in supporting special education initiatives, programs promoting the development and social integration of autistic children, and community-based efforts serving children and families with limited social connections. In 2025, with the support of scholars, professors, and local community representatives, she co-founded the nonprofit organization OneSolidarity in New York State. The board appointed her as the E executive Director.

Yongxin is also an accomplished poet with multiple Chinese-language poetry collections and literary awards. Her poetic sensibility and idealism inform her creativity and human-centered approach to the programs she develops for children, women, and families with limited social connections, including immigrant, low-income, and neurodiverse communities.

Denise Woods
Education Advisor, Art Teacher

Denise Woods earned her degree from Buffalo State College and devoted more than 25 years to teaching in local public schools. Throughout her career, Denise used art not only as an educational tool but as a way to help students grow into more confident, joyful, and resilient individuals. During her time at Williamsville Heim Middle School, she taught art and served for many years as the advisor to the school’s Art Clubs, where she inspired creativity, self-expression, and confidence in young artists.

A devoted wife, loving mother, and proud, joyful grandmother, Denise is known for her empathy, inclusive heart, and deeply caring spirit, too. Raised in an extraordinary family of educators, she believes in the power of guidance rooted in love. She is committed to supporting our members—children and their families—by encouraging meaningful time spent with art and with one another, nurturing mental resilience, confidence, emotional healing, and strong, compassionate lives grounded in humane relationships with family and friends.

As an artist, Denise continues to explore photography and mixed media. She finds joy in cooking, flowers, animals, and children, and remains actively involved in fostering a thriving, connected community where creativity, kindness, and growth can flourish.

Jiachuan Pan, Ph.D.
Board Director

Dr. Jiachuan Pan is a community advocate who combines rigorous scientific inquiry with a deep commitment to educational equity. She holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Syracuse University and completed postdoctoral research at the University at Buffalo. Drawing on her own background as an award-winning competitor in Math and Science Olympiads, Dr. Pan brings a high level of academic excellence and a disciplined, analytical perspective to her work in the nonprofit sector.

For years, Dr. Pan has dedicated herself to identifying and "rescuing" the potential of Twice-Exceptional (2e) children—those who possess extraordinary giftedness alongside unique developmental needs. She provides selfless academic guidance to these families, ensuring that giftedness is never sidelined by neurodiversity.

Beyond individual advocacy, Dr. Pan is a visionary in generational mentorship. She specializes in building sustainable frameworks where young students are not just participants, but active service leaders. By creating structured opportunities for youth to practice leadership and cultivate social consciousness, she fosters a collaborative ecosystem where children, families, and the community grow in tandem. On the Board, Dr. Pan focuses on scaling these inclusive models, ensuring that the organization remains a catalyst for both academic excellence and lifelong civic responsibility.