Amy E. Gadsden is currently the Executive Director of Penn Global at the University of Pennsylvania, where she also oversees the University’s China initiatives, including the Penn China Research and Engagement Fund. Gadsden first visited China in the Spring of 1990, returning in 1993 to teach English. She subsequently spent 15 years working on democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in China for both governmental and non-governmental organizations. In 1997, Gadsden published the first article in English on grassroots village elections in China. In 2008, she joined Penn Law, as Associate Dean for International and Strategic Initiatives, a role she held for five years before moving to Penn Global. She has a Ph.D. in Chinese legal history from Penn.