Elizabeth F. Larus (Ph.D. Virginia) is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Mary Washington. Prior to joining the college faculty in 1997, Dr. Larus lived in Greater China (mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong) for three consecutive years, and taught courses on American, European, and Asian governments at Lingnan University (Hong Kong), the University of Virginia, and the University of Richmond.

She has participated in academic conferences on China and Taiwan at Yale University, Oxford University (UK), National Chengchi University (Taiwan), the Atlantic Council, and Taiwan’s Academia Sinica, among others. She is author of the book Economic Reform in China, 1979-2003: The Marketization of Labor and State Enterprises as well as numerous book chapters and scholarly articles on economic reform in China and on China-Taiwan relations. Her most recent journal publications are “Taiwan’s Quest for International Recognition,” Issues & Studies (Spring 2006), and “Partisan Intervention and Taiwan’s China Policy,” Pacific Focus (Spring 2007).

She is currently preparing a book manuscript on China’s government and politics for a major US publisher.