1955
Born to Daniel and Patricia McGinnis in Fostoria, OH.
1978
Receives a diploma in basic Chinese from the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in Monterey, CA.
1980
Earns a Bachelor of Science in history from the University of the State of New York, now Excelsior College.
1984
Achieves a Master of Arts in Chinese language and receives a Leadership Award from the Ohio State University.
1985
Marries his wife, Rebecca; Receives a Certificate in Advanced Studies from the Beijing Language Institute in China.
1990
Obtains a Doctor of Philosophy in East Asian languages and literatures from the Ohio State University.
1990
Teaches as an assistant professor of Chinese at the University of Oregon until 1993.
1993
Teaches as an adjunct assistant professor of Chinese at the University of Maryland until 2003.
1993
Serves the Chinese Language Teachers Assoc. as a member, president and chair of the executive board, vice president and president through 1998.
1995
Is a visiting assistant professor of East Asian languages and literatures at Wake Forest University.
1998
Serves the Modern Language Association of America as an executive and ad hoc committee member through 2006.
1999
Is executive director of the National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages and an associate at the National Foreign Language Center until 2003.
2003
Is the McDermott Endowed Chair Guest Professor of Chinese at the United States Military Academy.
2003
Teaches as an associate professor at the Defense Language Institute in Washington, D.C. until 2007.
2007
Is an academic advisor and professor at the Defense Language Institute, continuing in the roles.
2013
Is an editorial board member of “Applied Language Learning” through today.
2016
Receives the A. Ronald Walton Award from the National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages.
2021
Maintains membership with the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages and Phi Kappa Phi.