Dr. Mila Zhu
Associate Professor | EDUC Program Area Coordinator
Educational Instruction & Leadership
Morrison 212
Biography
Dr. Mila Zhu is Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction and the Coordinator for the EDUC Program at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, where she also serves as the Founding Director of the Center for Interconnected Curriculum and Networked Learning (ICoN Learning). Dr. Zhu’s current research centers on Ludic Scholarship, exploring the integration of game-based learning, play, and narrative into educational contexts. As the series editor of Ludic Scholarship: Games, Learning, and Innovative Pedagogy with Peter Lang Publishing, Dr. Zhu leads groundbreaking work that merges gamification, ludology, and pedagogy, creating a platform for innovative scholarship that reimagines the role of gaming in education. Her upcoming book, StrataPlay Methodology: A Lorekeeper's Game Design in Postqualitative Inquiry, serves as the foundational volume of the series, exploring multi-layered approaches to research through gamification and postqualitative inquiry. Her scholarly contributions, featured in numerous peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes, address critical issues at the nexus of education, technology, and society.
Before joining Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Dr. Zhu lived, studied, and taught in international settings, including Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Shanghai, enriching her global perspective on education. As a grand winner of the First Asian Youth Piano Competition and a freelance musician, Dr. Zhu uniquely integrates her musical expertise into her pedagogical approach, infusing teacher preparation and curriculum theorizing with a multi-disciplinary perspective. Her research and teaching are dedicated to promoting the role of arts and multicultural education in fostering interconnected and unfolding praxis—a continuous, evolving engagement with knowledge, creativity, and inquiry that reshapes itself through dynamic interplay.
Dr. Zhu was recently named one of Oklahoma Magazine’s 2025 “40 Under 40”, recognizing her as one of the state’s most influential young professionals shaping the future of education. She is also the recipient of the 2024 Southeastern Faculty Senate Recognition Award for Outstanding Research and Scholarly Activity and the 2023 Faculty Senate Recognition Award for Excellence in Teaching. These accolades underscore her commitment to extending her impact within and beyond the campus community, notably working with pre-service teachers and underserved communities to advance educational inclusivity across different contexts. A dedicated educator and researcher, she is passionate about combining scholarly rigor with engaging storytelling, aiming to bridge the gap between academic analysis and enchanting narrative to foster educational experiences that are both intellectually enriching and captivating.