Peng Liu Nelson is a doctoral candidate in Culture and Teaching, with research focused on Asian American and Indigenous land- and water-based pedagogies. She is a University of Minnesota UROC Community-Engaged Dissertation Fellow and a Nature Cultural Fellow with Kinship.

At ZIRAN, Peng leads curriculum development, the Fix-It Clinic, Culture & Nature Walks, and academic presentations. She is currently working on two community-based projects: 1) archiving land and water stories and oral histories near the Changsha Friendship Garden in St. Paul, welcoming youth volunteers; and 2) developing an upcoming nature-themed reading circle series.

With more than 15 years of K–12 teaching experience across the United States, China, and Thailand, and a strong background in bilingual environmental education, Peng brings a deep commitment to connecting communities with the living land and water around them.