Monica Emery
Monica Emery has spent her life drawn to the places where culture, education, and community meet. Raised in New Jersey by a Chinese father and Filipino mother, she grew up with a front-row seat to different traditions and ways of seeing the world. Studying Chinese and Filipino dance wasn’t just an extracurricular—it was how she stayed connected to her roots and made sense of her own mixed-heritage identity.
She earned a B.A. in International Relations from American University in Washington, D.C., where her interest in global cooperation and cultural exchange took shape through an internship at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. She later moved to Japan, started an English-language school, and taught violin—spending five years living and working there while traveling throughout Asia. Those experiences deepened her respect for the lived context behind cultural traditions, and for the care it takes to share them well.
Back in the D.C. area, Monica completed an M.A. in Higher Education Administration and International Education, focusing on global competency and cross-cultural success, and was selected as a United Nations Association Graduate Fellow. She also volunteered for several years with the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, supporting the work of artists and culture-bearers and helping bring living traditions to the public with depth and integrity.
In her professional career, Monica has built programs and partnerships for internationally focused organizations and higher education institutions, including work in international programs at the University of Maryland, College Park, and Rutgers University. Across roles, her throughline has been consistent: creating real-world opportunities for people to learn from one another across cultures.
As Executive Director of the Center for World Music, Monica brings that same sensibility to the organization’s mission—preserving, teaching, and presenting authentic world music and dance traditions with the cultural depth and respect they deserve.
She plays violin and viola, and holds a first-degree black belt in taekwondo.