FERNANDO RUBIO
Director, Second Language Teaching and Research Center (L2TReC)
Professor, Spanish
801-581-6729 | LNCO 1930
fernando.rubio@utah.edu
Education: Ph.D., 2000, SUNY at Buffalo
Interests: Second Language Acquisition; Language Teaching Methodology; Technology-Assisted Language Learning.
He is President Elect of the National Federation of Modern Language Teachers Associations (NFMLTA) and Chair of the MLAs’ Executive Committee of Applied Linguistics.
JANE HACKING
Co-Principal Investigator, Language Training Center (LTC)
Professor, Russian
801-581-6688 | LNCO 1930
j.hacking@utah.edu
Education: Ph.D., 1993, University of Toronto
Interests: L2 Russian; L2 Phonology; Dual Language Immersion; Language Proficiency.
CATHERINE SCOTT
Associate Director, Administration
Catherine Scott
Associate Director, Administration
801-585-9438 | LNCO 1930
c.scott@utah.edu
Education: B.A., International Relations, San Francisco State University.
Interests: She has held university administrative roles (UC Berkeley, University of Pittsburgh and the University of Utah) for over twenty years. She oversees L2TReC’s grant activities and manages the day-to-day operations of the Center.
LISSIE AH YEN
Program Coordinator, Administration & Associate Instructor, Samoan
Lissie Ah Yen
Coordinator, Administrative Program
801-581-7570 | LNCO 1930
l.ahyen@utah.edu
Education: B.S., Information Systems, Brigham Young University Hawaii.
Interests: Before joining the center Lissie served as the Administrative Assistant to the Dean and Chair of College of Human Development and School of Education at the Brigham Young University Hawaii for 7 years.
JILL LANDES-LEE
State Director, Utah Bridge Program
Jill Landes-Lee
State Director, Bridge Program
801-585-2682| LNCO 1930
jill.landes-lee@utah.edu
Education: B.A., University of Wisconsin-Madison; M.A., Ed.D., University of Utah.
Interests: K-20 pathways for dual language immersion (DLI) and Heritage language students; Effects of DLI on college readiness, college access & postsecondary achievement.
She serves on the executive board for the Southwest States Association for Language Teachers (SWCOLT) and the state board for Utah Foreign Language Teaching Association (UFLA).
JOHANNA WATZINGER-THARP
Research Coordinator, Dual Language Immersion (DLI)
Associate Professor, Linguistics
801-585-7148 | LNCO 1930
j.tharp@utah.edu
Education: M.A., Ph.D., University of Texas, Austin.
Interests: L2 methodology and teacher education, variation in German; effects of dual language immersion education on academic achievement.
She serves as the co-chair of Utah’s World Language Council.
ANNE LAIR
Director of Curriculum & Coordinator, French Bridge Program
Professor/Lecturer, French-World Languages and Cultures
801-581-7534 | LNCO 1930
anne.lair@utah.edu
Education: Ph.D., The Ohio State University
Interests: Teacher training, bilingualism, proficiency, interculturality, teaching of culture, pedagogy, and symbolism of food.
Recipient of the 2020 AATF Dorothy Ludwig Excellence in Teaching Award at the Post-Secondary level. She has been accredited as the Honorary Consul of France in Utah since 2017 and was recognized as Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Palmes Académiques in May 2017.
SHIN CHI FAME KAO
Director of Curriculum & Coordinator, Chinese Bridge Program
Director of Curriculum & Coordinator, Chinese Bridge Program
801-585-0988 | LNCO 1930
shinchi.famekao@utah.edu
Education: B.S., National Cheng-Chi University, Taiwan; M.Sc., University of Strathclyde, U.K.; Doctoral Candidate University of Utah
Interests:Dual language immersion education, teacher education, educators’ professional development program, language proficiency assessment, language teaching methodology
MARIBEL LUENGO
Director of Curriculum & Coordinator, Spanish Bridge Program
Director of Curriculum & Coordinator, Spanish Bridge Program
801-585-3014 | LNCO 1930
maribel.luengo@utah.edu
Education: B.A., M.A., Political Science and Administration, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain.
Interests: Bilingual education, educators' professional development and support; academic outcomes of Title I Schools' students.
She is the former Director of the Spanish Resource Center at both BYU and the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, NM, and principal of a dual immersion school.
ELNAZ KIA
Research Associate - Postdoctoral
Elnaz Kia
Research Associate - Postdoctoral
Elnaz.kia@utah.edu
Education: Ph.D., Northern Arizona University
Interests: Corpus Linguistic Approaches to L2 Research and Pragmatics; Corpus-Informed Pedagogy.
She oversees the development and maintenance of L2TReC’s multilingual spoken and written corpora.
KERI GONZALEZ
Director of Curriculum & Coordinator, Spanish Bridge Program
Keri Gonzalez
Director of Curriculum & Coordinator, Spanish Bridge Program
LNCO 1930
keri.gonzalez@utah.edu
Education: Ph.D., University of Utah
Interests: Literature, languages and cultures, second language acquisition, educators’ professional development and support, curriculum development, and creative writing.
DARBY BAILEY MCDONOUGH
Coordinator, Specialty Media
Darby Bailey McDonough
Coordinator, Specialty Media
801-585-0325 | LNCO 1930
d.b.mcdonough@utah.edu
Education: ABD Ph.D. Regent University, MBA-IT, Western Governor's University, GCIS, University of Utah David Eccles School of Business
Interests: Education-entertainment transmedia with advanced technologies (voice assistants, robots, blockchain).
She serves on the board of Utah Women in Film & Television.
ELIZABETH MEYR
Program Assistant
Elizabeth Meyr
Program Assistant
Elizabeth.meyr@utah.edu
Education: B.A., Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, Brigham Young University-Hawaii
Interests: Second language aquisition and administration; Corpus research and applications.
She coordinates Bridge enrollment efforts and is also on L2TReC's corpora development team.

![]() |
Gregg, ABD (Ph.D.), Comparative Literature (French & Education emphasis) University of Utah, is the Director of Dual Language Studies for American Councils of International Education in Washington DC. He was the World Language & Dual Language Immersion Specialist for the Utah State Board of Education. He was also the co-project director of the Flagship Language Acquisition Network (F-LAN), a national consortium of 20 states led by Utah and recently funded by the National Language Flagship program (US Department of Defense). His work with the Utah Legislature and Governor’s office led to groundbreaking changes in the way world languages are viewed and funded within the state’s K-12 schools. The K-12 program he designed with his team is being used as a model of innovative world-language education nationally and internationally. Gregg has taught at both the secondary and university levels. He also served as the Granite School District’s World Language Specialist. He was named the 2009 National Council of State Supervisors of Foreign Language State Supervisor of the Year, the 2015 ACTFL Leo Benardo Award for Innovation in K-12 Language Education, and he is a recipient of the PalmsAcadémiques from the French Government.
|
|
![]() |
Lucia currently teaches Spanish Advanced Grammar and Composition at the University of Utah and is the Advisor for the Spanish Teaching Major/Minor program. She is also a Spanish Secondary coordinator for the Utah Dual Immersion Program. She is a certified OPI tester, AAPPL rater, and an examiner for the Instituto Cervantes. She has been a Spanish AP reader for The College Board. Interests: (DLI) Dual Language Education, L2 Assessment and Teaching.
|
|
![]() |
Ofelia received her Bachelors of Arts from Weber State College, Utah in Elementary
Education with an endorsement in Reading. She received her M. Ed. in Learning Disabilities
from American University in D.C. and an Administration Endorsement from Utah State
University, Utah. Ms. Wade is currently a Ph. D. Candidate at the University of Utah,
focusing on immersion education.
She serves as the Utah Spanish Dual Language Immersion Director and the Canyons District
Dual Language Immersion Coordinator. She oversees eight dual language immersion schools
in the Canyons District and 101 additional Spanish dual language immersion schools
throughout the state of Utah. She has previously served as a special education teacher
in K-6, serving mild-moderate and severe populations, a regular education teacher
and a 23-year veteran elementary administrator, including seven years as principal
of an immersion school. She has been recognized for her scholarship, strong instructional
leadership and innovative vision by being the recipient of: “Utah Pioneer for International
Development Award”, DAESP “Innovator of the Year”, DAESP “Distinguished Principal
of the Year”, DAESP “Instructional Leader of the Year”, and 2016 UFLA Lifetime Award.
|

Jason Andrus
Jason Andrus was a visiting assistant professor of Middle East Studies and Arabic at Brigham Young University in 2016 and currently adjunct professor there. He is a scholar of law and religion with a Juris Doctor degree from NYU School of Law and a MA in Comparative Religion from the University of Washington. During the course of his graduate work his research in Arabic law and texts has given him the chance to continually teach courses in his first love in Middle East studies, Arabic language. He has taught first through fourth year Arabic courses at the University of Washington, NYU, BYU, in Amman, Jordan, and in Cairo, Egypt. His current research and writing focus is the intersection of law and religion in order to address incongruities between the legal/political system and conceptions of justice, in particular rationals for criminal punishment and majoritarianism in heterogeneous societies.
Shin Chi Fame Kao
Shin Chi Fame Kao is K-12 Chinese Outreach Coordinator in Confucius Institute at the University of Utah as well as Chinese Dual Language Immersion Program 7th-9th Grade Coordinator in Utah State Board of Education. She works in the areas of developing the curriculum and training teachers for the K-12 Chinese Dual Language Immersion program in Utah. She has 17 years of experiences in teaching Chinese language and culture to a diverse array of students of varying ages and abilities. Her research focuses on applied peer assisted learning strategies (PALS) to develop an effective Chinese reading program for Chinese language learners.
shinchi.famekao@utah.edu
(801) 585-0988
Dori Huang
T. Dori Huang got her graduate degrees in political science from National Taiwan University, Columbia University, and Duke University, and worked as a piano teacher, policy analyst, and college lecturer before relocating to Utah. She earned a degree in world languages with a secondary teaching license from the University of Utah, specializing in Chinese linguistics, second language acquisition, and curriculum development. She has been teaching Chinese from elementary to college, from beginners to advanced learners offering a full gamut of 10 levels of Chinese courses (including AP and IB Chinese). Currently, Dori teaches at Weber State University and serves as the president of the Utah Association of Chinese Teachers. Her research interests are in curriculum design, literacy development, as well as second language and multilingual acquisition.
Lily Alavi
Lily Alavi is an Associate Instructor of Persian language at the Department of World Languages and Cultures at the University of Utah. She has taught Persian Intermediate I &II and Persian Advanced I & II. She is also responsible for the Community Engaged Learning course of the department, which has a CEL designation (Community Engagement Learning) from the Bennion Center. This course entails lectures and readings, cross-cultural communications through simulation exercises, and community service in the Salt Lake City region. Lily was born and raised in Tehran, Iran and lived there until 1993. She has a bachelor degree in French-Persian translation from Iran and a Master of Art in French Literature from the University of Maine, where she lived and worked for several years prior to moving to Utah in 2009.
Email: Lily Alavi
Takashi Ebira
Email: Takashi Ebira
Hyesun Kim
Hyesun Kim is an Associate Instructor of Korean language at the Department of World Languages and Cultures at the University of Utah. She received her bachelor's in Arabic at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, Korea. During her undergraduate, she received teacher licensure in Japanese and Arabic. She received an M.Ed. in teaching Korean as a foreign language at the same institution. She completed her M.Ed. and TESOL certificate at the University of Utah. She is a Ph.D. candidate in Education, Culture and Society. Hyesun’s current academic interests include heritage language education among immigrant families in the U.S. and family language planning and policy related to their language ideologies and language identity.
eMail: Hyesun Kim
Kona Eldredge
Koeun Park (Kona Eldredge) is a Korean language instructor in the Department of World Languages and Cultures and L2TReC, a doctoral student in the Department of Education, Culture and Society, and a graduate assistant at the Urban Institute for Teacher Education within the University of Utah. She earned her M.Ed and bachelor's degrees in linguistics (with TESOL certificate) and international studies at the same institution. Since 2013, she has been teaching Korean courses both to university students and military linguists at the U. Previously, she directed a Korean community heritage language school where she also taught. She coordinated an ESOL program and taught English to refugee populations at Salt Lake County. Her specific areas of interest include bilingual education, heritage language education, multicultural education, and TESOL.
Email: koeun.park@utah.edu Kona Eldredge
Portuguese
Elena Grajinskaya
Elena Grajinskaya graduated from the Lomonosov Moscow State University with a degree in Journalism, Literary Editing, and professional certification in Teaching Russian as a Foreign Language. Her research interests include international collaborations in the history of Russian journalism with a paper published about the Polish publicist and writer Jozef Ingacy Kraszewski in the Moscow University Annals (Vestnik MGU, Journalism series). Elena is a supporter of contextualized language instruction. She also obtained her M.B.A. degree from the University of Utah and co-founded an educational non-profit organization.
Olga Savenkova
Olga Savenkova was born and raised in Russia. She holds two Bachelor degrees from Russian universities, BS in Economics (Moscow State University) and BA in Cultural Studies (Nizhny Novgorod State Linguistic University), and a Master degree in Comparative Literary and Cultural Studies from the University of Utah. She is currently pursuing her doctorate degree in the same program. Her research interests include Russian, American, Classical Greek, and Modernist literature and culture. In teaching she focuses on communication and cultural topics. Her personal interests include family, classical music, and creative writing.
Email: Olga.savenkova@utah.edu
Monica B. Orcutt
Mónica B. Orcutt holds a M.A. in Spanish Language, Culture and Latin American Literature from Brigham Young University-Provo and has also completed post graduate course work at the University of Texas at Austin.
She received an Endorsement in Teaching English as a Second Language and has completed mediation courses. She also has training in Legal and Medical Translation and Interpretation.
She has been dedicated to presenting her research at scholarly conferences and publishing of her work. Monica’s literary research includes Latin American Jewish literature, women writers, culture, Latin American theatre and creative writing. She is the author of the book, Claves en el teatro de Nora Glickman.
She has extensive experience developing curriculum and facilitating intensive courses for the military.
Email: Monica Orcutt