I received my MA in TESL from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, which led to my interest in the processes of socialization involved in language teacher development. My interests have since then shifted more broadly to English language development in a globalizing world, and issues of access to sociolinguistic resources in transnational communications.
I work with my advisor Maggie Hawkins and colleagues on the Global StoryBridges project to connect English learning youth from different contexts to foster intercultural exchanges and critical awareness of different ways of meaning-making across the world. Currently, I am interested in exploring sociolinguistic scales and spatial-materialist theories to understand how English learners negotiate multiple layers of context and language use in transnational and intercultural communications. My goal is to inform language teaching practice to prepare learners to develop more open understandings of language and ways of communicating, and to critically engage with dominant discourses and ideologies surrounding the English language.
Aside from my research, I am also working as a project assistant at WIDA in the area of language assessment. My current work there involves examining and refining methodologies for alignment of WIDA English language standards and assessments.