Stewart Gray (PhD) is a teacher of English, Applied Linguistics, and TESOL at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China. Previously, he taught English and trained teachers in Korea. His main academic interests are language teacher and learner identity, critical and creative thinking in ELT, and reflective teaching practice. 

Email: ec_391@hotmail.com 

Meerbek Kudaibergenov (PhD) is an assistant professor at Seoul National University of Science and Technology, South Korea. His research focuses on EFL teacher identity, student agency, and transnational education.

Email: kudaibergenov@language.seoultech.ac.kr  

Jake Kimball is an assistant professor of English with over 25 years of experience in EFL education. His research interests include classroom dynamics, learner agency, and the willingness to communicate in low-engagement contexts. A passionate advocate for reflective practice, he integrates journaling and generative AI to foster sustainable teacher growth. He has led numerous teacher development workshops in Korea and internationally, focusing on classroom management, professional identity, and materials design. He is the facilitator of the Classroom Management Special Interest Group. Jake serves as an assistant professor of English in the Liberal Arts Department of Semyung University. 

Since 2013, Sarah Slagle has been attending, volunteering, and presenting at KOTESOL conferences and chapter meetings. Meeting fellow educators and discussing professional challenges is her favorite aspect of being in the KOTESOL community. Having spent more than 10 years teaching at Korean universities, she has helped many students reach their dreams of becoming more confident and proficient in using English. Her current goals include opening a language education company with English and Korean language programming for adults in the greater Busan area. 

Email: sarah.slagle@gmail.com 

David Shaffer (PhD) is a longtime member of KOTESOL and an even longer resident in Korea. He spent his teaching career at Chosun University in Gwangju. He is the chair of the KOTESOL Publications Committee, a position that he has held for a number of years. Dr. Shaffer has been involved in KOTESOL publications as an author and editor for over 25 years. He has published research papers, book chapters, books, and numerous articles on ELT/L and SLA topics. Dr. Shaffer is an executive director of AsiaTEFL, the editor-in-chief of the monthly magazine Gwangju News, and a board director at the Gwangju International Center.

Email: shaffer.david@gmail.com 

Elizabeth May joined SUNY Korea in 2023 as a Teaching Assistant Professor, having taught in Korea since 2011. She has attained both her MEd (Applied Linguistics) and MA (Education), with a research focus on technology in education. Elizabeth has been an active member of the KOTESOL community for over a decade, currently serving as Secretary for the Incheon Chapter.

Email: elizabeth.may@sunykorea.ac.kr 

Wesley Martin has been living in South Korea off and on for more than five years, and he is currently teaching at a private academy (hagwon). He also has experience teaching ESL and linguistics to a variety of backgrounds at the university level. He has studied several languages, including Spanish and Korean, and is most interested in teaching and learning vocabulary. He has an MA in linguistics from the University of Iowa.

Natalie Thibault is an assistant professor at Wonkwang University. She has taught English as a second language (ESL) in Asia for nearly two decades. As a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), she has focused her research efforts on qualitative inquiries related to student-faculty interactions, internationalization of Korean higher education, and international student experiences. She has presented at various international conferences, and her works have been published in edited volumes and academic journals. Dr. Thibault is involved with several international publications dedicated to qualitative and education-related research, including The Qualitative Report, for which she is a Senior Editor.

Email: natalie@wku.ac.kr 

Dominador N. Dizon Jr. is an educator, researcher, and administrator with extensive experience in English language teaching and school leadership. Currently, he is pursuing a PhD in English Language Education at Sunchon National University, South Korea. His research interests include EMI, second language acquisition, and grammar instruction. As Principal of Covenant Immanuel Learning School Inc. and founder of EduPath, he bridges education between Korea and the Philippines, with expertise in TESL and TEYL. 

Email: RemnantDom@gmail.com 

Eun Jeong Park is an Associate Professor in the Department of English Language Education in the College of Education at Sunchon National University. Her research interests include teacher education, language learning in the EFL context, and the interdisciplinarity of teaching and learning in education.

Aulia Djunaedi is an EFL educator in the Liberal Arts Department at a Korean university, where she also oversees the GC Zone Hangout and serves as an academic advisor for a student club. She specializes in teaching diverse university learners, focusing on mixed-proficiency classroom management, differentiated instruction, and experiential learning. Her research explores students’ English test preferences, cross-cultural engagement, and effective pedagogical strategies for inclusive, student-centered environments. Passionate about bridging proficiency gaps and fostering global perspectives, she integrates hands-on activities and interactive programs to enhance language learning, student collaboration, and leadership development in multicultural university settings.

Email: oliayippie@gmail.com 

Chris Houghton is a Teaching Assistant Professor at SUNY Korea, the Chair of the Faculty Senate, and the Treasurer of the Incheon Chapter of KOTESOL. After earning an undergraduate degree in Law, he transitioned into teaching and completed an MA in TESOL at the University of Birmingham. Chris has been teaching in Korea since 2011, working with learners at all levels, from kindergarten to life-long learners. He specializes in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and English for Specific Purposes (ESP). His research interests include task-based language teaching (TBLT), reflection, and the integration of technology in the classroom. He is currently researching the impact of artificial intelligence on EAP. In his free time, Chris enjoys playing and watching football, hiking, cycling, and diving.

Email: chris.houghton@sunykorea.ac.kr 

Terence Oliga is the Director of the English Language Program at SUNY Korea, and holds his B.A. and M.A. in English Literature, as well as an M.A. in Secondary Education with a focus on English. Having taught English at both the high school and university levels for a quarter of a century, he is currently completing a Ph.D. in English Literature, with continued interests in literature, pedagogy, and curriculum development.   

Email: terence.oliga@sunykorea.ac.kr 

Andrew Prosser is an Assistant Professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, where he works in the Department of English Education.  He holds a Master’s in Educational Technology and TESOL from the University of Manchester, and an LTCL Diploma TESOL.  His research interests include visual literacy in material design.

Email: prosserandrew@hotmail.com 

Sharné Botha is a lecturer in English and Afrikaans Academic Literacy at The North-West University, South Africa, a multilingual university. She teaches first-year students, with a focus on the Faculty of Law, where most learners are second-language English speakers. She holds a Master’s degree in Linguistics and is currently pursuing her PhD. Her research explores student engagement, motivation, and critical digital literacy, with an emphasis on how learners develop voice and agency in academic writing. 

Email: Sharne.Botha@nwu.ac.za 

Julian Lee Williams is an Assistant Professor of EFL at Woosong University & a PhD candidate in Education at Curtin University.  His areas of interest include classroom & educational technology research, teacher inquiry and assessment/evaluation methods in education. 

Email: julian2milan@yahoo.com.au 

Olatz Irijalba is the founder of Vale Vale Spanish, a project dedicated to connecting international students with immersive Spanish language experiences in Spain. With a background in museums and cultural program coordination, Olatz designs opportunities that go beyond the classroom, fostering meaningful engagement with local communities, traditions, and environments. Through Vale Vale Spanish she helps students link Spanish acquisition to professional, cultural, and personal growth. Her work emphasizes the transformative power of immersion, positioning Spain as a unique destination for students seeking fluency, connection, and lifelong learning through authentic, real-world experiences.

Email: info@valevalespanish.com 

Luke Thorvalds is a student who transferred from the Department of Business Administration to the Department of Architecture. While compiling a portfolio from his previous Management Information Systems (MIS) course, he decided to create a presentation from a student’s perspective on how AI can assist teachers. In his MIS course, he completed several projects, including a presentation that statistically analyzed Google Trends data to show how the distribution of robotics in Korea contributes to polarization. He also developed a diabetes diet app and linked his knowledge of Korean grammar to Netflix's business strategy, explaining how active sentences increase viewer engagement.

Email: lukethorvaldswork@outlook.com

Dr. Carina Pals is an Associate Professor (Lecturer) Cognitive Psychology with the University of Utah Asia Campus. She has a MSc in Cognitive Science and Technology (Language and Speech Technology) and a PhD in Auditory Cognition; an emerging interdisciplinary field combining cognitive psychology, neuroscience, audiology, linguistics, and related disciplines to study challenges in hearing and speech comprehension, and particularly their interaction with cognition. Her recent research focuses on cognitive challenges faced by non-native listeners, as well as supervising student driven research projects on various applications of genAI in the fields of mental health and higher education.

Email: Carina.pals@psych.utah.edu 

Dr. Alice Wrigglesworth is an Assistant Professor of English and English Program Coordinator at George Mason University Korea. She holds a PhD in Education from the University of Southern Queensland, where her doctoral research examined L2 student engagement with peer feedback in online writing courses. With 20 years of teaching experience primarily in Korea, her research focuses on peer feedback, cross-cultural pedagogy, and oral history.

Email: awriggle@gmu.edu 

Corrine T. Spencer is a PhD Candidate in Educational Policy & Leadership at the University at Albany (SUNY). Her research explores how international students interpret campus emergency alerts, focusing on clarity and accessibility in crisis communication. With nearly two decades of EAP and professional writing experience in the U.S. and East Asia, her work highlights student support and culturally responsive pedagogy. A former Community Emergency Response Team member, she has completed over 60 FEMA credits and operates as a licensed radio technician (KC3VKL). She is completing her last year as a Teaching Assistant Professor at SUNY Korea.

Email: ctspencer@albany.edu

Joe Greenwood is an assistant professor at HUFS in South Korea and previously lectured in the UK. Holder of an MA TESOL and a PG Dip TESOL, Joe is currently undergoing his PhD by published works. His research comprises eliciting student voices to improve the efficacy of course design and delivery. 

Email: 123josephg@gmail.com 

Nicolas Caballero is an assistant professor at HUFS in South Korea. Holder of an MA in English TESOL and Composition. His Research interests are motivation through Self-Determination Theory, AI in Education, and self-efficacy. 

Email: necaballero88@gmail.com 

Greg Lewis holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from York University, Toronto, and a Masters in Applied Linguistics from the University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, teaching university freshman English for 15 years until retirement in 2024. He remains a part-time English educator across university, business, and young learner settings. Despite being 'retired', Greg continues to have fun exploring new ways to bring life to English language teaching and learning.

Email: gslewi@gmail.com 

Luciana Varela Guerino is a master’s student in the Portuguese department of the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS). Her research focuses on the elaboration of a curriculum progression for the Portuguese course based on the Bakhtinian circle ideas. She has taught Portuguese and English as an additional language in Brazil between 2018 and 2024 and is a certified examiner of the Brazilian Portuguese proficiency exam (Celpe-Bras). Her research interests involve teaching and learning languages and developing teaching/learning materials.

Email: luci.guerino@gmail.com 

Rob Dickey has lived and worked in Korea for over 30 years across fields of English and various subjects (content-based instruction). He is a past president and longtime officer/committee staffer in Korea TESOL. He retired from full-time teaching at Keimyung University in February 2025.

Email: robertjdickey@yahoo.com 

Kristina Kauss is a Canadian educator who has taught students from elementary to university as well as teacher training programs for over 17 years in Korea since 1997. She currently teaches at Doochang Elementary School in Yongin, South Korea and is a Master of Education candidate in Advanced Teaching Techniques (expected 2026). She specializes in inclusive, student-centred learning, theme-based curriculum design, and sustainable education. She serves on the KOTESOL Gyeonggi-do (GyoKo) executive council and has experience in curriculum design, inclusive education, and teacher training. Her research and practice focus on task-based learning, project-based instruction, and differentiated strategies for diverse classrooms.

Email: kristinacalling@live.ca 

Cheryl Woelk is co-founder of Collective Joy Consulting, offering intercultural communication and conflict resolution training in Northeast Asia. With an academic background in English, TESOL, Education and Conflict Transformation, she is currently a doctoral student in the Global Education Cooperation Program at Seoul National University. She has worked as an English language instructor and peace educator in diverse community, university and professional educational settings. Her areas of interest in research and practice are integrating language learning and peace education in training for teachers, consulting for peace education training and providing coaching in global communication skills for professionals in South Korea.

Email: language4peace@gmail.com

Brandy Bippes, Associate Professor (Lecturer) of Writing and Rhetoric Studies at the University of Utah Asia Campus in Songdo, South Korea, directs the UAC English Language Lab and teaches courses in academic writing, rhetoric, and technical and professional communication. With 20 years of experience as a technology consultant and entrepreneur, she takes a strong interest in emerging technologies, community partnerships, and entrepreneurial spirit. Her current research foregrounds the role of artificial intelligence in higher education, with particular attention to the hidden curriculum of AI, prompt literacy in writing instruction, and ethical integration of new technologies. She has recent publications on AI’s impact on professional readiness and teaching practices, and she is committed to expanding community engagement and inclusive learning opportunities through continuing education initiatives.

Email: brandy.bippes@utah.edu 

Michael Free is an educator with nearly 20 years of teaching experience in Korea. He teaches at Chuncheon National University of Education and Kangwon National University, where he designs project-based courses that foster engagement and practical language use. More recently, his work centers on educational technology, with interests in AI integration, teacher development, and the Community of Inquiry framework. He is pursuing a Doctor of Education in Educational Technology at Boise State University, exploring how technology can support teachers (both pre- and in-service) and enhance learning in diverse contexts.

Email: michaelfree63@gmail.com 

Tory S. Thorkelson is a Past-President of Seoul Chapter and KOTESOL ,previously an Associate Professor at Hanyang University and currently works at Sejong University. He has co-built a skills-based university program; co-authored articles and textbooks; and worked as an editor for EBS, KOTRA and PELT/Cambridge as an interviewer/ examiner. He is a regular contributor to EFL Magazine and also helped found the Seoul Players as well as serving as adviser to the ELL Drama Club for 15+ years. His teaching portfolio includes over 30 courses he has designed in a variety of areas/disciplines. His most recent degree was a Doctorate in Language Studies and Curriculum/Program Design.

Email: koreathorkelson@gmail.com 

Jessica Cahill is a TESOL educator with over 15 years of experience in education. She teaches English for Academic Purposes (EAP) at Handong Global University, integrating technology and design-thinking into her curriculum. She holds a Master’s in TESOL from The New School in New York and is certified in PreK-12 TESOL and Art Education. She is passionate about preparing second language learners to navigate artificial intelligence and technology. Her current focus is on how to educate and lead students through the emergence of AI in education and digital adaptation.

Email: jessileighcahill@gmail.com  

Dr. Lindsay N. Herron has been a visiting professor at Gwangju National University of Education in Korea since 2008 and recently finished a doctorate in literacy, culture, and language education (LCLE) at Indiana University (USA). She also has a master’s in LCLE; a master’s in cinema studies; bachelor’s degrees in English literature and psychology; a postgraduate certificate in learning sciences, media, and technology; a CELTA; and the CELTA Young Learner Extension. Her current research focuses on the multimodal interactions and critical cosmopolitan literacies of language learners participating in cross-cultural exchanges.

Email: Lnherron@gmail.com 

Francis Botha is a Lecturer in Critical Academic Literacy at the University of the Free State, South Africa. With academic qualifications in Accounting and extensive experience across varied professional fields, she brings a unique interdisciplinary perspective to her teaching. In her current role, she supports Humanities students in developing the skills and confidence needed for academic success, with particular attention to critical thinking and writing. Her teaching and research interests include scaffolding strategies, student voice, and the responsible use of AI in academic writing. She is especially interested in how first-generation students build agency and academic identity through writing.

Email: Bothaf2@ufs.ac.za 

Amy Grobicki first came to Korea in 2022. In 2023, she began studying MA Applied Linguistics and TESOL and whilst studying became interested in sociolinguistics and identity research. As part of her MA major project, she is currently researching language teacher identities in the context of native English-speaking teachers in Korea.

Email: amygrobicki@gmail.com 

William (Bill) Davis has been teaching at the university level in Korea for 11 years. He holds an MA in TESOL, a CELTA, and a U.S. teaching license in three subjects. Bill currently teaches pre-sessional English at George Mason University Korea, where he prepares students for English-medium university study. He has also taught English Composition, Speech & Debate, Business English, and Conversation courses. Before moving to Incheon in 2019, he spent eight years teaching in Gyeongsangnam-do. His teaching interests include grammar instruction, academic writing, and communicative methodology. 

Email: wdavis27@gmu.edu 

Sylvain Payen is an experimental game designer and scholar whose work explores emotions in gameplay in non-narrative context. With a background in software engineering, psychology, and game studies and previously in the game industry, he investigates how playful interactions shape engagement in both digital and physical environments. His creative projects span political games, interactive installations, and experimental game. Currently Assistant Professor of Game Design at the University of Utah Asia Campus, he integrates both the practices of the game industry and experimental game design in his research and teaching. 

Email: sylvain.payen@utah.edu 

Chad David Anderson has worked in South Korea since 1997 teaching English as a Second Language in addition to Public Administration and Education, among other topics. He has worked in a private adult language hagwon, in a private children’s hagwon, in a university hagwon, a university program, and a university department and has worked as a teacher, manager, program administrator, and professor. His research interests include educational equality, career development education, overseas education, work organization, culture and urban development, and urban policy and administration.

Email: tishado@hotmail.com 

Jennifer Manning specializes in EAP/ESP in the framework of EMI with interests in English for STEM. Currently pursuing a PhD in Linguistics and Applied Language Studies, her interests underscore a multidisciplinary approach. With experience in curriculum development and language instruction, she has played integral roles in shaping EAP/ESP programs.

Email: jennifer.manning@vuw.ac.nz 

Ahram Park, Assistant Professor (Lecturer) at the University of Utah Asia Campus, teaches courses in global citizenship, and new media technology. She emphasizes critical engagement with contemporary issues, digital literacies, and global perspectives. Her work bridges academic learning with real-world application, encouraging students to explore how emerging technologies and cross-cultural awareness shape their roles as globally responsible communicators. As a faculty member in the Incheon Citizens’ University program, she contributes to expanding community access to university-level education and fostering connections between local residents and higher education.

Jiyoon Shin, Eden Kim, and Haeun Song are undergraduate psychology students from the University of Utah Asia Campus, conducting research on the relationship between AI use, executive functioning, and critical thinking in education. Collectively, we have completed courses including PSY 2100 (Cognition), PSY 3000 (Statistical Methods), PSY 3140 (Cognitive Neuroscience), and PSY 3150 (Sensation & Perception). These courses have provided us with a strong foundation in understanding how humans process information, analyze data, and connect brain functions with behavior. Currently, under the guidance of Dr. Carina Pals, we are conducting research through PSY 4800 that investigates how different types of AI use influence students’ executive functioning and critical thinking. Our goal is to contribute to exploring responsible AI integration in education, particularly regarding student agency and authentic voice.

Email: u1483988@utah.edu