◌  Bio ◌ :

Olesia Pavlenko is a Ph.D. candidate in Education at the University of New Hampshire (expected May 2027). Her research examines multilingual education, digital and AI-mediated learning, language and literacy development, and educational equity. She investigates how learners, teachers, and communities engage with emerging technologies, multimodal resources, and language practices, with particular attention to critical AI literacy, learner agency, equitable assessment, and access to education. Her scholarship combines applied linguistics and educational research with quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods approaches, including multilevel and longitudinal modeling.

With over 15 years of international experience in language teaching, curriculum development, and academic leadership, Olesia works at the intersection of research, teacher education, and community-engaged learning. At the University of New Hampshire, she teaches Languages and Linguistic Diversity in Schools and Communities, preparing future educators to work with multilingual learners through experiential fieldwork, language-learning reflection, and applied educational inquiry. She has supervised and mentored more than 100 undergraduate tutors working with middle school students, contributed to professional development for over 90 K–12 teachers, and collaborated with community partners on multilingual literacy initiatives.

Her research has appeared in System, Foreign Language Annals, Language Learning & Technology, TESOL Journal, and Inquiry: Critical Thinking Across the Disciplines. Her publications address critical AI literacy, technology-enhanced language assessment, task engagement, peer interaction, and multilingual learning. Her ongoing scholarship explores human-AI interaction, assessment validity, community-engaged teacher education, and the role of technology in inclusive educational environments. She has presented at major international conferences, including AAAL, AERA, TESOL, and CALICO.

Olesia currently serves as Chair-Elect of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Graduate Student Council, contributing to national initiatives in graduate student leadership, professional development, and research engagement. Her work has been recognized through competitive research awards, fellowships, and institutional honors. She is also a widely recognized Kahoot! educator, whose portfolio of more than 800 interactive learning games has reached over 9 million participants worldwide.

Across her research, teaching, and public engagement, Olesia seeks to connect rigorous educational research with meaningful learning experiences, advancing human-centered, inclusive, and evidence-informed approaches to language and literacy education in an increasingly digital world.