Meet the ELI Faculty and Staff!
All the ELI faculty and administration are dedicated professionals in language education, and over half have graduate-level qualifications in the field, including PhD and Master's degrees.
Currently, all ELI teachers and our Testing Specialists hold Graduate Assistantships from our department. Some teachers have Master's degrees are working on their PhDs. Others are working toward their Master's degrees in Second Language Studies.
Junko Imai |
Gerriet Janssen has been working in the field of ESL/ EFL since 2000, and in a variety of different capacities: tutor, writing/ pronunciation/ reading instructor, translator and simultaneous interpreter (Spanish to English), researcher, program developer, and program coordinator. He has presented papers and workshops at international conferences on four continents and is excited to be beginning to publish his research. Above all else, he is really happy to be pursuing his PhD at the University of Hawai'i. Gerriet Janssen |
Gavin's research interests include the sociolinguistics of literacy and identity as it relates to Hawai‘i‘s multilingual situation, Ethnomethodology and Critical Discourse Analysis. In his free time he loves to surf, BBQ with friends, wander around Oahu and the other Hawaiian islands, and (try to) play acoustic guitar. Gavin Lamb |
In her free time she enjoys movies, music, and the culinary art of baking, as well as practicing yoga for relaxation and to relieve her stress from studying. Jeongyeon Park |
Prem Phyak is a PhD student in Second Language Studies at the UH Manoa. He has experience teaching English and training teachers of English (both school and university level) in Nepal for about a decade. He is also interested in working with teachers’ associations and helping teachers of English enhance their professionalism by organizing workshops, seminars and conferences. Currently, he is the Secretary of Nepal English Language Teachers’ Association (NELTA). In teaching, Prem is interested in ESL/EFL reading and writing. In research, his interest areas include language planning and policy in multilingual contexts, heritage language and literacy programmes, revitalisation of indigenous languages, pedagogy of English in diverse world contexts and globalization-language-identity nexus. To his credit, he has published articles in the Current Issues in Language Planning, 12 (2), IATEFL Voices (Issue 222), E-Teacher Projects Gallery, University of Oregon, IATEFL 2010 Harrogate Conference Selections, and other journals and daily newspapers. Prem is a co-editor of Asian EFL Journal and Journal of NELTA. In his free time, Prem loves playing soccer, travelling and having fun with friends. He is keen to observe indigenous life styles in rural settings. Prem Phyak |
Jonathan Trace is an MA candidate in the Second Language Studies Department and teaches Listening and Speaking in the ELI. Previously, he taught English oral communication for three years in a Japanese high school in Fukuoka, Japan as part of the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program. Since coming to Hawaii, he has worked teaching private adult English classes in and around Waikiki. His academic interests include teacher training methods, creativity in second language learning and bilingualism. Outside of the class, Jon is busy practicing yoga, playing guitar, writing, playing basketball and getting lost on his bike. Jonathan Trace |
Our Lead Teachers are experienced, exemplary teachers, usually qualified at or above the MA level, and have responsibilities for curriculum development and teacher mentoring (for which they receive course release time).
Min Young Cho is a Ph.D. student at Dept. of SLS. Min Young holds her M.A. from Korea University in English Linguistics (2009) and taught English as a foreign language in middle schools in Seoul. Her research interests include individual differences in SLA including L2 motivation and cognitive aspects of L2 learning. She has taught reading and writing curriculum areas in the ELI and now serves as a reading lead teacher. |
In her free time, Angela enjoys surfing in the early morning, cooking and eating (at least two Malasadas from Leonard’s Bakery per week!). She loves to talk story with her friends and can’t wait to talk story with her students about their adventures in Hawai’i when the new semester begins! Angela Haeusler, Writing Area Lead Teacher |
Valerie Meier teaches reading in the ELI. Before moving to Hawaii, she taught reading and composition courses at San Francisco State University, conversation classes in Japan, and business English in Laos. Her academic interests include EAP program development and evaluation, language testing, and the curricular implications of English as an international language. Her non-school interests include practicing yoga, cooking, and getting invited to dinner parties. Valerie Meier, Online Lead Teacher |
She has been teaching French, Spanish and English as second and foreign languages in a variety of settings on and off for 18 years--in France, Spain and the US. She has always been passionate about how people learn languages! Now, as she pursues her MA, which will prepare her for her future studies and writings as a PhD student, she is focusing on the sociolinguistics of language teaching. Her aim is to teach language teachers to instruct from a decolonized point of departure. In her free time, she enjoys cruising around Oahu on her moped, game night with friends, trying new recipes, biking, running, yoga, being close to nature and especially hosting friends over for dinner parties. Monica Vidal, Listening/Speaking Area Lead Teacher |
Our Testing Specialists have expertise in areas related to language testing and assessment, and are usually qualified at or above the MA level. They have responsibilities for ensuring that our placement process maintains the highest standards for validity and reliability, as well as for research and development related to testing and assessment in the ELI.
Teri Kim (affectionately known as Aunty Teri) serves as the ELI Secretary. She is the first person that everyone meets when they come to the ELI. Aunty Teri says, "I am almost 60. My journey has taken me from childhood to grandmahood. I have a wealth of life experience and I have always been loved. I hope that my greatest achievement in this life is that I am someone's friend. That includes Kenton Harsch and Priscilla Faucette. They rock my work world. Aloha." Teri Kim, ELI Secretary |
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Originally from Georgia, Priscilla loves Hawai'i and also enjoys travelling and learning about new languages and cultures. In her personal life, Priscilla tries to use her second language “expertise” to figure out what her husband is saying in Mandarin to their bilingual son. Priscilla Chen Faucette, Coordinator of Curriculum and Teacher Development Graduate
Certificate in Conflict Resolution, University of Hawai`i |
In addition to his role in the ELI, Kenny also serves as Coordinator and Advisor in the BA program in Second Language Studies. Outside the world of work, Kenny spends time on things like yoga, reading, music, and various kinds
of family time. He is originally from Washington state, and spent a number
of years in Seattle (and he's still a diehard fan of the Seattle Mariners). Kenton
Harsch, Director |