VCU English Language Program Faculty and Staff
Moe Debbagh Greene, PhD.
Director of English Language Program
Email: mdgreene@vcu.edu
Carol Farneda
English Language Program (ELP) Faculty
Email: cfarneda@vcu.edu
Carol Farneda’s dedication to teaching stems from the joy she derives from designing courses and activities that support genuine appreciation of learning. An ELP instructor since 2006, she has implemented her M.Ed. in Adult Learning to teach students from diverse backgrounds. Having taught English in South America and Asia, Carol helps students to view their own culture through new eyes as they learn a foreign language and engage with foreign texts. In 2017, in partnership with VCU and VCU's Global Education Office (GEO), Carol was chosen to assist in launching ESL classes and teach English at its partner university, Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts (SIVA) in Shanghai, China. Carol has also embarked on projects that deal with current dilemmas in her community that focus on ESL. Volunteering as a certified medical interpreter has allowed her unprecedented insight into the health and communication struggles that non-English speakers face on a day-to-day basis. These experiences outside the classroom bring a genuine reality of what many of her students may encounter. As an ESL instructor, gaining an understanding of these issues has allowed Carol to work towards achieving lessons and activities in the classroom that will serve both academically as well as in real-life scenarios. When she is not teaching, Carol enjoys time with her family, gardening and trying new cooking recipes!
Audrey Short
English Language Program (ELP) Faculty
Email: aeshort@vcu.edu
Audrey Emiko Short, Faculty since 2006 in the English Language Program at Virginia Commonwealth University, holds an MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from Teachers College (TC), Columbia University. Starting her graduate work at TC’s branch campus in Tokyo while simultaneously working in the Japanese public school system, Audrey’s teaching has been motivated for over 25 years by the need for collaborative dialogue in an interconnected world.
She is dedicated to cultivating a globally connected citizenry, engaging students through service-learning courses as well as community-building and student-leadership experiences. Current examples include initiatives such as the Cross-Cultural Cooking series, Cultural Conversations and the Cultural Ambassadors Program. Guiding her commitment to her students are her experiences working with Teach for America, the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, Cambridge University Press, Columbia University, Educational Testing Service and VA TESOL as well as her own study abroad and/or work experiences in Brazil, Mexico, Mozambique, Spain, Japan, and Germany. In her free time, Audrey loves to spend time with her family and friends and to play music in River City Taiko, engaging her interests in mindfulness, exploration and community.
Laura Wilkinson
English Language Program (ELP) Faculty
Email: wilkinsonls@vcu.edu
Laura Wilkinson (MA TESOL) is a dedicated instructor and facilitator with a passion for education and a commitment to providing English language learners and teacher trainers with an exceptional learning experience. With over 20+ years of teaching experience from all ages and levels, her unique background includes extensive travel (Africa, Central America, and Europe), language learning, and successful teaching experience in the U.S., Spain, Costa Rica, and the Czech Republic. Over the past ten years, Laura has worked in VCU’s Intensive English Language Program as a full-time instructor, specializing in pronunciation, academic English for undergraduates, and TEFL training for new English language teachers. Laura is currently working with refugees from Afghanistan and Bangladesh, hoping to make their resettlement here in the United States more successful. In addition, she has proven expertise in creating curricula, lesson plans, assessments, and workshops and using face-to-face and online educational tools for both adults and children.
Adjunct Faculty
Sarah Peck
English Language Program (ELP) Adjunct Faculty
Email: geo-elp@vcu.edu
Sarah Peck is an adjunct instructor in the English Language Program at Virginia Commonwealth University. Teaching and learning have been a lifetime passion for Sarah, and she continues to explore her interests found at the intersection of culture and language, both inside and outside the classroom. Over the years, she has taught and developed curricula and syllabi for courses in ESL, English for Academic Purposes, Business English, and Intercultural Communication for universities and businesses. She spent 20 years in the Czech Republic experiencing and learning a new culture and language while teaching and training students on all levels and from all backgrounds. Sarah has traveled extensively, covering 4 continents and nearly 50 countries. She speaks Czech and has studied French, Arabic, and Spanish. She has an MA in Anthropology from Temple University, a BA in Economics from Lafayette College, and certificates from the Global Leadership College (TESOL) and the Summer Institute for Intercultural Communication. Additional teaching appointments include the Global Education Office and the International Student Success Program of VCU. Prior to teaching at VCU, she taught at Charles University; Anglo-American University, and New York University in Prague.
Leslie Lamers
English Language Program (ELP) Adjunct Faculty
Email: geo-elp@vcu.edu
Leslie Lamers has been teaching ESL in companies and universities in Venezuela, Japan, Mexico, Canada and the USA since 1991. Originally from Toronto, she now lives in North Carolina. She holds a B.A. in Anthropology from Wilfred Laurier University, a Master's in Education from the University of Toronto and a CELTA from the University of Cambridge. Leslie works with MBA students and business professionals online, and has taught the Graduate Student Success Program at VCU. In addition to Writing and Rhetoric, Oral Communication, Career English, Grammar Skills and TEFL instruction, she has also developed workshops such as The International Student Welcome Program and MBA Small talk and Pronunciation Online courses. Her current focus is to improve online ESL methodology. When not teaching she can be found outdoors hiking, playing tennis, or walking her dog.
Tetiana Leblanc
English Language Program (ELP) Adjunct Faculty
Email: leblanct@vcu.edu
Tetiana LeBlanc earned her master's degree in Teaching English as a Foreign Language in Kyiv, Ukraine, and her TESOL Teacher Training Certificate at Oxford Cambridge in Richmond, Virginia. Her experience teaching English to speakers of other languages dates back to 2002. A native of Ukraine, she also has experience working as a foreign language instructor in the United States. She also worked as a youth counselor on cruise ships with youth from different countries, such as Spain, the UK, Puerto Rico. Tetiana is a professional teacher, focused on maximizing students' educational potential by applying diverse instructional strategies. She is a resourceful and passionate educator with an adaptable and approachable style. Ms. Leblanc speaks Russian, Ukrainian, and English and continues to educate herself. When she isn’t teaching English she is practicing, studying, and teaching yoga.
Hali Massey
English Language Program (ELP) Adjunct Faculty
Email: geo-elp@vcu.edu
Hali Massey (MA TESOL) has been teaching English to speakers of other languages since 2013. She has taught abroad, at various universities in Virginia, and in adult education classes. She currently works full-time at VCU’s Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center as the ESOL Specialist where she develops and delivers professional development to adult educators across the state of Virginia. In addition to her full-time position, Hali is also an adjunct faculty member in VCU’s English Language Program. Her teaching style focuses on a communicative and culturally responsive framework that encourages learners to pursue their own interests and goals while studying English.
Jill Mick
English Language Program (ELP) Faculty
Email: geo-elp@vcu.edu
Jill Mick has been teaching all levels and skills in the English Language Program at VCU since 2007. She has traveled to over 20 countries, and prior to teaching at VCU, she taught immigrants and refugees with World Relief in the Chicago area. She also gained valuable cross-cultural experience while living in Austria for two years and working with refugees from around the world. She speaks German and has studied other languages as well including Japanese, Arabic, and Spanish. She has a Master of Arts in TESOL and Intercultural Studies from Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL and a B.S. in Biology with an emphasis in molecular biology from the College of William and Mary. Jill loves meeting people from all over the world and especially helping them improve their confidence in their pronunciation skills and ability to give presentations. In her free time, she loves cooking and baking, traveling to new places and spending time outside in nature.
Corinne Nguyen
English Language Program (ELP) Adjunct Faculty
Email: geo-elp@vcu.edu
Corinne Nguyen received her Bachelor's degree in Switzerland, and a Master's degree in Teaching English as a Foreign Language and Intercultural Studies in Columbia, South Carolina. After teaching high school French in South Carolina for two years and getting her degree, she taught ESL in community settings for about 15 years, directing an ESL program in Richmond, as well as leading and teaching some ESL teachers' training workshops. She taught ESL, drawing and communication classes from 2007 to 2019, worked as a private tutor for students of French and English, and started teaching ESL in higher education in the fall of 2017. Her interest in ESL rises from a combined love of language, internationals and teaching.
Hannah Slechta
English Language Program (ELP) Faculty
Email: geo-elp@vcu.edu
Hannah’s love for teaching English stems from her fascination with languages, her desire to learn about other cultures, and the satisfaction of helping students reach their goals. Hannah earned her bachelor's degree in linguistics from Cornell University with minors in French and business. She also has a Master of Education in TESOL and World Language Education from the University of Georgia, which included courses on curriculum development, assessment, and second language acquisition. Hannah has a strong background as a language learner as well as a teacher and has studied a variety of languages from the Romance, Semitic, Sino-Tibetan, and Iroquoian language families in classroom, study abroad, and immersion contexts. Before teaching in a university setting, Hannah taught for non-profits that focused on language education and life-skills in immigrant and refugee communities. Her teaching style is student-centered with a focus on communicative and experiential learning. She enjoys building relationships with her students and supporting them to reach their English and professional goals. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, reading, hiking, rock climbing, and traveling.
Maria Small
English Language Program (ELP) Faculty
Email: geo-elp@vcu.edu
Maria Small is an adjunct instructor in the English Language Program at Virginia Commonwealth University. Maria holds a B.A. in Elementary Education and a M.Ed. in Literacy, both from New York State University at New Paltz. She began her teaching career in 2004 and since then has taught students from various backgrounds and capabilities. Her instruction is embedded in the theory that learning should be student-centered and culturally responsive. Maria Small facilitates student attainment through the process of collaborative learning and experiential techniques. Maria states that her biggest qualification comes from having more than 18 years of teaching experience, which has also given her the enjoyment of watching her students grow academically. In her leisure, Maria enjoys metal detecting, historic parks and making jewelry.
