English as a Second Language (ESL) LicenseHenry Predolin School of Nursing, Business, Education, and Health Sciences

Amy Christianson has been in the field of education for 22 years working in K-12, Institutions of Higher Education, and early childhood settings. She received her Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and English as a Second Language (ESL) from UW-Milwaukee. She also obtained her Master’s degree from Cardinal Stritch University and Doctoral Degree from Edgewood College in field of Educational Leadership. Amy’s teaching licenses are early childhood education and ESL, and her administrative licenses are principal, director of instruction, and superintendent. She currently is the Director of Satellite Family Child Care System, a program at Reach Dane in Madison, WI.

achristianson@edgewood.edu

Arabel earned a BS degree in Secondary Education in History from the University of Puerto Rico and an MA in Curriculum and Instruction in History, from Caribbean University in Puerto Rico. She completed a doctoral program in Education Leadership in Edgewood College. Her dissertation titled Mainstream Teachers’ Perceptions about Professional Development Needs to Support English Language Learners, came from her passion to help English Language Learners (ELLs) succeed in the classroom and was inspired by her own lived experience as an ELL.

Pam Dorn is a lifelong learner who has been an educator for 29 years. She has served as an elementary classroom teacher, Bilingual Resource Teacher, ESL classroom teacher, interventionist, and coach. She has taught in urban and suburban public school districts in Tampa, Sauk Prairie, and Madison. She holds a BS in Elementary Education as well as ESL & Bilingual Certification from UW Madison, a MA in Applied Linguistics from the University of South Florida, and a Literacy Coach Certificate from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Pam finds her passion in exploring the classroom experience and working with teachers to develop reflective practices.

pdorn@edgewood.edu

Nina Hernández is an adjunct instructor specializing in Bilingualism and Linguistic Analysis. Nina earned her bachelor’s degree and completed graduate studies in World Language Education and Linguistics at the University of the Andes in Venezuela. She furthered her academic journey with an M.A. in Education and Professional Development from UW-LaCrosse. Currently, Nina works in the role of 6-12 DLI (Dual Language Immersion) teacher leader for the Madison Metropolitan School District. Her career spans over 25 years, during which she has taught a diverse range of students across 6-12 levels, undergraduate, and graduate programs in and outside the U.S. Prior to her current position, Nina dedicated 18 years to teaching world languages and ESL in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. She also taught a variety of courses such as Cross-Cultural Communication and World Language Methods at Concordia University, and French Phonetics at the University of the Andes. Nina is driven by her strong convictions regarding the transformative power of inclusive and culturally sustaining teaching practices. She is particularly passionate about advocating for and preparing educators in dual language programs across Wisconsin.

Sara Huse has a strong passion for bringing practical strategies to educators in the TESOL licensure program. She began her career as a third-grade bilingual teacher and has taught extensively at the elementary and middle school level. She is currently a Professional Development Teacher Leader in the Madison Metropolitan School District, focusing primarily on coaching teachers serving English Learners.

shuse@edgewood.edu

Gerardo Mancilla is an Associate Professor of Education for both the undergraduate and graduate programs. He holds a B.S. in Elementary Education, M.S. in Curriculum & Instruction, M.S. in Counseling Psychology, and Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction, all from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Prior to working at Edgewood College, Gerardo was working for the Madison Metropolitan School District where he was a Dual Language Immersion teacher. Gerardo teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses at Edgewood College. Gerardo’s research interests include Critical Race Theory, LatCrit, the school-to-prison pipeline, bilingual education, and immigration. Gerardo has also been active in the Madison community for many years.

Mercedes Martin received her Master’s degree in Educational Administration from Edgewood in 2007. At Edgewood, she has led a former Conference for Rural districts, has taught Second Language Acquisition for Special Education and has served as an instructor and supervisor or Bilingual student teachers. She currently works as Bilingual Research Teacher at Kromrey Middle School in Middleton.

Mmmartin@edgewood.edu

Alexis Nass has been working with and on behalf of English Learners for the past 14 years and currently serves as the Elementary English Learner Coordinator for the Verona Area School District. A recipient of the Wisconsin Association for Bilingual Education (WIABE) Educator of the Year award, Alexis has served as an instructional coach, has attended and led numerous workshops and conferences, and has been involved in various community partnerships with the purpose to increase educational opportunities for bilingual learners. She holds a B.A. in Elementary Education & ESL from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and a M.A. in Education from Viterbo University.

ANass@edgewood.edu

Maya A. Martinez-Hart currently works as a professional learning specialist at WIDA, a project in the Wisconsin Center for Education Research at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She holds a B.A. From the University of Guadalajara, Mexico on teaching English as a foreign language and an M.A in Curriculum and Instruction from National Louis University in IL. She is also a certified Montessori teacher. Maya is a former bilingual teacher at the Madison Metropolitan School District where she held positions in elementary dual immersion and bilingual programming as well as a support teacher for the 4K programs.

Paulina Bravo Valenzuela has 14 years of experience serving multilinguals in U.S. and in Chile. Her roles include teacher, instructional coach, curriculum developer, researcher and dual language immersion teacher leader. Paulina’s research has examined the intersection of public policies and teachers’ subjectivity through participatory action-based research. As a Latinx community leader and advocate, she has devoted her work to advancing the Latinx community in their right to access quality bilingual education. Paulina holds an M.S. in Curriculum and Educative Community from Universidad de Chile and she is a program completer of Edgewood College’s bilingual education license pathway.

Donna Vukelich-Selva received her Ph.D. in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2011. She also holds a Master of Arts in Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies from UW-Madison. Before coming to Edgewood College in 2008, she taught at a K-12 bilingual school in Managua, Nicaragua, where she also founded and ran a study abroad program for US college students. Vukelich-Selva teaches both undergraduate courses in the Division of Education, as well as bilingual and ESL education graduate courses in the Language and Literacy program. She also teaches in Edgewood’s COR program for first year students and piloted a course on the history of immigration in the United States that is cross-listed with Ethnic Studies. Among her college responsibilities, Donna serves on the advisory board for Edgewood’s Center for Multicultural Education. Donna’s research interests include critical race theory, education and immigration, bilingual education and restorative justice. She has been active in the Madison community for many years.

(608) 663-3235
DVukelich-Selva@edgewood.edu

Dr. Emily Zoeller is an associate professor and coordinator of Language and Literacy Program at Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin. She holds a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and an M.A. from the University of San Diego. She earned an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Edgewood College, where she researched teacher leadership in two-way dual language education. Dr. Zoeller’s scholarship examines equitable instruction for multilinguals and literacy learners in K-12 education; her recent work has been published in the Bilingual Research Journal, Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, The Reading Teacher, and Teacher Education Quarterly. Prior to her role at Edgewood College, she worked as a bilingual teacher, a reading specialist, and an instructional coach. She is passionate about lifting teacher voices for promoting equity in language and literacy education.

EZoeller@edgewood.edu

Lisette Venegas has dedicated 24 years to enhancing the educational experiences of multilingual learners and their families. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education, ESL, and Religious Studies, and a Master of Arts in Reading and Special Education, both from the University of Miami. She earned an Ed.S. in Educational Leadership, along with Bilingual Certification and Instructional Coach certifications from Edgewood College. Currently, Lisette serves as the Secondary Multilingual Programs Manager for the Verona Area School District. She has shared her expertise at La Cosecha, WIDA, and WIABE conferences, and she is the recipient of the Wisconsin Association for Bilingual Education Educator of the Year award. Lisette is an advocate for increasing educational opportunities for bilingual learners.