Faculty and Staff
The Intensive English Institute includes full and part-time faculty who are trained in ESL teaching methods along with dedicated and experienced training and education professionals.
IEI Administration, Faculty and Staff
Kristin Bouton
Academic Director, Faculty, Course Supervisor
Kristin has been with the IEI since 1996 and has been an ESL/EFL teacher for more than 30 years. She first began teaching English in Spain where she lived for 12 years. She is a member of the Academic Admin team which oversees the IEI curriculum and supervises the IEI’s teachers, among other duties. She is also the IEI CEA Coordinator. She has an M.A. in English Literature from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and coursework in the MATESL field.
Jenny Brown-Rocheleau
Lecturer, Faculty, International Student Advisor, Activities Coordinator
Jenny holds a B.A in Linguistics and an M.A. in TESL from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Before joining the IEI in 2015, Jenny taught EFL in Japan through the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program and ESL to adult learners in Canada. Apart from teaching, Jenny works on various IEI projects and helps teachers use technology effectively in the classroom. Jenny’s teaching and research interests include vocabulary, motivation in L2 learning, and blended learning.
Peter Chiligiris
Senior Lecturer, Faculty, International Student Advisor, Course Supervisor
Peter has been teaching ESL for over 25 years, including seven years in Asia, and has taught every age group, subject, and skill level. He has two master’s degrees from the University of Illinois: one in Education, the other in TESL. Peter is a member of the Academic Admin team which oversees the IEI curriculum and supervises the IEI’s teachers, among other duties. He is also the IEI testing coordinator and the International Student Advisor.
Andy Alvarez
Lecturer, Faculty
Andy obtained his B.A. in Sociology and M.A. TESOL from San Francisco State University. Before joining the IEI, Andy taught at EF International and taught strategies for taking the TOEIC exam. Andy’s academic interest is Etymology. While he has a passion for teaching TOEFL and other language topics, Andy truly enjoys immersing himself in culture and foreign language. Apart from having varying proficiency in more than a half dozen languages, Andy has traveled to nearly 40 different countries, both of which influence his cultural-linguistic approach in instruction.
Laiane Benites De Castro
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Faculty
Laiane is Brazilian and has taught English since 2007. Despite having a bachelor’s degree in Law, she stopped her practice to exclusively work as an English teacher since her true passion is Education. Besides getting a Teaching degree in Language Studies, and a Graduate Certificate in English Language Education, she is currently a MATESL student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She is mostly interested in TESL Methodology, Second Language Acquisition, and Educational Psychology. Laiane enjoys going out with friends, reading, going to church, and working out at the gym.
Lisa Chason
Lecturer, Faculty
Lisa has a PhD in Education and Writing Studies and an MA in TESL, both from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She lived in Amsterdam for 20 years where she worked as a professional English-language editor and began teaching English. Since then, she has also taught in China and Vietnam, and in the US in California, Boston, and New York. She loves working with international students and especially loves working with people on their writing.
Ivan Crespo
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Faculty
Ivan taught English for eighteen years in Brazil and is currently a PhD student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He’s particularly interested in Second Language Pronunciation; his goal is to work with sounds that affect intelligibility such as the short and long vowels. In his free time Ivan also teaches English on social media. Apart from teaching, Ivan likes traveling, reading, and spending time with his family.
Joy Howard
Lecturer, Faculty
Joy has been with the IEI since 1998 and has been teaching ESL for over 20 years. She has an M.S. in Sports Psychology from Purdue University and did graduate work in Slavic Studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign before completing an M.A. degree in TESL, also at Illinois . While interested in various aspects of the English language, she has devoted her research and teaching to grammar. Originally from Taiwan, Joy is currently a lecturer at the IEI. She is looking forward to writing an ESL grammar textbook.
Norb Huether
Lecturer, Faculty
Norb has been teaching ESL for twenty years. He has taught in a variety of English programs in the U.S. and Japan. He has an undergraduate degree in Linguistics with a minor in Japanese language as well as a master’s degree in TESOL all from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He enjoys teaching all levels and courses, but he especially enjoys teaching reading and writing classes.
Halyna Johnson
Lecturer, Faculty
Originally from Ukraine, Halyna is currently a lecturer at the IEI. Halyna taught English for twenty five years at a university in Ukraine. She has an M.A. in Translation from the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine. She also holds a Ph.D in Education from Chernihiv State Pedagogical University, Ukraine. Halyna is particularly interested in researching and teaching Business English, that will prepare students for success in business communication. Apart from teaching, Halyna enjoys gardening, painting, and reading.
Krista McKean
Lecturer, Faculty
Krista has taught academic English and Spanish language courses for over 12 years. Prior to her current position as a lecturer at the IEI, she spent six years teaching English on the El Paso, TX/Mexico border. She has also taught at Illinois State University and the University of Salamanca, as well as with the Peace Corps in Paraguay and in China. She holds an M.A. from Illinois State University and is pursuing a PhD in Applied Linguistics at Texas A&M-Commerce. Her research interests are SLA, language learning technology, and teaching methodology. Krista enjoys getting to know students from around the world and inspiring them to achieve their goals.
Sebastian Rocheleau
Lecturer, Faculty
Sebastian started his teaching career with the JET Programme in Kyoto Japan before returning to North America. He received an Applied Linguistic Diploma from the University of Victoria and an M.A in TESL from the University of Illinois along with the Mary A. Hussey Award for Excellence in ESL Teaching for student teachers in the ESL Services courses. Sebastian’s teaching interest focuses on technology integration in the classroom with a heavy focus on using mobile devices and remote learning. Apart from teaching, Sebastian enjoys gardening, ice hockey, and spending time with his sweet orange cats.
Learn English at Every Level
The Intensive English Institute has provided excellent, accredited English language instruction for more than 50 years.