Faculty & Staff

The IEI full-time faculty are experienced professionals who are trained in ESL teaching methods. Our faculty have degrees in Teaching English as a Second Language, Linguistics or a related field.


IEI Administration, Faculty and Staff

matt

Matt Rosenstein

Director


rosenstn@illinois.edu

Matt Rosenstein became Director of Global Education and Training (GET) in 2015. He is also Director of the Shanghai Office since 2017 and the Intensive English Institute since 2018. Prior to joining GET, from 2010-2015 he was Senior Associate Director of the European Union Center (EUC) at the University of Illinois. Rosenstein also served as EUC’s Director of Graduate Studies for the Master of Arts degree program in EU Studies. Previously, Rosenstein was Associate Director of the Program in Arms Control, Disarmament and International Security (ACDIS) at Illinois from 2001-2010. He holds Ph.D. and M.A. degrees from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and a B.A. degree from Duke University.

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Kristin Bouton

Academic Director, Faculty, Course Supervisor


bouton@illinois.edu

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 and coursework in the MATESL field.

jenny

Jenny Brown-Rocheleau

Lecturer, Faculty, International Student Advisor, Activities Coordinator


jabrown7@illinois.edu

Jenny holds a B.A in Linguistics and an M.A. in TESL from the University of Illinois at 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.

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Peter Chiligiris

Senior Lecturer, Faculty, International Student Advisor, Course Supervisor


chiligir@illinois.edu

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

Andy Alvarez

Lecturer, Faculty


aa138@illinois.edu

Andy obtained his B.A. in Sociology & 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 & other language topics, Andy truly enjoys immersing himself in culture and foreign language. Apart from having varying proficiencies 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.

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Laiane Benites De Castro

Graduate Teaching Assistant, Faculty


laianer2@illinois.edu

Laiane is a Brazilian who 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 at 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.jpeg

Lisa Chason

Lecturer, Faculty


lchason2@illinois.edu

Lisa has a PhD in Education and Writing Studies and an MA in TESL, both from UIUC. 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

Ivan Crespo

Graduate Teaching Assistant, Faculty


ilr4@illinois.edu

Ivan taught English for eighteen years in Brazil and is currently a PhD student at the University of Illinois at 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.

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Pete Grzywacz

Graduate Teaching Assistant, Faculty


peter8@illinois.edu

Peter taught business English in Mexico City for two years, and communicative English for eight years in Japan. He develops language learning activities in VR using C#, Unity, and VR Chat. He speaks Japanese, Spanish, and Mandarin-- proficiency descending in order. He also enjoys hiking, making maple syrup, and public baths.

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Joy Howard

Lecturer, Faculty


jchoward@illinois.edu

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 before completing an M.A. degree in TESL at the University of 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.

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Norb Huether

Lecturer, Faculty


huethr@illinois.edu

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

Halyna Johnson

Lecturer, Faculty

hchj1976@illinois.edu

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

Krista McKean

Lecturer, Faculty


kmckean@illinois.edu

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.

Adebola

Adebola Obayemi

Graduate Teaching Assistant, Faculty


obayemi2@illinois.edu

Adebola is a Nigerian with seven years of experience teaching ESL. She is currently enrolled as a MATESL student at the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, and her academic pursuits focus on sociolinguistics and second language acquisition. Within these domains, she is particularly interested in the intricate interplay of language and culture, especially as it pertains to immigrant communities. Her research interests center on exploring innovative pedagogical approaches that cater to the diverse linguistic needs of this demographic, aiming to foster inclusive and effective language learning environments.

Raihan

Raihan Rahman

Graduate Teaching Assistant, Faculty


raihanr2@illinois.edu

Raihan is pursuing a Master's degree in TESL. He holds a Bachelor's degree in English Language Teaching and has experience as an IELTS (International English Language Testing System) instructor in Bangladesh. He worked as a rater for the English Placement Test (EPT) and currently serves as both a rater and interviewer for the Oral English Assessment Interview (OEAI) in the Department of Linguistics. He enjoys swimming, cycling, cooking, playing PS5 games, journaling, and exploring various learning tools and software that enhance students' everyday learning journey.

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Sebastian Rocheleau

Lecturer, Faculty


rochele2@illinois.edu

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.


Shared Services

The IEI's operations are supported by the shared services teams in Illinois International: Business Operations, Global Communication, Human Resources, and Shared Administrative Services. Click on each team name to learn more about their staff.