Faculty

Dr Pamela Anderson-Mejías, PhD in Applied Linguistics/English Education from Indians University—Bloomington. Professor of Applied Linguistics in the WRLS department and Senior Associate Dean and Associate Dean for Graduate Studies in the College of Liberal Arts at UTRGV. Research specializations include applied and sociolinguistics, language attitudes/LMLS, second language oral & written language, principles of L2 teacher training, online education for L2 learners, and student evaluation particularly among L2 and online populations. Service as NSF evaluator in sociolinguistics, former joint editor of the International Journal of the Linguistic Association of the Southwest (IJLASSO previously SWJL), teacher training online through ITV in Mexico, and in person in Argentina through the Fulbright Association, China, Chile, American Samoa, Germany and the US.

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Professor / Sr. Associate Dean for College of Liberal Arts / Associate Dean for Graduate Studies
Email: pamela.andersonmejias@utrgv.edu

Christoffersen holds an M.A. in English Language & Linguistics and a Ph.D. in Second Language Acquisition & Teaching from the University of Arizona. She teaches courses such as 'Language & Culture' and 'Intro to ESL' (teaching methods). She especially loves involving students in her research projects and mentoring research assistants on Engaged Scholar & Artist Awards. For example, in 'Intro to Border Languages' and 'Community Language Project,' students learn about ideologies, attitudes, and patterns related to language at the US/Mexico border and collect sociolinguistic interviews to add to the Corpus Bilingue del Valle (CoBiVa): You can learn more about Dr. C's research and teaching on her website.

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Associate Professor / Associate Director of B3 Insitute
Email: katherine.christoffersen@utrgv.edu

Born in Louisiana, Dr. Dooley has taught linguistics for over 30 years in Sweden, New Zealand, and the US. She has also coordinated and taught in international English programs for Fulbright and Humphrey students.

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Associate Professor / Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies
Email: sheila.dooley@utrgv.edu

Dr. Minhee Eom (Ph.D, University of Iowa) is an associate professor of Applied Linguistics in the Department of Writing & Language Studies at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in descriptive linguistics, language and culture, assessment, and research methodology. Her research interests include language assessment, ESL/EFL education, quantitative research designs and third language acquisition.

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Associate Professor
Email: minhee.eom@utrgv.edu

Professor Foreman received his PhD in Linguistics from UCLA in 2006. His research is on syntax and the documentation of endangered languages, particularly Macuiltianguis Zapotec, native to Oaxaca, Mexico.

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Associate Professor
Email: john.foreman@utrgv.edu

Ayla has a bachelor’s degree in Speech Therapy and a master’s degree in English with a concentration in Linguistics. She teaches students of varying disciplines and classifications, including dual enrollment students. Her previous courses include Introduction to Descriptive Linguistics, English Grammar, and Fundamental of Language Development for the linguistics program. She discusses grammar with students to understand the WHY behind English rules and patterns, language uses of the RGV, and development of language in children. She also teaches freshman writing for UTRGV where she continues the discussions of language use, identity, and cultural connections to writing.

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Lecturer I
Email: ayla.galvan01@utrgv.edu

Marcela Hebbard is a Lecturer III at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley where she teaches composition, sociolinguistic and teacher preparedness courses. In addition to holding a Doctor of Ministry degree in Women's Studies, she also holds degrees in the disciplines of Writing Studies and Applied Linguistics . She has a MA in English as a second language and a MAIS in Interdisciplinary Studies with a specialization in writing, including L2 writing. She is currently a PhD Candidate at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania where she is pursuing a degree in Composition and Applied Linguistics. Her research interests include online writing pedagogy, raciolinguistics, language and identity, and translingual and transnational writing. She has published articles in several academic journals and edited collections. She has presented her work in national and international conferences. Her current collaboration in research projects investigates how international virtual exchange experiences impact transfronterizo students' linguistic and academic learning. She was born in Mexico City and lives in McAllen with her husband, teenage daughter, and their dog.

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Lecturer III
Email: marcela.hebbard01@utrgv.edu

Professor Newman’s academic background is in theoretical linguistics. He received his B.A. and M.S. degrees in the United States, and his Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Warsaw (Poland) in 2002. His research interests lie in English historical grammar and lexis, more specifically in Old and Middle English morphology and phonology as well as medieval and modern English borrowing. He is a co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of the international journal Token: A Journal of English Linguistics. Professor Newman regularly attends international conferences on English historical linguistics, and he serves on the editorial boards of several international journals, including Linguistica Silesiana (Poland), Revista EDMETIC (Spain), and others. At UTRGV, he teaches undergraduate courses in general linguistics, English grammar, and language acquisition as well as graduate courses in the history of the English language, English phonology, and global varieties of English.

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Professor of Linguistics
Email: john.newman@utrgv.edu

Dr. Ortín is an Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics. He does research in second language acquisition, bi-/multilingualism and bidialectalism, as well as in language teaching. His primary area of expertise focuses on exploring phonological interactions in second language acquisition and bilingualism. He has also carried out research that is concerned with the acquisition of variation in additional languages.

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Assistant Professor
Email: ramses.ortin@utrgv.edu

Régine Pellicer works in the Writing and Language Studies department where she teaches First-Year Composition and introductory level Linguistics courses.

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Email: regine.pellicer@utrgv.edu

Yemin Sánchez obtained her MA in ESL from The University of Texas Pan-American. She is presently pursuing her Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction at UTRGV. She has served Latinx students from various backgrounds, ages, and levels of English proficiency since 2007. Her research interest includes linguistic and cultural attitudes, curricular design, and sustaining pedagogies at Hispanic Serving Institutions. She is currently a lecturer at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

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Lecturer III
Email: yemin.sanchez@utrgv.edu