Biographies

Dr. Jon Malone, Interim Director

Dr. Malone has been an administrator at MEI since 2012. He currently oversees the operations of MEI courses and programming, connecting with administrators, faculty, and stakeholders at UMD and beyond regarding language development for multilingual learners of English. Jon’s research interests focus on the relationship between sound and symbol in learning how to read well as a language learner, and he is passionate about connections between theoretical models of learning and classroom instruction, especially in reading. Jon received his undergraduate and Master’s degrees from the University of Oklahoma, and his Ph.D. in Second Language Acquisition from the University of Maryland. He has worked in the field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) for nearly two decades.

Jennifer Moore, Administrative Coordinator

Ms. Moore joined the University of Maryland in 1994 in the student affairs division and moved to MEI in 2006. She earned her BA degree in Communications from UMCP. She enjoys working in an internationally diverse setting and is inspired by both faculty and students who take on the challenge of teaching and mastering the English language. In her free time, she enjoys the performing arts, writing and sports.

Raymond Smith, Curriculum and Instruction Coordinator

Mr. Smith has been the Curriculum and Instruction Coordinator of the Maryland English Institute since 2009. He started his career in the field of ELT upon completion of the M.A. TESOL program at the City University of New York (Hunter College) in 1993. Since then, he has taught English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in South Korea and the Czech Republic and has held a variety of positions, including teacher, teacher trainer, academic coordinator and director of studies. In addition to his M.A. TESOL, Mr. Smith has also completed the Cambridge CELTA and DELTA courses.

Marilena Draganescu, Lecturer

Ms. Draganescu is a native of Romania, where she received her B.A. from the University of Bucharest, Faculty of Philology. In 2001 she graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) with an M.A. in Comparative Literature and a second M.A. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). As a graduate teaching assistant at UIUC, she taught introductory courses in World Literature and World Religions. After graduation, she decided to return to her home country temporarily and took up employment with the Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest for four years, where she taught a variety of Business English classes. In 2006, she started her Ph.D. in the Language, Literacy and Culture Program at University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). Before joining MEI in 2010, she worked for four years as an English instructor at the English Language Center at UMBC where she taught advanced reading and writing classes.

Charles Duquette, Lecturer/Marketing Coordinator

Mr. Duquette began his working career in the sciences, earning a B.S. degree in Biology from Georgetown University and an M.S. degree in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University. He spent roughly 20 years in the computer industry, first as a Software Developer, later as a Director of Software Research & Development, and finally as a consultant and business owner. Always having done extensive tutoring in Math and English, he decided to pursue an M.A. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and was awarded his M.A. in TESOL by American University in 2006. He joined MEI in 2008, where he has taught several levels of Listening & Speaking and Reading, Writing, and Grammar, as well as Advanced English Pronunciation (006) Advanced English as a Foreign Language (005) and Advanced Writing for International Students (007).

Annelies Galletta, Lecturer

Ms. Galletta loves languages and students, and teaching English is a great way to enjoy both at the same time. She taught English as a foreign language in Moscow, Russia, after obtaining her Master’s degree from the University of Maryland in Baltimore County. She has also taught English for students at community colleges, for private companies, for new immigrants, and for undergraduate and graduate students at the Maryland English Institute since 2010. Besides teaching, she has also worked as a curriculum developer and program administrator in various learning environments. She is originally from the Netherlands.

Louise Godley, Lecturer

Before joining MEI, Ms. Godley was an instructor in the English Language and Training Academy at American University. She has also taught English to adults at Washington English Center, and EC Washington, DC. She has an MA in TESOL from American University and a BA in History and Archaeology from the University of Winchester in the UK. Ms. Godley is British and also a naturalized Australian, having lived in Sydney, Australia from 2000-2012. During her time in Sydney, she enjoyed working in a multilingual office, which led to her career switch to TESOL. She also learned to play the ukulele, and the cajón, to dance salsa, and to ride a motorbike, all vital skills for a language teacher. Ms. Godley has studied French and Spanish and speaks several dialects of English.

Heather Mehrtens, Lecturer

Heather Mehrtens holds an MA in TESL, a BA in Linguistics with Highest Distinction, and a BA in Germanic Languages & Literatures from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In addition, she is currently a doctoral student at Johns Hopkins University pursuing her EdD in Education. Her working dissertation project is entitled: “Deconstructing the Lingering Effects of Colonization, Whiteness, and Native-Speakerism on ESOL Instruction.”

She has been teaching ESOL since finishing her BA, and has earned an Excellence in Teaching Award from Harvard Extension School. She has worked in a variety of programs and settings, and has taught nearly every language level. Her research interests include raciolinguistics, decolonization, global Englishes, and content and task-based teaching methods for language teaching. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, catching up on TV, kayaking, swimming, and traveling.