Board of Advisors

26th TESOL Arabia International Conference & Exhibition

Volunteer Advisory Scientific Committee

Dr. Christine Coombe

Associate Professor of General Studies
Dubai Men’s College
Past President, TESOL International

Fathi Ben Mohamed

Specialist, Learning & Development
ADNOC Technical Academy

Dr. Melanie Gobert

ELT Consultant, Author, and Editor,
President of TESOL Arabia 2015

Invited Speakers

Dr. Justin Shewell

  • Ph.D. in Educational Technology from Arizona State University
  • Member of the Board of Directors for the TESOL International Association
  • Author of several books and book chapters, including 50 Ways to Teach Online and 50 Ways to Learn a Language

Dr. Christine Coombe

  • Associate Professor of General Studies at Dubai Men’s College.
  • Past TESOL International Association President and Convention Chair.
  • Named to the US Department of State’s 30@30 English language specialists in 2021.

Professor Barry O’Sullivan

  • Senior Advisor English Language Assessment at the British Council
  • Founding president of the UK Association of Language Testing and Assessment
  • Has over 100 publications

Dr Christina Gkonou

  • Associate Professor of TESOL and MA TESOL Programme Leader, University of Essex, UK.
  • Published extensively on teacher education and development, and on psychological aspects surrounding the foreign language learning and teaching experience.

Dr. Patrick Dougherty

  • Dean of the Faculty of International Liberal Arts & Head of the English for Academic Purposes Program’ Akita International University, Japan.
  • Numerous published works that focus on education in the United Arab Emirates.

Dr. Jacqueline S. Stephen

  • Assistant Professor, Director of The Office of Distance Learning, and Instructional Designer, in the College of Professional Advancement at Mercer University, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
  • Ed.D. in Instruction and Curricular Leadership with a concentration in instructional design and technology.

Dr. Melanie van den Hoven

  • Ph.D. in Intercultural Education from the University of Durham, England
  • Published on English-medium policies and translanguaging practices in the United Arab Emirates, multilingualism and interculturality, and linguistic landscaping.

Josephine Clark Kennedy

  • AMIDEAST Regional Director of English Language Programs, supporting quality and innovation across the organization’s Middle East and North Africa centers.
  • Past Divisional Vice President at World Learning, a US non-profit supporting Ministries of Education around the globe

Dr. Lana Hiasat

  • Doctoral degree in educational leadership with specialization in educational technology.
  • Senior Lecturer and program team leader of the General Studies department at HCT, Dubai Men’s college.
  • Has published in areas of future foresight, emotional intelligence, artificial intelligence, smart learning, blended learning, educational leadership, intercultural intelligence, and online teaching and learning.

Prof. Tariq Elya

  • Professor of Applied Linguistics at King Abdulaziz University, KSA
  • Areas of interests include Global English, Teacher Identity, Policy Reform, Media Studies, and Women Studies in the Middle East.
  • Winner of many professional awards and fellowships
  • Has been the most highly cited author in Saudi Arabia in the fields of Education and Applied Linguistics since 2012.

Dr. Mick King

  • Assistant Professor at the Community College of Qatar.
  • EdD in TESOL from the University of Exeter, UK, and an M.Sc. in Educational Management from Aston University, UK
  • His professional service to TESOL includes board membership of TESOL Arabia and TESOL Gulf, conference organizing, teacher training, and journal article/conference proposal reviewing.