Board of Advisors
27th 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
Plenary Speakers
Dr. Joyce Kling
- TESOL International President 2022-2023
- PhD in Applied Linguistics, University of Copenhagen
- Expert in English as a Medium of Instruction
- Senior Lecturer at Lund University, Denmark
Dr. Antony John Kunnan
- PhD from UCLA, Senior Research Fellow at Carnegie Mellon University
- Principal Assessment Scientist with Duolingo
- Conducted over 120 seminars, workshops, and plenary and invited talks in 36 countries on assessment, author and co-editor of over 50 books and articles on assessment
- Research interests are fairness of tests and testing practice and assessment literacy
Dr. Melanie Gobert
- TESOL Arabia President 2015
- EdD in Educational Leadership, University of Phoenix
- Awarded an Emirates Foundation Grant on Enhancing National Identity Through Indigenous Literature
- Specialist in Teaching Reading, Writing, and Vocabulary
- English Language Teaching Consultant, Author, and Editor
Heather Van Fleet
- Certified Mindfulness Teacher and Social Emotional Learning Facilitator
- National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach, Mental Health Coach, and Leadership and Resilience Coach
- Certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide
- English Language Specialist, a program sponsored by the U.S Department of State.
Dr. Ali H. Al-Hoorie
- PhD in English Language, University of Nottingham, UK
- Expert in Motivation Theory, Research Methodology, and Complexity
- Published in ELT Journal, Modern Language Journal, and Language Teaching Research Journal
- Associate Professor of English Language
Dr. Luis Javier Pentón Herrera
- President of Maryland TESOL 2018-2019
- PhD in Educational Leadership, University of Concordia, Chicago
- Expert in Social Emotional Learning and Identity in Language and Literacy Education
- Assistant Professor at the University of Warsaw, Poland
Invited Speakers

Amira Salama
- MA American University of Cairo, Egypt
- Current President of Africa ELTA and Past President of NileTESOL and
- Specialist in Teacher Burnout, Leadership for Teachers, and Equality and Inclusion in Education
- Currently Academic English Instructor at Nile University, Egypt
Dr. Kay Gallagher
- PhD Canterbury Christ Church University, UK
- Specialist in English and Bilingual Education
- Editor Education in the UAE: Innovation and Transformation
- Professor at Emirates College of Advanced Education, UAE
Jim Pastore
- Senior Academic Support Specialist Emirates Schools Establishment (ESE) Dubai
- University of Notre Dame
- Past Principal ADNOC Schools, Emirates National Schools, Clarion School

Ahlem Ben-Othman
- International Entrepreneur, Executive Coach, and Motivational Speaker
- Founder and CEO of World Network Consulting Services (WNCS) and Co-Founder of ARAHA SARL
- President of the Youth Empowerment and Development Association (YEDA)
- BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ohio State University
Dr. Andrzej (Andy) Cirocki
- Associate Professor in English Language Education, University of York, UK
- Visiting Professor of TESOL at Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Indonesia
- Editor-in-chief of The European Journal of Applied Linguistics and TEFL
Dr. Christine Coombe
- Associate Professor of General Studies at Dubai Men’s College, UAE
- Past TESOL International Association President and Convention Chair
- Named to the US Department of State’s 30@30 English language specialists in 2021
- Recipient of TESOL’s James E. Alatis Award in 2018
- Authored/Edited 57 books on ELT teaching, research, and assessment
Yousef Al Awadi
- Master’s Degree in Project Management from the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia
- Certified NLP trainer, hypnotherapist, and an inspired leadership trainer
- Selected to participate in Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking in Washington, DC
Dr. Jaime Lynn Cardwell
- Doctorate in Education: Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
- Expert on Emirati Achievement in the ADEK Charter School Project
- Vice-Principal at Al Ghad Charter School, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Michelle Beukes
- Assistant Principal at Al Ghad School, a charter school in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- English and Drama teacher in British and US Curriculum with over 10 years of experience
Anna Hearrell
- Bridge Education Group, Denver, Colorado, USA, Director of Operations
- Developer of innovative online programs designed to meet the needs of English language teachers around the world
Maggie De Oliveira
- Bridge Education Group’s Teacher and Institutional Relations Manager
- Master’s degree in Applied Linguistics, Taught in Brazil and USA
- Designed innovative teacher training feedback
Eli Ghazel
- Executive Director of EU Professional Advancement and Development
- Authored several English language learning series among them Mega Goal
- Developed and implemented the Modular Learning Design (MLD) for English teachers at the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabi
Dr. Lana Hiasat
- Senior Lecturer & Program Team Leader of General Studies, HCT-Dubai
- Published journal articles and book chapters on blended learning, emotional intelligence, and future foresight
- Recipient of four interdisciplinary research grants
- Doctor of Education- educational leadership and technologies
- Senior Fellow HEA, and certified trainer of future foresight