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Dr. Schwartz became the director of the IEC in August 2012. Michael has been involved with international student education for over 25 years. He began teaching EFL in Taiwan in the 1980's, earned his MA-TESL in 1989. In 2012, he earned his Ph.D. in Educational Linguistics from the University of New Mexico-Albuquerque.

Michael has taught English for academic purposes in Kansas, Guam, Missouri, New Mexico, and now Minnesota.  As an associate professor in the MA-TESL program, Michael teaches courses in Language Assessment, Language and Culture, Global Englishes, and TESL Theory and Methods. His interests include translingualism, language assessment, language and culture and materials writing. He has edited a textbook on culture for use in English language programs for international students new to the United States and has curated a collection of Open Educational Resources (OER) intended for English Language Learners. The OERs can be accessed here.

Michael has traveled extensively throughout Europe, Asia and Latin America. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, bicycling, camping, hiking, golfing and traveling. 

Dina Gadieva is an SCSU graduate student, seeking her master's degree in Teaching English as a Second Language. She is also a GA, who works with international students at IEC.

Dina has been involved in ELT since 2006. Her background includes teaching young learners and adults, groups and one-on-one classes, General and Business English, preparing students for international exams (IELTS, TOEFL), as well as plenty of hands-on experience in lesson planning, curriculum development, material design and various teaching methods. Her superpower is to inspire and motivate students through learner-centered tasks and individual approach.

Three random facts about Dina: she loves singing and playing the guitar, she used to be a stage performer as a vocalist, and she is terrible at swimming!

Gayeon Kim, also known as Lily, hails from South Korea. She is currently pursuing a master's degree in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) and has been teaching English at the Intensive English Center (IEC) since 2023.

Her experience at IEC has been truly remarkable. Collaborating with diverse students from various backgrounds continually inspires her. With an undergraduate major in English language and literature, Gayeon dedicated three years to teaching English in South Korea before joining IEC, aiming to empower students to confidently use English.

Outside of teaching, Gayeon enjoys cooking, leisurely strolls, and exciting travels. Committed to students' growth and success, she strives to create an enjoyable and enriching English learning journey.

Pooja joined MA in TESL in August 2023 and is currently in her first semester. Pooja has been teaching for the past four years in her home country. She enjoys teaching and being around the learners, helping them by facilitating in different possible ways.

Pooja completed her Bachelors’ in Biomedical Engineering in 2021. However, she has indulged in teaching since 2019.  She was admitted as a graduate teaching assistant in the Masters' in TESL program. She is an instructor in the Intensive Language Center (IEC). As English is not the first language of the learners in her country, she has been teaching English as a second language to the learners back home.

In her free time she likes to read, hike, camp and travel.

Hsin-Tzu Huang is currently teaching listening & speaking, structure class in the Intensive English Center, along with pursing a master's in the TESOL program atSt. Cloud State University. Before coming to the University, Hsin-Tzu completed her Master of Accountancy degree at the University of Houston, Texas in 2006, and she worked in accounting fields for years. Hsin-Tzu is enthusiastic about learning to develop effective teaching methods and teaching tools to meet needs of different students. Hsin-Tzu enjoys taking a walk, traveling and cooking in her leisure time.

Masa (he/him/his), from Japan, has been an IEC teacher since the fall 2023 semester, which is his very first semester as a teacher.  He earned a bachelor’s degree in social welfare in Japan in 2006 and studied English language at a language school in Vancouver, Canada, in 2007.  After working as a police officer and interpreter for Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department in Japan for ten years, he came to the U.S. in 2017 for mastering English and self-discovery. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English Studies with minors in Ethnic Studies, Global Studies, and Human Relations at SCSU.  Now he is in a master’s program in Teaching English as a Second Language here.

His lifetime intellectual and civic endeavors are becoming an expert in English language and pursuing social justice and equity.  These passions translated into his aspiration for education as a profession.  Teaching English has long been his dream, and his long-term career goal is to become a principal or some other educational administrator in the U.S. to make a broader impact on the society.  

He is also a cultural explorer, so he loves learning about other cultures as it liberates his mind.  Some things that bring him joy include reading at a cozy coffee shop, shopping, talking with people, traveling, snuggling with cats, and soccer.