Scholarly Activities
Academic Position
Professor, TESL
Educational Psychology,
University of Alberta, 2020 - present.
Associate Professor, TESL
Educational Psychology,
University of Alberta, 2013 - 2020.
Assistant Professor, TESL
Educational Psychology,
University of Alberta, 2007 - 2013.
Research Affiliations
Research Affiliate. (2014 - present). Immigration Research West (IRW). IRW is a research group that has received four years of funding through two contribution agreements from Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
Research Collaborator. (2012 - present). Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Partnership, Currently funded by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada. Pathways to prosperity: New policy directions and innovative local practices for newcomer attraction and integration.
Awards and Distinctions
- International Language Testing Association’s (ILTA) 2007 Best Article of the Year Award for my article entitled “A confirmatory approach to differential item functioning on an ESL reading assessment” published in Language Testing, 24(1), 1-30. Awarded in 2009. “This award is given annually for the article that makes a significant contribution to the field of language testing. Nominations may include articles published in a refereed journal or book chapters” (retrieved May 25th, 2012 from ILTA’s website). For additional criteria on the award, please consult the following website - http://www.iltaonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=151&Itemid=163
- Annual Recognition Award for Exceptional Contribution to Alberta Education, 2007. Awarded to our team from Learner Assessment’s Math/Science Unit for the advancement of provincial assessment practices.
- Annual Recognition Award for Exceptional Contribution to Alberta Education, 2005. Awarded to our team from Learner Assessment’s Math/Science Unit for the advancement of provincial assessment practices.
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Award for Doctoral Research in Second or Foreign Language Assessment, awarded by Educational Testing Services (ETS), Princeton, NJ for my dissertation proposal titled The identification and interpretation of group differences on the Canadian Language Benchmarks Assessment reading items, 2004.
- Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Doctoral Fellowship, Research Council of Canada, 2001 - 2003.
- Honorary Isaac Walton Killam Memorial Scholarship, University of Alberta, held concurrently with a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Doctoral Fellowship, 2001 - 2002.
- ATESL Bursary - Alberta Teachers of English as a Second Language, 2001.
- Walter H. Johns Graduate Fellowship, University of Alberta, 2001 - 2003.
- Isaac Walton Killam Memorial Scholarship, University of Alberta, 2000 - 2001.
- Isaac Walton Killam Memorial Research Grant, University of Alberta, 2000.
- Camrose Normal School Memorial Scholarship in Education, University of Alberta, 2000.
- Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research Tuition Scholarship, University of Alberta, 1999 - 2000.
Research Interests:
- Teacher learning and development
- Second language learning, listening, and reading strategies
- Second language reading and assessment