EAP Faculty and Staff

As EAP Director, my role is to support EAP students providing them key information and guidance from the first day of orientation to their graduation. I do so by to facilitating the program's operations serving both the EAP teaching and administrative teams.

Hello! I started teaching at the ELI in 2018 before becoming the Outreach and Admissions Specialist in 2022. I have taught at universities, community colleges, and public schools throughout the United States. In my free time, I like to cook, garden, and travel. I love working with international students and am looking forward to meeting you soon!

Hello! I am Cali, the Student Services and Success Coordinator! Along with our team, we work to make the student experience in Springfield the best that it can be. I grew up here and am more than happy to help students get settled into my hometown. Please visit our Facebook page for examples of activities and events!

I am an ELI Academic Specialist, which entails teaching, coaching colleagues, and developing curriculum and assessments for all types of learners in all our programs. I am also the Workforce English Programs coordinator, designed to support job seekers as well as foster cultural competence development in our community.

Greetings! My name is Cali, and I have been teaching here since 2008. I am a proud alumnus of Missouri State University where I also had the opportunity to study abroad. It is my pleasure to help students navigate both the joys and the challenges of learning a new language and culture. Welcome!

Hello, I'm Christy Conaway. With over 25 years of TESOL experience, I'm an Academic Specialist at Missouri State University, responsible for teaching ESL courses, developing programs, coordinating activities, and overseeing educational technology and textbook selection. Welcome to Missouri State University, and I'm excited to meet you!

I've been a teacher at the ELI since 2010. I'm from Springfield, MO, and I enjoy writing, reading, crafting, and spending time with my dog. I am very interested in the exchange of ideas, cultures, and experiences with fellow humans from around the globe, and I'm always happy to engage and help in any way I can.

My name is Angela Rose. I've been teaching English since 2012. I spent three years teaching in Saudi Arabia. I'm a trained scorer for both the TOEFL and IELTS exams, so I love helping students with test-taking skills. As an Instruction Specialist at the ELI, I work with international students and help them acquire language and university skills.

Hi! I have been teaching English at the ELI since 2014. I have also taught English in California, Washington State, and Arkansas. I love to read, write, and learn foreign languages.

I have been teaching part time at the ELI for almost 15 years now and been involved in education for over 40 years. I am the "senior" member on the staff in age, but I feel I'm still young at heart, and enjoy every day with students. I am married to an international woman (Indonesia) and we love opening our home to international students.

Hello! My name is Natalie Opitz. As an English and TESOL teacher, I truly enjoy working with international students helping them learn new material and understand concepts related to English. My goal is to help students become more comfortable and proficient in academic and cultural issues for their continued success at MSU and future endeavors.

Hello! I'm Rebekah, one of the teachers at the ELI. I love teaching reading and writing and finding out how language can connect us. I grew up in Yucatán, México, so I love a good torta de cochinita. In my free time, I travel around the US.

Hello! I began teaching with the English Language Institute in the summer of 2022, and before that I taught English in Vietnam for 5 years. I am a Graduate Teaching Assistant. Studying new languages is my favorite hobby. I also like videogames and TV series. I am a math tutor, too - I love math and science, as well as languages and literature.

Hi, I started teaching at the ELI at MSU in October 2022 and I LOVE it! I lived abroad for 18 years and taught in South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Mexico, and Nepal. I can speak a little Arabic, Italian, Spanish, French and Hindi. I adore learning languages, permaculture, yoga, meditation, traveling, and being a lifelong learner.