Instructors and Staff

I am the ELI Executive Director. I have 30 years of experience in international education and English as a Second Language teaching. I was born in Holland, and I love learning about other cultures and visiting other countries. My passion is in leadership development and community engagement. I also enjoy visiting my family, hiking, and canoeing.

Hello! I started teaching at the ELI at MSU in August 1999 and I love teaching here! I have also taught in Niigata, Japan and in Masan, South Korea. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my children, learning foreign languages, and traveling.

Hello! 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 facilitating the program's operations serving both the EAP teaching and administrative teams. I have been on the program team since 1998. I can speak French and Spanish.

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!

Hi! I am Dr. Nhung Nguyen from Vietnam. I have teaching experience in the subjects of International Finance. As an Associate Dean at the Vietnam National University I traveled to 17 countries. So, I enjoy learning about different cultures. I am working at the ELI as a project manager/ admission specialist. I enjoy reading, meditating, and cooking.

Hello! I work as a student office assistant at ELI since Spring 2022. I'm currently an undergrad student in MSU, studying Theatre and Acting. I am originally from South Korea. But I was born in New York, so I am dual citizen. I enjoy traveling new countries, eating international food. I also like to watch movies and plays.

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.

My name is Phil Bridges, and I have been with the ELI since June 2007. I am an ELI Academic Specialist and am most involved in the ELI Teacher Training programs, including the Cambridge CELTA courses. I also teach in the EAP and the GEP101 courses for first-year students on campus.

Welcome to the ELI and Springfield! I’ve been a teacher here since 2008. I also plan all the fun activities and events outside of class. You can see pictures of these events on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MoStateELI! Springfield is my hometown and it’s a great place to study and live! Come join us!

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!

Howdy-doo!* 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 learn more. (*I don't really say that.)

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.

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.

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.

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.

EAP GTA since spring 2024.

EAP GTA since summer 2024.

EAP GTA since summer 2024.

Howdy! I have worked with the ELI since May 2024, but I have loved working with language for many years. I got my bachelor's degree in Japanese from MSU, and I am pursuing a master's degree in TESOL here. I enjoy learning more about Japanese and other languages, as well as riding my bike and hiking.

Hi! My name is Dr. Jane Robison, and I was the first English Language Institute director. I worked with the ELI from 1996 to 2021, and I have enjoyed seeing hundreds of students successfully complete our classes and go on to study in the university.