Minnesota English Language Program Faculty and Staff

Michael Anderson received his BA from Grinnell College and his MA in teaching ESL and PhD in second languages and cultures education from the University of Minnesota. He has worked in ESL since 1993, teaching and doing research on assessment, teacher training, and program administration. Michael has traveled in France, Sweden, Canada, China, Korea, Japan, and Turkey, among other countries. His second language is French. He enjoys gardening and baking. An interesting fact about Michael: He’s a great fan of the Minnesota State Fair and won the sweepstakes award for best cookies at the Fair in 2005.

David Atterberry has a bachelor’s degree in English from Truman State University and a master’s degree in teaching English as a second language from the University of Minnesota. He has taught in MELP since 2007 and before that taught at community colleges in the Twin Cities metro area. He also has experience teaching English in Taiwan, China, and Russia. In his free time, David enjoys traveling to new places, reading, cooking, running, and camping. He lives in Saint Paul with his wife, two daughters, and cat.

Catherine (Kate) Clements holds a BA in Spanish and journalism, an MA in teaching English as a second language, and a Graduate Certificate in Online and Distance Learning. In addition to teaching English, she has taught academic technology to language teachers at the University of Minnesota and Hamline University. She has lived in Spain and Ecuador and traveled throughout Europe and South America, and speaks Spanish and some French. For recreation, Kate enjoys traveling, cooking, hiking, and horseback riding.  

Jon Gill holds a BA in linguistics and an MA in English as a second language from the University of Minnesota. He has taught ESL at the U of M and Saint Paul College, and made short visits to schools in Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan. He is distracted by new languages and has dabbled in as many as 16. His travels and military experience have brought him to 24 countries and most of the US. Jon enjoys spending time with his wife and four children, backpacking, taking road trips, running marathons and triathlons, performing as a juggler and musician, or just curling up with a classic book.

LeeAnne received her BA from UW-Madison, and her MA in teaching ESL and PhD in Second Languages and Cultures Education from the University of Minnesota. LeeAnne has been involved in language teaching or language teacher education for nearly 20 years. She has lived and taught in France, Poland, China, Korea, Arizona, and Minnesota. LeeAnne was a graduate assistant in MELP during her graduate work but came on full-time in 2020. Prior to that she was faculty in the master's TESOL program at Hamline University. LeeAnne is bilingual in French and speaks Spanish. She loves to travel, cook, be outside, run, and spend time with friends and family. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and three children. 

Stephanie Hanson has a bachelor's degree in psychology and French and a master's degree in teaching English as a second language. She previously taught ESL at Cornell University and the University of Illinois, and EFL in Greece, China, South Korea, Indonesia, Turkey, and Ecuador. In her free time, Stephanie enjoys cooking and trying new foods, reading, hiking, and exploring the Twin Cities. She is also an avid salsa dancer.

Darren LaScotte holds a BA in French studies, a Maîtrise en sciences du langage, and an MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. He has taught and tutored English and French since 2011 in both the US and France, and spent one summer teaching English at a university in Wuhan, China. For hobbies, Darren enjoys reading, biking, and going on long walks with his dog, Xander.

Annie Marrin received her MA in English as a Second Language from the University of Minnesota. She has taught language learners in a variety of international and local contexts since 1999 and has worked with multilingual learners at the University of Minnesota since 2007. Annie enjoys reading, running, and long-distance hiking. 

Emeline Rogers holds a B.A. in English from Truman State University in Missouri. Emeline has studied abroad in Morocco and traveled to China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, France, and the U.K., among other European countries. She has studied French and a little bit of Arabic. When not planning her next overseas adventure, Emeline enjoys baking, spinning and dyeing yarn, canoeing scenic riverways, and reading short stories.

Diego Sanchez-Chavarria holds a BA in English and Japanese as well as an MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Born in Peru, he immigrated to Minnesota with his family when he was four years old and loves it here despite the long winters. He has taught learners in Japan and in the US from 2011 to 2019. Thanks to his parents, he was able to maintain his Spanish while growing up in the US and fell in love with Japanese while he was studying at the U of M. During his free time, Diego loves traveling, running, writing, and taking naps with his cat.

Sara Schroth holds a bachelor's degree in Spanish from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and a master’s degree in educational policy and administration in the comparative and international development track from the University of Minnesota. Her research interests include cross-cultural peer programs and internationalization at home initiatives. Sara has lived in Spain and Ecuador and has traveled to other countries, including Bolivia, Peru, Costa Rica, Mexico, Italy, Sri Lanka, England, and Greece. In addition to traveling, Sara enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters, cooking, painting, eating ice cream, doing yoga, and relaxing at coffee shops. Working as the International Student Advisor for MELP since 2011, Sara is the person to ask about your I-20 or visa status.

Christine has a BA in Cultural Anthropology and an MA in ESL, and has taught English to international learners in Austria, France, China, and Thailand. She grew up in Austria and still speaks German fluently, despite living in the United States most of her adult life. She has been at MELP off and on since 2007 and loves interacting with students from around the world. Besides German, she also speaks French and has dabbled in Arabic, Thai, and Zulu. Other languages and cultures are among her favorite things in the world, along with good food and, above all, chocolate. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and two kids, and she enjoys spending her free time cooking, reading a good book, or just being with family. 

Ellen Wormwood is a native Minnesotan with a bachelor’s degree in economics and masters’ degrees in both French and Spanish. She lived and worked in France many years, and her last job before returning to Minnesota was as an adventure travel guide in Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. She returned in order to be closer to her family, as well as to enjoy the world-class ice skating. Though her family have pretty much all moved away, the rivers and lakes continue to freeze every winter, making life in Minnesota pretty good. She has taught at the University for 15 years and is delighted to work with MELP students.