The instructors, tutors, and administrative staff at the American Language Institute are qualified professionals with considerable training and experience in working with international students. Our staff is committed to providing a quality educational experience for all students.
Instructors
Instructional staff at the ALI are selected for their expertise in English language teaching. All teachers have a minimum of a master's degree in TESOL or a related area and experience working with English language learners.
Alexandra Krasova, kxbdc@iup.edu
Alexandra is a PhD candidate in composition and applied linguistics in the Department of English. Her areas of expertise include media studies, digital literacy, English communication and composition, and TESOL. As a multilingual woman scholar, Alexandra focuses her research on multilingual students' multimodal composing and explores how digital literacy affects their identity construction. Besides teaching English and pursuing her doctoral degree, Alexandra has been tutoring students at the Kathleen Jones White Writing Center at IUP.
Danning Liang, wysx@iup.edu
Danning Liang is a PhD candidate in composition and applied linguistics at IUP. She received her MA in TESOL from Kent State University and has been enjoying tutoring and teaching ESL learners from various backgrounds. She has years of experience of teaching first-year composition and basic writing courses at IUP. Her research interests include multiliteracies, multimodal composition, and collaborative writing.
Darcey Mains, Dmains@iup.edu
Darcey earned a master's of education from California University of Pennsylvania and TESOL certification through Carnegie Mellon Oxford Seminars. Since 2010, she has taught all levels of EFL students from diverse backgrounds at Point Park, La Roche, and ARIN IU28 before returning to teach at IUP.
Atia Rasul, fqfw@iup.edu
An international graduate student, Atia Rasul is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in composition and applied linguistics at IUP. Previously, she earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English literature from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Atia has worked as an English language teacher, a school administrator, and a teacher trainer in her home country. At IUP, she has worked as a writing skills instructor for the Upward Bound Math and Science program from 2019 to 2022. An alumna of the International Leaders in Education Program (2016), Atia has been serving as a seminar assistant for the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program for International Teachers (2021). She has also been an instructor for Advanced Written Communication and Media Presentation at the American Language Institute since 2020. In addition, she currently holds the position of the American Culture and English supervisor at ALI. As part of her professional development, she completed several Cambridge teaching qualification certifications: Teaching Knowledge Test in 2012, and In-service Certificate in English Language Teaching, 2018. Atia is the ACE Tutoring supervisor.
Nafisah A. Sulaiman, yhzcc@iup.edu
Nafisah is a PhD candidate in the Department of Communications Media. She acquired her master of science degree in communications and bachelor of arts degree in mass communications. She worked as a broadcast journalist and as a public relations practitioner. Here at IUP, she has experience teaching courses like Media Wellness, Global Media and Communications, and Media Presentation. Nafisah is also an ACE and SkillZone tutor.
Nada Tayem, vtnw@iup.edu
Nada is a doctoral candidate in the English Department Literature and Criticism program at IUP. She has extensive tutoring experience and has taught English courses at the University of Jordan and the National Institute for Training.
The ALI hires qualified instructors who have studied in the US and internationally. This policy provides students with models of excellence—teachers who know the experience of bilingualism and language learning from a personal as well as a professional perspective. All teachers are encouraged to engage in professional development with program support.
ACE tutors work with ALI students to develop cultural understanding and English language proficiency. Undergraduate and graduate students with teaching or tutoring experience and an interest in working with diverse populations can apply to become tutors.
SkillZone
SkillZone is a freedrop-in center for all IUP international students and scholars (ALI, exchange, undergraduate, graduate, and visiting scholars) to access academic support. Tutors are hired from a variety of academic disciplines.
Administration and Support Personnel
Michele Petrucci, Executive Director
Michele has been professionally active in the field of international education for over 20 years. Since her arrival at IUP in 1997, Michele has worked in various capacities in both the ALI and the Office of International Education. She currently serves as associate vice president for International Education and Global Engagement.
Emma Archer, Director, emma.archer@iup.edu
Emma completed her MEd in Literacy at IUP and MA TESOL at American University. Before coming to IUP, she taught English learners at Northern Virginia Community College, served as a Peace Corps teacher trainer in Mongolia, worked with refugee families for the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council, and taught Spanish in Louisville public schools.
Student Advisors
The ALI student advisors have extensive experience working with international students, learning languages, and studying abroad. They are dedicated to helping ALI students and are happy to advise them about academic issues and about adjusting to life in the United States.