PRESENTERS FOR FULBRIGHT FOREIGN STUDENT PROGRAM
2008 GATEWAY ORIENTATION
Dr. Michael Di Liddo
Dr. Di Liddo has been the Director of Jazz Studies at the Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus since 1998 and Music Coordinator for the Music Program since 1999. As a classical guitarist, Dr. Di Liddo studied in Stuttgart, Germany, with the Greek concert guitarist Dimitris Nikitos. After returning the U.S., he became a student of Cuban guitarist Juan Mercadal. Dr. Di Liddo has been a part of the Festival of Miami Concert Series as a soloist (1992) and with the Miami Guitar Trio (1991). In 1999, he was invited to Mérida, Mexico, to perform Mauro Giuliani’s Concerto in A Major, Op. 30, with the University of Yucatan Chamber Orchestra. He was invited back the following year to perform Jaoquin Rodrigo’s famous Concierto de Aranjuez para Guitarra y Orquesta. He has performed with the Royal Ballet of London, the New World Symphony, and the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2002, he accompanied Luciano Pavoratti at the American Airlines Arena in Miami. A published educator, Dr. Di Liddo has written for the American String Teacher’s Association and Downbeat Magazine. His 60 Contemporary Voicings for the Jazz Combo Guitarist has been published by Jamey Aebersold. A recent project, also published by Jamey Aebersold, Maiden voyage: Guitar Comping, was released in February this year. Dr. Di Liddo holds both a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Music degrees from Florida Atlantic University, along with a Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the University of Miami. In 2004, Dr. Di Liddo was awarded the Honorable Jack Gordon Endowed Teaching Chair.
Dr. Rolando Montoya
Rolando Montoya is a native of Camagüey, Cuba. He grew up in Panamá, Costa Rica, and México where he developed his appreciation for diversity and international perspectives. In 1987 Dr. Montoya initiated his successful academic and administrative tenure at Miami Dade College that included the positions of professor, department chairperson, dean of academic affairs, and culminated with his appointment as president of the Wolfson Campus. His services to MDC were recognized with the Carlos Arboleya/NationsBank and the SunTrust Bank endowed teaching chairs. Before his employment at the College he had served as a business executive in the fields of finance and accounting and as Consul of Costa Rica in Miami.
Dr. Montoya is a Certified Management Account and Certified Financial Manager. He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from the Technological Institute of Monterrey, México, and a master's degree in finance and a doctoral degree in higher education administration from Florida International University. Dr. Montoya is an active member of several academic, professional, and community organizations. He enjoys traveling and leisure activities in the company of his wife María Victoria and their three children.
Professor Dorothy Avondstondt, Professor of ESL at Miami Dade College, has a Master's degree in TESOL from Nova University, received a specialist degree in TESOL from the University of Miami and a certificate in French from IAU University in Aix-en-Province, France. She has lectured at International TESOL in New York and Sunshine State TESOL in Fort Lauderdale on pedagogy and techniques of teaching a second/foreign language.
Dr. Robert H. Calabrese
With a background in aviation and a doctorate in computer science, Dr. Calabrese is responsible for the Division of Learning Resources which includes the Library, Media Services, Network Services and the Computer Courtyard. Dr. Calabrese is also responsible for managing all State and Federal grants on the Wolfson Campus of Miami Dade College.
Tania Gil Duarte Casal
Tania Gil Duarte Casal is a Fulbright scholar at the University of Miami Rosentiel School pursuing a doctorate in Physical Oceanography. She is from Lisbon, Portugal where she received her undergraduate degree in Geophysical Sciences at the University of Lisbon. In 2003, she obtained a Master of Science Degree in Meteorology/Climate at the University of Wisconsin. Ms. Casal enjoys traveling, snorkeling, good food and good friends!
Carl De Angelis
Carl De Angelis, Director of the Institute of International Education's office of English and Special Services, is responsible for all English language training and orientation programs for IIE-related grantees, including the Fulbright Preacademic training and Gateway orientation Programs, as well as the design and management of programs for special groups, such as teachers, teacher trainers and ESL program managers. Mr. De Angelis holds a M.S. in TESOL from the State University of New York at Albany and taught ESL for ten years before IIE, including two years in the P.R.C. as an ESL teacher and teacher trainer at Fudan University and Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, and five years at New York University's American Language Institute where he taught Advanced Business Writing and Business Communication. He also is the editor of the IIE publication Intensive English US (IEUSA), the definitive reference book on ESL programs and courses used by students around the world, and has written articles in IIE's Open Doors and Kaplan's/Newsweek's Guide to Study in the USA. He has designed teacher-training programs and given TEFL training workshops in Taiwan. Mr. De Angelis served from 1999-2001 as an elected member of the ATESL team for NAFSA: Association of International Educators, and has given numerous presentations at international TESOL and NAFSA conferences.
Carmen Dominguez, Esq.
Before joining the legal staff at Miami Dade College as Assistant College Attorney, Ms. Dominguez spent 21 years with the State of Florida, Department of Children & Families, including seven years as District Legal Counsel. She has handled a vast array of legal matters on behalf of a large public agency in matters including labor relations, contracts, immigration, bid protests and appellate law. She received her A.A. degree from Miami Dade Community College in 1973, a B.A. degree in English/Creative Writing from the University of Miami in 1976 and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Florida in 1979.
Zenaida Fernandez, M.S.
Besides being the Director of the Wolfson Library of Miami Dade College, Professor Fernandez is a member of the Planning Committee for the Division of Library Information and Technology of the American Library Association, serves on the Executive Advisory Committee of the Florida Community College Library Association, and a Board Member of the Southeast Florida Library Information Network.
Dr. German Munoz
Dr. German Munoz, Chairperson of the Department of Social Sciences, has a Ph.D. in Political History with a concentration in Latin American History, American Foreign Policy, Interamerican Relations, Political Philosophy and Economics. He has received numerous awards throughout his career to include: “Excellence in Curriculum and Instruction Award” by the Florida Association of Community Colleges; “The Times Teaching Excellence Award”, by the National-American Association of Community Colleges; the “Award for Outstanding Community College Chairs Who Encourage Teaching Excellence”; “The Department Chair Quality Leadership Award”, by North Carolina State University; and “The First Union Endowed Teaching Chair” at Miami Dade College. Dr. Munoz’ publications include Background Lessons on Global Affairs (1997), and The Social Environment, 8th Edition (2004)
Professor Maureen O’Hara
Professor Maureen O'Hara, Professor of English as a Second Language at Miami Dade College, was Chairperson of the Language Institute on the Wolfson Campus, Associate Dean of the Center for Business and Industry which trained and retrained local and international business people, and she also started an evening outreach program which evolved into the College's Interamerican Bilingual Campus. She co-authored grammar, writing and speech modules for the teaching of ESL. In addition, she developed and supervised an Associate of Arts Program in Public Administration for Dade County's Clerk of Courts, an AA Degree Program in Business Administration for the inhabitants of the island of Nevis, West Indies, and has developed numerous training programs on management, marketing, hospitality management, and conferences on banking and finance, architecture and computer technology to name a few. Professor O'Hara has been a consultant to universities in the U.S. on designing and developing language programs and setting up and organizing cooperative efforts between educational institutes and the business sector. She has served on President Reagan's Advisory Council to the Peace Corps, was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Chile, was selected Florida Professor of the Year, and received numerous awards to include an Endowed Teaching Chair from 1995-1998.
Professor Joseph Tamargo
Professor Joseph Tamargo, Professor of Photography at Miami Dade College, was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to attend Chile’s Universidad del Pacifico in 1999 where he was a research lecturer. He received a Master of Fine Arts Degree from the University of Miami and studied photography at Florida International University and the University of New Mexico. In addition, he apprenticed under John Szarkowski, the Director of the Department of Photography at New York’s Museum of Modern Art from 1963-1993, who is one of the most influential figures in American photography. Since 1976, Professor Tamargo has been exhibiting his photographs in the United States and abroad. His works are in major collections in institutions such as Southeast Museum of Photography, Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, Universidad del Pacifico and Institute Chileno Norteamericano in Santiago, Chile.
Professor Reina Kanarek Welch
Professor Welch holds degrees from the University of Miami, Florida Atlantic University, and Florida International University as well as a certificate in French phonetics from the Sorbonne, University of Paris. During her professorship at Miami Dade College, she has presented at several conferences in the area of techniques of teaching and use of computers in language learning and has been active in all areas of international interest from serving on the United Nations Day committee, to sponsoring the Club International Francais, to serving as Co-Chair of the International TESOL Conference. She was selected “Outstanding Arts and Sciences Professor of the Year” by her colleagues and was the first recipient of the Kryakides Endowed Teaching Char. In addition, she was awarded the Nisod Excellence Award from the University of Texas. Professor Welch has traveled extensively throughout Europe, Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Central and South America. She has trained teachers abroad and speaks four languages: English, French, Spanish and Italian.
Dr. Phyllis Baker, professor of Sociology at the Wolfson Campus of Miami Dade, has been recognized in the Miami Herald as an outstanding professor with a successful record of motivating students to achieve academic and personal success because of the inspirational nature of her teaching. Dr. Baker’s continuous research and publication efforts have taken her to many places, including California, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Washington, D.C., and abroad to Brazil, the Caribbean Basin, France, Italy, Austria, North Africa, and the United Kingdom, among others. Some of her publications include: authoring a chapter on: “Core Principles: Thinking Critically, Multi-Culturally and Globally,” for the textbook The Social Environment, 6th edition; researching, writing and producing “Understanding African-American Culture – Classroom Multi-Media Module”, presented to the National Endowment for the Humanities; researching for and organizing the African Student Union, as well as the Black History Month lecture series.
Ahmad Muttaqin
Ahmad Muttaqin, a current Fulbright recipient, was born in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. He is a lecturer in the Department of Comparative Religions at State Islamic University at Yogyakarta, Indonesia. His major interest is world religion, inter-religious relations, and religion and peace. He earned his Master's Degree in Inter-religious Relations from the State Institute for Islamic Studies, Yogyakarta, Indonesia in 1999. Currently, he is finishing his second Master's program at the Department of Religious Studies, Florida International University under the sponsorship of the Fulbright program. Upon completion of the Fulbright program, he plans to return to his country, share his experiences in the U.S. with his students, do research on religion and society, and encourage people to build religious harmony in Indonesia.
Professor Paula Sanchez
Paula Sanchez began teaching English twenty years ago as a way to make ends meet while she was studying in Japan. She decided to get her masters in the field and ended up teaching in England, Brazil, and Spain before settling down in Florida. She is now a professor of EAP (English for Academic Purposes) at the Kendall campus of Miami Dade College and is involved in several grants related to computer-assisted learning. Her latest project is the creation of a United Nations Day on campus. EAP students will be showcasing forty-five countries and will be performing songs and dances from all over the world.
Professor Diane Sloan
Professor Diane Sloan, a professor in the Speech & Communications Department of Miami Dade College, earned her Master's Degree in Speech and Intercultural Communication at Syracuse University. At Miami Dade College, she has taught a wide variety of courses including Interpersonal Communication, Public Speaking, and Applied Leadership. Professor Sloan has conducted workshops in communication and intercultural skills throughout the United States, Europe, and South Africa.
Professor Charles Beavin
Professor Charles Beavin, Professor of Management at the North Campus of Miami Dade College, teaches management courses in the Business Department. He was awarded the SunTrust Endowed Teaching Chair in June, 1998 and received the 1999 National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development Excellence Award. His M.B.A. is from Indiana University, in his home state of Indiana. Professor Beavin is also a training consultant and has conducted management training programs for American Airlines, Boston Scientific, Bacardi Imports, American Express, Federal Reserve Bank of Miami, Jackson Memorial Hospital, and many other businesses, government agencies, and professional associations. He teaches supervision and management skills, time and stress management skills, motivation, goal accomplishment, leadership, dealing with difficult employees, and several other topics. Professor Beavin owns a retail business, Advantage Resources Inc., which sells books, videos, and music.
Dr. René C. Izquierdo
Dr. Rene C. Izquierdo, a professor of Spanish and ESL at the Kendall Campus of Miami Dade College, holds a B.A. in Fine Arts and Spanish Literature and an M.A. in Spanish Literature, both from the City University of New York. He also holds a Ph.D. in Spanish Literature from the Graduate Center of the C.U.N.Y. A leader at the College in Web-based testing and instruction, Dr. Izquierdo has developed extensive online (Web CT) support for all of his classes. In the last four years, he has developed an impressive array of online testing which he is always willing to share with his colleagues. Dr. Izquierdo has been honored with an Endowed Teaching Chair from 2005-2008.
Dr. Lourdes Oroza
Lourdes Oroza is the Dean of Academic Affairs at the Wolfson Campus of Miami-Dade Community College. Dr. Oroza holds a Doctorate in Adult Education and Human Resources Development from Florida International University. Her d issertation dealt with the implementation of a system of performance-based funding and accountability for adult education programs in Florida. She holds a Masters in Secondary School Administration with a concentration in teaching English as a second language and bilingual education from the University of Miami, and a Bachelor's degree in French from Tulane University.
Dr. Oroza has focused her career on working with cultural and language minority students and has a keen understanding of how to operate in a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural environment. From 1992 to 1998, she worked for Miami-Dade County Public Schools as an Assistant Principal at Lindsey Hopkins Technical Education Center, where she managed the High School Completion, Adult Education, ESOL, GED and Vocational Preparatory Instruction programs. She has 11 years of teaching experience in the areas of foreign languages (French, Spanish and Italian) and English as a second language at the secondary and post-secondary school levels. From 1998 to 2003, Dr. Oroza served as the chair for Community Education at the InterAmerican Campus of Miami-Dade Community College. During this time, she was also the chair of Business and the chair of Computer Information Systems/Design Technology at the campus. In these roles, she gained extensive experience managing both non-credit and academic and vocational credit programs. Dr. Oroza was instrumental in establishing a thriving Community Education program at the InterAmerican campus that now encompasses a Computer Training Institute, a language center, professional licensing courses, an adult education/GED program and a broad range of recreation and leisure classes for adults, seniors and children. In addition, the School of Justice now offers security officer training classes.
Dr. Oroza was born in Santa Clara. She emigrated to the United States with her parents at the age of three. She grew up in Puerto Rico and Miami and graduated from Miami Senior High School. She currently resides in Miami Beach.
Franklyn Tan Te, Ph.D.
Dr. Franklyn Tan Te has a Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and received his Masters degree in Marine Biology from the University of Guam. Dr. Te’s expertise includes taxonomy, ecology and biology of coral reefs; habitat monitoring via environmental surveys and impact assessment; marine environmental toxicology via pesticide and pollution research; marine science education and training via experiential hands-on activities; and human anatomy physiology and nursing skills instruction via field tested practical activities. Dr. Te is knowledgeable in FOUR languages- English, Chinese, Spanish, and Tagalog (Philippine national language) and has taught extensively in both third world developing nations and developed industrialized nations. Dr. Te’s motto for success is: “Find reasons to succeed and NOT excuses to fail.”
Professor Marilyn Gottlieb-Roberts
Professor Marilyn Gottlieb-Roberts is an artist and member of the Department of Arts & Philosophy faculty. For many years she taught painting and drawing but now teaches art history and art appreciation, a reflection of her growing interest in visual literacy studies. In 1994-1995, she was Visiting Artist at Harvard University, was recipient of the R.W. Greenfield Endowed Teaching Chair in 1993-1996 and 1996-1999, and was a teaching/research Fulbright Scholar at Nigeria's University of Jos in 2000-2001 and 2001-2003 with the research topic “Traditional Astronomy of the Fulbe, Cattle Nomads of the African Sahel.” Her art work has been featured in, among others, Harvard's Carpenter's Center for the Arts, The Clocktower and Exit Art in NYC, Currier Gallery of Art (NH), Real Art Ways (CT), Mobius (MA), Birmingham Museum of Art (AL), Columbus Museum of Art (GA), Contemporary Art Center (LA), MoCA and Ft. Lauderdale Museum of Art (FL). Her work has received support from a number of regional and national funding agencies.
Fernando Farfan
Fernando Farfan, a current Fulbright recipient, was born in Guatemala and obtained his elementary and high school education at a Jesuit institution. He moved on to the scientific oriented University of Guatemala to pursue a major in Computer Science Engineering, graduating in 2001. In 2004, he was honored with a Fulbright grant to pursue a Master's in Computer Science at Florida International University in Miami, Florida. Fernando will specialize in Software Engineering and will complete his program in December 2005. He enjoys sports and music and is an enthusiastic guitar and marimba player.
Dr. Norma Martin Goonen
A first-generation Cuban-American, Dr. Norma Martin Goonen is Provost for Education at Miami Dade College. Previously, she served as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Nova Southeastern University; Vice President for Academic Affairs at St. Thomas University; and Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies at Florida International University. Her instructional background includes high school and university levels, as well as the training of professionals in the areas of educational administration, leadership, school law, and multicultural education. She received her B.A. in English and her M.S. in Adult Education from Florida International University, and earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership (Higher Education) from the University of Florida. A past Fulbright recipient and Leadership America graduate, she is also a presenter and consultant and serves on several professional associations and boards. Her latest book, co-authored with Rachel Blechman, Esq., is Higher Education Administration: A Guide to Legal, Ethical, and Practical Issues.
Andreea Mercean
Andreea Mercean is the Program Officer for students in long-term intensive English. Ms. Mercean has placed and monitored Institute of International Education (IIE) related intensive English students for the past five years. These students have studied in over forty different intensive English Programs in the United States and have come through IIE, LASPAU, and AMIDEAST, primarily on the Fulbright and Hubert H. Humphrey programs, as well as private and foreign government sponsors. Ms. Mercean has conducted successful campus visits and achieved an excellent rapport with her students. A native of Romania and an exchange student herself from Facultatea de Limbi si Literaturi Straine (Romania) to University of Albany (U.S.), Ms. Mercean is quite familiar with the adjustment and language challenges that face international students coming to the United States.
Dr. Geraldine Grace Walker
Dr. Geraldine Grace Walker is Professor/Coordinator of the ESL Department, Homestead Campus, Miami Dade College. Dr. Walker received her doctorate in Higher Education-International/Intercultural Education Development from Florida State University, 2000. She holds a Master Degree in Education from Louisiana State University, 1979, and a Bachelor Degree in Education from the University of Miami, 1977. Two years ago, Dr. Walker worked for 6 months at La Universidad de Agraria-Centro de Idiomas. Dr. Walker has just returned from Salzburg, Austria where she took part in a conference on globalization and internationalizing the curricula. After teaching for 28 years, Dr. Walker is intrinsically motivated to help her students to learn. Her hobbies are traveling, multicultural activities, caring for her dogs, growing orchids, cooking and listening to music.
Dr. Alejandro Gancedo
Dr. Alejandro Gancedo was born in La Habana, Cuba and immigrated to the United States at a very young age. He is a graduate of Miami-Dade Community College and Florida State University. He holds Bachelor of Science Degrees in Economics and Political Science, and a Juris Doctorate. He also attended St. Edmunds College, Oxford University studying European Economic Law and Comparative Human Rights. As a Marshall Scholar, he lectured at the Bonn University, University of Munich, and Greifswald University in Germany on issues of the Cuban American Diaspora. He is currently Associate Dean for Natural and Social Sciences and teaches American Federal Government for Miami Dade College.
Rafael Cores
Cores is a former Fulbright Grantee from Spain working as writer/editor at Univision Online. Mr. Cores got a Master’s degree at the Medill School of Journalism in Northwestern University.
Dr. Joel Fleischer
Dr. Fleischer is Professor of Education at the North Campus of Miami Dade College. He has a long standing commitment to international education and crosscultural understanding. Professor Fleischer served as Coordinator of International Student Services for over 15 years at the North Campus. His work in the field has been recognized by NAFSA, an association of international educators, and was awarded the Outstanding New Professional Award for service in this area. In addition, he is a former United States Peace Corps Volunteer having served in Micronesia as a teacher trainer and curriculum developer. Much of his Peace Corps training was conducted by the East West Center for Cross Cultural Training and Research of the University of Hawaii. Most recently, Dr. Fleischer was one of 12 faculty members selected by Miami Dade to attend the Salzburg Seminar International Study Program in Salzburg, Austria. He enjoys traveling very much and has taken trips to Asia and Europe as well as the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.
Dr. Paul S. George
For almost two decades, Dr. Paul George, historian for the Historical Museum of Southern Florida, has toured his way to local, national and international acclaim with his continuing series of historic tours. As a South Florida native, author, and Miami Dade College professor, Dr. George has gained fame for his uncanny ability to recall the most impressive details about the people and places that make South Florida so unique.
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