Board of Advisors

28th TESOL Arabia International Conference & Exhibition

Volunteer Advisory Scientific Committee

Dr. Christine Coombe

Conference Co-chair
Invited Speakers Coordinator

Dr. Melanie Gobert

Conference Co-chair
Technical Program Co-chair

Dr. Taghreed Al Masri

Conference Co-chair
Venue and Logistics Chair

Olivia Riordan

Associate Conference Chair
Technical Program Co-chair

Mohamed Najjar

Sponsorship & Marketing Chair

Invited Plenary Speakers

Dr. Daniel Xerri

  • Senior Lecturer in Applied Linguistics and TESOL at the University of Malta
  • Chairs the ELT Council within the Ministry for Education
  • Prolific author with more than 200 publications

Dr. Christine Coombe

  • Associate Professor of General Studies at Dubai Men’s College, Higher Colleges of Technology.
  • TESOL International Association President (2011 to 2012) and TESOL Convention Chair (2006); TESOL Arabia Past president and Conference Chair
  • Named to the US Department of State’s 30@30 English language specialists in 2021. & to TESOL’s 50@50 which “recognizes professionals who have made significant contributions to the TESOL profession within the past 50 years.”
  • Recipient of James E. Alatis Award (2018), TESOL’s highest honor
  • Authored & Edited 60 books on ELT teaching, research, leadership, TBLT and assessment
  • Elected to Board of Trustees of TESOL International Research Foundation (TIRF) 2024

Dr. Othman Z. Barnawi

  • Professor of Language and Education at the Royal Commission for Yanbu Colleges and Institutes, Saudi Arabia.
  • He is the founding editor of Global South Perspectives on TESOL (Book Series published by Routledge-Taylor and Francis Group).
  • Research interest areas include the intersection(s) of language and political economy, social and education policy studies, the cultural politics of education, multilingual and multicultural studies, Global South studies, and international/transnational education.
  • Multiple publications in leading peer-reviewed journals. Recent book title “The Past, Present, and Future of Higher Education in the Arabian Gulf Region: Critical Comparative Perspectives in a Neoliberal Era” (Routledge, 2023),

Dr. Sarah Hopkyns

  • Assistant Professor and Lecturer in TESOL and International Education at the University of St Andrews, UK.
  • Research interests include language and identity, language policy, translingual practice, linguistic ethnography, linguistic landscapes and English-medium instruction (EMI).
  • Published numerous books, journal articles and book chapters throughout her career.

Dr. Dudley Reynolds

  • Senior Associate Dean for Education and Teaching Professor of English at Carnegie Mellon University Qatar
  • Served as President of TESOL International Association in 2016-2017
  • Recipient of 2023 TESOL International Association’s James E. Alatis Award for Service to TESOL

Invited Featured Speakers

Dr. Melanie Gobert

  • English Language Teaching Consultant, Author, and Editor
  • TESOL Arabia President (2014-2015) and Conference Co-chair (2015 and from 2019-2023)
  • Awarded an Emirates Foundation Grant on “Enhancing National Identity Through Indigenous Literature” in 2015.
  • Editor of Perspectives, an English-Language Teaching peer-reviewed journal from 2009-2014.
  • Currently serves on the board of Educators Worldwide, a non-profit based in California, and hosts a podcast called Teaching Tips for English Language Teachers.
  • Most recent publications include “The Development of a Large-Scale Online Cross-listed Course to Teach Life and Study Skills” (2022, Springer) and “Helping Arabic Learners Negotiate the Linguistic Challenges Posed by English as a Medium of Instruction” (Routledge, 2023).

Dr. Thuraya Al Salmi

  • Education Doctorate, Aberystwyth University, UK
  • Educational Council Director, Abu Dhabi, UAE
  • Expertise in education policies, strategic planning, and leadership development.
  • Extensive expertise in managing high-performance teams, implementing efficient systems, and optimizing educational processes.

Dr. Taghreed Masri

  • Assistant professor at the Canadian University of Dubai.
  • EdD in TESOL from the University of Exeter & Master’s degree in TESOL from the American University of Sharjah.
  • Published on flipped approach, academic writing, proficiency, and identity.
  • Speaker at different TESOL conferences.
  • Academic interest areas: language proficiency, writing and identity, language and culture, EMI, and research skills.

Dr. Chadia Mansour

  • Expert in Digital and Distance Education, applied linguistics and adult language education.
  • Over 20 years of teaching experience in North America and the MENA regions.
  • Actively involved in curriculum and instructional design, online and blended learning design and assessment.
  • Has also held various leadership positions such as Director of ESP program for LLM graduate international students in the US, and Lead for Online Courses Design and Instruction at Fleming College Toronto, Canada.
  • A Fellow for Digital Literacy Program at e-Campus Ontario, Canada; Ambassador for the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) and Open Education Advocacy Committee (OERAC) member, Sweden; Higher Education IS Chair for TESOL International and Blended Learning SIG Chair for TEFL Kuwait.

Georgios Kormpas

  • Director of the Teaching, Learning, and Development Center, and faculty at the Department of Humanities at Al Yamamah University in Riyadh.
  • PhD Researcher at Lancaster University.
  • Various leadership positions with ELTAs (TESOL Greece, KSAALT TESOL, TESOL Gulf, and TESOL Arabia since 2004), TESOL International, and Toastmasters.
  • Published several chapters and edited volumes for Springer and Routledge.
  • Passionate about technology, especially AI and its implications in educational settings.

Dr. Jaime Lynn Cardwell

  • Doctorate in Education: Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
  • Expert on Emirati Achievement in the ADEK Charter School Project
  • Vice-Principal at Al Ghad Charter School, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Dr. Fatmah Azam Ali

  • Program Director of postgraduate vocational training qualifications and Master’s degree programs for MEET-ACT Center, in Saudi Arabia.
  • President of KSAALT TESOL, an ELT organization based in Saudi Arabia.
  • Winner of several awards by MENA and Global Forum of Education for managing and leading innovative educator training programs in the Middle East.