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Dr. Schwartz became the director of the IEC in August 2012. Michael has been involved with international student education for over 25 years. He began teaching EFL in Taiwan in the 1980's, earned his MA-TESL in 1989. In 2012, he earned his Ph.D. in Educational Linguistics from the University of New Mexico-Albuquerque.

Michael has taught English for academic purposes in Kansas, Guam, Missouri, New Mexico, and now Minnesota.  As an associate professor in the MA-TESL program, Michael teaches courses in Language Assessment, Language and Culture, Global Englishes, and TESL Theory and Methods. His interests include translingualism, language assessment, language and culture and materials writing. He has edited a textbook on culture for use in English language programs for international students new to the United States and has curated a collection of Open Educational Resources (OER) intended for English Language Learners. The OERs can be accessed here.

Michael has traveled extensively throughout Europe, Asia and Latin America. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, bicycling, camping, hiking, golfing and traveling. 

Masa (he/him/his), from Japan, has been an IEC teacher since the fall 2023 semester, which is his very first semester as a teacher.  He earned a bachelor’s degree in social welfare in Japan in 2006 and studied English language at a language school in Vancouver, Canada, in 2007.  After working as a police officer and interpreter for Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department in Japan for ten years, he came to the U.S. in 2017 for mastering English and self-discovery. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English Studies with minors in Ethnic Studies, Global Studies, and Human Relations at SCSU.  Now he is in a master’s program in Teaching English as a Second Language here.

His lifetime intellectual and civic endeavors are becoming an expert in English language and pursuing social justice and equity.  These passions translated into his aspiration for education as a profession.  Teaching English has long been his dream, and his long-term career goal is to become a principal or some other educational administrator in the U.S. to make a broader impact on the society.  

He is also a cultural explorer, so he loves learning about other cultures as it liberates his mind.  Some things that bring him joy include reading at a cozy coffee shop, shopping, talking with people, traveling, snuggling with cats, and soccer. 

Dina Gadieva is an SCSU graduate student, seeking her master's degree in Teaching English as a Second Language. She is also a GA, who works with international students at IEC.

Dina has been involved in ELT since 2006. Her background includes teaching young learners and adults, groups and one-on-one classes, General and Business English, preparing students for international exams (IELTS, TOEFL), as well as plenty of hands-on experience in lesson planning, curriculum development, material design and various teaching methods. Her superpower is to inspire and motivate students through learner-centered tasks and individual approach.

Three random facts about Dina: she loves singing and playing the guitar, she used to be a stage performer as a vocalist, and she is terrible at swimming!

Gloria (Stefany) Reyes Aparicio is from El Salvador and they have worked as an English teacher there since 2017. They love to have challenges in their work area because it makes them give the best of themselves. They're a person who loves to know new places. Gloria's favorite color is green, they're a dog lover, and in their free time, they like to have fun with their family and friends. Their main goal in life is to enjoy their job to the fullest without regrets and always try to give the best of themselves teaching the way they would have liked to learn. At first glance, they may look very serious, but the reality is totally different when you approach them, because they are always willing to meet new people to learn from them. So if you meet them at the university or wherever, feel free to say hello, and they’ll be glad to talk to you.

Hsin-Tzu Huang is currently teaching listening & speaking, structure class in the Intensive English Center, along with pursing a master's in the TESOL program at St. Cloud State University. Before coming to the University, Hsin-Tzu completed her Master of Accountancy degree at the University of Houston, Texas in 2006, and she worked in accounting fields for years. Hsin-Tzu is enthusiastic about learning to develop effective teaching methods and teaching tools to meet needs of different students. Hsin-Tzu enjoys taking a walk, traveling and cooking in her leisure time.