Cultural Connections Lab

Tracey Morales is currently the Family and Homeless Coordinator for Crooked Oak Public Schools school district and is deeply committed to fostering connections among diverse cultures and experiences, with a special focus on supporting our Black and Latinx students. Her dedication is fueled by her firsthand understanding of the challenges faced by students with parents who primarily speak Spanish a...

Dr. Heidi Faust serves as the Grants, Projects, and Partnerships Officer at TESOL International Association where she supports English Language Teaching capacity building programs internationally most recently with secondary teachers and government mentors in India and Uzbekistan on programs in collaboration with U.S. Embassies, Ministries of Education, and Non-governmental Organizations. Prior to...

Dr. Virginia Collier is Professor Emerita of Bilingual/Multicultural/ESL Education at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, located in the metropolitan area of Washington, D.C. She is best known for her work with senior researcher, Dr. Wayne Thomas, on school effectiveness for linguistically and culturally diverse students, working with many school districts in all regions of the U.S. sinc...

Dr. Joel Gómez is the President and Chief Executive Officer for the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) . He holds an Ed. D. in Higher Education Administration from The George Washington University. He received his M.A. in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin, where he also completed doctoral work in Applied Linguistics and Foreign Language Education Studies. He received...

Louise El Yaafouri is a highly accomplished educator and the owner of DiversifiED Consulting , a prominent firm dedicated to empowering clients in their service to culturally diverse, linguistically diverse, and trauma-impacted communities. You can follow Louise on X (formerly Twitter) at @ElYaafouri or on LinkedIn .

Dr. Elizet Moret is an educational leader that advocates for the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students and promotes access to equitable education that is centered in equity and social justice. She is the owner of Edu Lengua, an educational consulting company that serves school districts and charters across the nation. Her company focuses on the needs of emergent bilinguals, famil...

Dr. Jose Viana, a first-generation Cuban immigrant and educator, is a guest on the Cultural Connections Lab podcast. He has dedicated his career to improving educational opportunities for minority populations, particularly English learners. Dr. Viana has served as an administrator, teacher, and director of the Office of English Language Acquisition. He emphasizes the importance of understanding st...

Dr. David Holbrook, Executive Director - National Association of English Learner Program Administrators (NAELPA) Dr. David Holbrook has a passion for helping others and has dedicated his professional career to linguistic research and language development. He worked for 16 years overseas, conducting original research to identify language groups in need of language development. His PhD focused on co...

Denise Soler Cox , highlighting her achievements as an award-winning activist filmmaker, podcaster, and speaker, shares her mission to help others feel a sense of belonging and contribute their unique gifts to the world. She emphasizes the importance of embracing one's greatness and breaking free from self-imposed limitations. Denise recalls the moment that inspired her to make a documentary and d...

Dr. Taylor Tribble, the president and CEO of EduSkills, has a deep passion for cultural connections and supporting people from diverse backgrounds. His journey began with his travels at a young age, living in Sweden and exploring Europe, which ignited his curiosity for different languages and cultures. Through his experiences, he realized the importance of helping others who come to the United Sta...

Welcome to Cultural Connections Lab, a podcast that explores the intersections of culture, travel, education, and language learning. We believe that learning about other cultures can be a transformative experience that broadens our understanding of the world, breaks down barriers, and promotes empathy and respect for diverse perspectives. Each episode, we take a deep dive into a different cultural...