A chance for SLAT students to meet with the candidate in an informal manner
Vision for SLAT Presentation
In-person location: San Pedro Room, 3rd floor of the Student Union
A chance for SLAT students to meet with the candidate in an informal manner
Vision for SLAT Presentation
In-person location: San Pedro Room, 3rd floor of the Student Union
Please join SLAT in congratulating Dr. Osman Solmaz, a 2015 SLAT Alum, on receiving the 2025 TESOL Teacher of the Year Award! Dr. Solmaz is an Associate Professor at Dicle University, in Turkiye. A Fulbright alum, he has conducted professional development workshops worldwide, published research in respected academic journals, and made significant contributions to both local and global English language teaching initiatives. Congratulations Dr. Solmaz!
Join SLAT in congratulating Mourad Abdennebi, a 4th-year SLAT doctoral candidate, on his win at the 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition at the 2025 Western Association of Graduate Schools (WAGS)! The 3MT Competition requires participants to present their research in 3 minutes, in an engaging form that can be understood by an audience with no background in the research area. This competition develops presentation, research and academic communication skills, and supports the development of research students' capacity to explain their work effectively. Mourad represented the University of Arizona at the WAGS 3MT competition, after winning the University of Arizona Grad Slam 3MT competition in February. He now has opportunity to participate in a national 3MT competition.
Huge congratulations to Mourad!
A huge congratulations to Dr. Suzanne Panferov Reese, Chair of SLAT, on receiving the 2025 TESOL James E. Alatis Award for Service to TESOL! This award was established by TESOL to acknowledge outstanding and extended service by a TESOL member through leadership and service, exemplary professionalism and representation of TESOL values, commitment to the mission of TESOL, and dedication to the field and profession.
Dr. Panferov Reese has been the Chair of the SLAT PhD program at the University of Arizona since July 2020, and she currently also directs the Critical Languages Program at the University of Arizona, all while teaching in her academic home in the Department of Public and Applied Humanities. While at the University of Arizona, she previously served as the Associate Vice President for Global Initiatives, as the Director for the Center for English as a Second Language for over a decade, as Director of the National Center for Interpretation, and as Director of the Writing Skills Improvement Program. She has previously served as the President of TESOL International Association, as a TESOL Convention Program Chair, and on the TESOL Board of Directors. She is currently serving as the Vice President of TIRF.
We can't think of anyone more deserving for this award. Biggest congratulations, Dr. Panferov Reese!
From Theory to Practice: An Ecologically Informed Approach to Designing, Implementing, and Evaluating AI Literacy in First-Year Writing
Dissertation Proposal Title: From Theory to Practice: An Ecologically Informed Approach to Designing, Implementing, and Evaluating AI Literacy in First-Year Writing
Dissertation Committee: Dr. Betul Czerkawski (Chair), Dr. Julieta Fernandez, Dr. Shelley Staples, Dr. Chris Tardy
This will be a private dissertation proposal presentation. Thank you in advance for respecting the student's privacy.
Abstract: As generative AI technologies become increasingly integrated into higher education, educators worldwide are being called to rethink traditional pedagogical approaches and develop new literacies that prepare students for AI-mediated communication environments. However, current AI literacy frameworks tend to focus on technical skills or ethical considerations in isolation, often overlooking the complex, situated nature of students’ learning experiences—especially in non-STEM contexts such as first-year writing (FYW) courses. Grounded in Ecological Systems Theory, this proposed study introduces a novel AI literacy framework designed to address this gap by promoting critical, reflective, and ethically grounded engagement with AI, while attending to the multiple, interconnected contexts that shape students’ academic, professional, and everyday experiences.
To empirically test the framework, the researcher will design and implement an 8-week AI-integrated writing module within FYW courses, aligning the module content with existing course learning outcomes. The module includes a structured sequence of instructional activities and discussions that encourage students to engage with AI tools in meaningful and critical ways.
Using a mixed-methods approach, the study will gather data from pre- and post-course surveys, weekly student diaries, and post-module interviews. Quantitative analysis will include descriptive and inferential statistics from survey data and may involve computational text analysis techniques—such as sentiment analysis or topic modeling—to examine patterns in student diaries, while qualitative data will undergo thematic analysis using a hybrid inductive and deductive coding approach. Overall, this research seeks to contribute a theoretically grounded and practically replicable model for AI literacy instruction in writing education. It also seeks to inform broader conversations about how higher education can foster ethical and sustainable approaches to teaching and learning with AI.
A colloquium on the conceptual, theoretical, and case study literature on language planning, with special attention to language policy development in educational contexts.
The exchange of scholarly information and/or secondary research, usually in a small group setting. Instruction often includes lectures by several different persons. Research projects may or may not be required of course registrants.