Profesores y Personal



El Instituto de Aprendizaje de Inglés ha reunido un equipo bien informado de educadores dedicados al éxito de cada estudiante. El equipo está comprometido a compartir e impartir su considerable conocimiento de todas las materias enseñadas a través de ELI. Cada miembro del equipo posee una amplia formación académica, experiencia profesional y conocimientos de educación para proporcionar a cada estudiante el resultado de mayor calidad.


Director of Curriculum and Assessment

Jason Mercer is ELI’s Director of Curriculum and Assessment as well as Academic English Program instructor. He obtained an MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from Azusa Pacific University. Mercer has successfully taught English as a Second Language (ESL) to many students in the United States, Argentina and South Korea and gained considerable knowledge related to academic issues. Mercer is committed to guiding each ELI student towards success as Student Service Coach.

AEP Instructor

Dr. Vander Zwaag began teaching English as a Peace Corps volunteer in Poland. He lived abroad for nine years and completed degrees in English Philology and Cultural Studies. Since returning to the United States, he has been the English Department Chair at Delbarton School (NJ) and an adjunct professor at Westchester Community College (NY). In addition, he has presented papers on Cultural Studies at conferences and published several articles. Dr. Vander Zwaag has taught English to hundreds of students pursuing the goal of completing their higher education in the United States.

Designated School Official (DSO)

Mary Williams is ELI’s Designated School Official (DSO). As DSO, Williams is responsible for ensuring international student visas are in order and that students are aware of F-1 visa regulations . She also makes sure ELI accomplishes its mission, achieves its goals, and that operations run smoothly. She graduated from North Carolina State University with a degree in Spanish Language and Literature and brings to ELI a love of interacting with people from diverse backgrounds. Williams also coordinates ELI’s Internship and Volunteer Program.

Registrar

Yiman Liu is ELI’s Registrar. She obtained an MA in International Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She gained extensive experience working with ESL students during her college career. As the registrar, Yiman is responsible for processing student application, registering students for classes, and developing class schedules. Yiman is also in charge of answering questions and providing information to prospective students.

Senior Advisor

David Jacobson’s work with higher education stems from his time as an entrepreneur in the USA and Asia. He teaches global collaboration, topics related to innovation and works closely with the UNCP School of Management in their work building the entrepreneurial community in Robeson County, NC. Robeson County is one of the most impoverished counties in the USA. David has worked with high performing high school teachers and principals from Shanghai. His work with them relates to innovation in the classroom for setting new standards for student / teacher performance.

He is on the faculty of the School of Business, University of North Carolina Pembroke, NC. He is also on the faculty of UNC Kenan Flagler Business School and Tsinghua University School of Management. He recently became affiliated with the graduate faculty at the Harvard University Extension School.

David’s passion is helping underperforming communities create opportunities through innovation, education and entrepreneurship.

Director of International Relations

HanFu Shi, Director of International Relations, has been a dedicated staff member at ELI since 2014. He obtained both a BA in Communication Studies and a BA in Journalism from  Eastern Washington University; he also holds an MS in Public Health in Leadership from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As Director of International Relations, he is dedicated to ensuring his job responsibilities which include promoting programs overseas, communicating with partners abroad, and designing promotional materials for the Institute, are completed in a timely and professional manner. His experience and education are an essential component to his success.

VP for Strategic Partnerships

Ace Fogerson has worked extensively in international education and training and has successfully developed numerous collaborative associations with leading institutions around the world. He strives to develop long-term relationships that are mutually beneficial and advantageous for ELI, its students and its partners. He gained a deep understanding of diverse multicultural environments during 15 years living overseas, including a decade working in China and Hong Kong.

Fogerson, a former journalist and speechwriter, is also responsible for ELI’s communications portfolio, exercising a practiced ability to facilitate intercultural/multilingual communication. He double-majored at California State University and has a proven track record for successful communication with partners.