Jeannie has been working in the field of TESOL for over 15 years. As Director of UCAELI, Jeannie oversees the Intensive English Program and International Teaching Assistant Services. Through teaching and her research work, Jeannie became interested in how Intensive English Programs could encourage students to become more self-regulated, independent language learners. She contributed her expertise in the area of self-regulation to the development of the UCAELI curriculum and governing policies. This expertise combined with the expertise of the UCAELI instructors has resulted in an innovative, research-based teaching and learning approach that is highly effective with learners from all educational backgrounds. 

Jeannie also became Director of the new Intercultural Programs and Support unit in summer 2022. In this role she oversees enrichment programs for international students and scholars and helps international students and scholars connect to each other and the greater UConn community.

Fernando Rodriguez-Barberet joined UCAELI in June 2024 in the role of Academic Program Administrator. Prior to joining UCAELI he worked as an English language and Intercultural Communication lecturer at Shanghai Normal University both online and in-person. He attained an MSc in Applied Linguistics from the University of Edinburgh and a bachelors in triple languages at the University of Delaware. As a multilingual educator with fluency in Spanish, French, Mandarin Chinese and English, his passion for languages and language education is resolute. He has varied experience in curriculum design, language teaching and linguistic research in Asia and Europe, offering a global perspective on ESL related administration. He enjoys volleyball, ping pong, cooking, reading and is a big fan of the outdoors. You can regularly find him on a trail deep in the woods whether it be on a mountain bike or on foot!

Ana joined UCAELI in October 2019 as the department’s Program Assistant. Before coming to UConn, she worked in various administrative roles at The New School – Parsons School of Design and the Atlantic Avenue Local Development Corporation (AALDC), a small non-for-profit organization in Brooklyn, NY. Ana loves to travel and experience new cultures, try different foods, and connect with people from all over the world. In her free time, she likes to spend time with her family, cooking, dancing, enjoying the outdoors, and cuddling her two cats: Mishoo and Lychee. Ana is originally from the Bronx, New York City. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Mount Saint Vincent and Master’s degree in Higher Education Administration from Stony Brook University.

In her new role as International Program Coordinator, she facilitates programming and events for international students and scholars to connect them with each other and the greater UConn community.

Monica Rocha Antonin is an ESL specialist with over 20 years of experience working with interculturality, curriculum design and ESL teaching in academic and professional settings. She taught ESL at the University of California, Irvine, International Programs for five years and subsequently, she moved to Germany where she taught English for Specific Purposes at the University of Duisburg-Essen for six years. Monica is dedicated to the success of international scholars/students, and she is passionate about fostering inclusive learning environments and promoting intercultural understanding through education.

Monica enjoys reading short stories, dancing and hiking the beautiful mountains of Massachusetts during her free time.

Jude Conlon is an ESL specialist with sixteen years of English language instruction in higher education. Prior to joining UCAELI, he taught in Japan at Waseda University, Tokai University and Asia University. He has an MA in Applied Linguistics with a concentration in ESL from the University of Massachusetts. Professionally, his primary focus has been on classroom instruction, but he also has experience in curriculum design and professional development.

In his free time, he enjoys playing the guitar, practicing martial arts, and trading and investing in financial markets.