Following up on last month’s announcement regarding the change in TIRF’s presidency this September, we are excited to share the election of the Foundation’s next Vice President. Please join our Board of Trustees in congratulating TIRF Trustee Dr. Suzanne Panferov Reese as our second-ever Vice President!
Dr. Panferov Reese will begin her term as TIRF Vice President at the end of the Foundation’s Board meeting this September. She is filling the position left vacant by Dr. Jun Liu, who was recently elected as the Foundation’s next President, following Dr. Kathi Bailey’s 13-year term as TIRF President.
The position of TIRF’s Vice President involves a multitude of responsibilities. Dr. Panferov Reese will help lead the Foundation’s fundraising and development efforts, oversee its various programmatic endeavors, liaise with both the TIRF Board and the public, recommend new partnership opportunities, and much more.
Given Dr. Panferov Reese’s accomplished background, she is well poised to take on the vice presidency. Currently, she is the Chair of the Second Language Acquisition and Teaching Ph.D. program and teaches on the Public and Applied Humanities faculty at the University of Arizona (UA). Previously, she served as the Associate Vice President for Global Initiatives at UA and, for over a decade, she was the Director of the Center for English as a Second Language there. Additionally, she has served in a variety of other administrative roles, such as the Director of the University of Arizona National Center for Interpretation and of the Writing Skills Improvement Program. She teaches courses in applied humanities, on various topics in second language learning, and in language program administration. She has published on topics ranging from teachers transitioning into professional leadership roles to ESL program marketing and parental support for K-12 ELL students.
Dr. Panferov Reese has given presentations in numerous countries on professionalism, teacher training, leadership, and language initiatives in internationalization at TESOL, NAFSA, AIEA, and other conferences. In 2009, she participated in a Fulbright Administrator Exchange in Jalisco, Mexico. Additionally, Dr. Panferov Reese has served as the President of TESOL International Association and as the 2007 TESOL Convention Program Chair, as well as has been the President of UCIEP (University and College Intensive English Programs) and as the UCIEP Professional Development Chair.
Asked to comment on her aspirations for serving as TIRF’s Vice President, Dr. Panferov Reese said, “I am excited about the opportunity to serve as TIRF’s Vice President. I am honored to work more closely with my colleagues on the Board, who bring together many diverse talents, creativity, and varied experiences, knitted together by a common passion for supporting research in multilingualism and education.” She continued, “I recognize the challenge we face in connecting our future demands for innovative research with the growing needs for funding. TIRF is well positioned globally to network and support our scholars, to communicate our aspirations with our partners and donors, and to meet these funding challenges head-on. This is no small quest but one that I look forward to embarking on with our Board of Trustees.”
Dr. Bailey, in commenting on the election of Dr. Panferov Reese, noted, “The results of this election are excellent for TIRF. I am so pleased that Suzanne is willing to take on these added responsibilities.”
We hope that the entire TIRF community will join us in welcoming Dr. Panferov Reese as the Foundation’s next Vice President!
