NOTE: Level 2 and 3 students may take an optional L2/L3 Keyboarding class for 1 credit.

Note: Level 2 and 3 students may take an optional L2/L3 Keyboarding class for 1 credit.

NOTE: Level 4 and Level 5 students may take an optional keyboarding class for 1 credit.

Level 5 Bridge Classes

Level 5 ELA students take five classes. Of these classes, three are bridge classes. These classes are taught in the same way as other credit courses, which allows students to practice their new skills and gauge their capacity for success after leaving ELA coursework.

NOTE: Level 4 and Level 5 students may take an optional keyboarding class for 1 credit.

Elizabeth Baertlein
Instructor, ELA
319-398-5899, ext. 5152
319-398-4998
3020 Cedar Hall

B.A.; St. Mary’s University
M.A.; St. Cloud State University

Betsy Baertlein teaches English Language Acquisition (ELA) courses and has completed her master’s degree in teaching English as a second language at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, her bachelor’s degree in English at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota. She has completed additional graduate coursework in the Language, Literacy and Culture doctorate program at The University of Iowa and her research interests include critical pedagogy and language learner identities. Betsy is a dedicated bicycle commuter and can be seen biking to campus in all weather.

Ryan Dehner
Associate Professor, ELA
319-887-3957
Room 343 Iowa City Campus

B.A.; University of Wyoming
M.A.; University of Iowa

Ryan has experience teaching world languages at the K-12, community college, university, and federal government level. Before Kirkwood, he taught Spanish at Laramie High School, supervised student teachers at The University of Iowa, and trained language teachers at the Defense Language Institute's Instructor Development Branch. He has resided in England, Costa Rica and Nicaragua, and explored many parts of Europe, Central and South America, Australia, the Middle East, South-Central Asia, and Africa. His professional interests involve teacher mentoring, building cross-cultural understanding, working with refugee populations, L2 curriculum design, L2 methodologies, competency-based learning, and oral proficiency assessment. Ryan teaches English Language Acquisition (ELA) courses.

Esperanza Muñoz Pérez
Professor
319-398-4998
1019 Cedar Hall

B.A. and M.A.; University of Iowa

Esperanza, a native of Spain, arrived in Iowa City in 1994 after living previously in Scotland and in the Pacific. Her passion for history, culture, and language was richly rewarded while working with 18th-century Spanish documents for the Micronesian Research Center at the University of Guam. All aspects of language intrigue her, whether related to her experience as an interpreter and translator or as a language professor for the last 16 years. Her love for Romance languages led her to study Latin, Portuguese, Italian, French language and Literature, as well as Medieval Spanish Literature. The intricacies of language have always been an important part of her academic and personal life. Esperanza teaches English Language Acquisition (ELA) classes. 

Carlos Ortega-Amparán
Assistant Professor, ELA
319-398-5988, ext. 5830
319-398-4998
3019 Cedar Hall 

Carlos teaches English Language Acquisition (ELA) classes.

Olga Petrova
Professor
319-887-3952
Room 253 Iowa City Campus

M.A.; English and German, Russian Pedagogical State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
M.A.; TESOL, University of Northern Iowa
Ph.D.; Linguistics, University of Iowa

Over the years, Olga has taught English and Linguistics at various levels to many audiences (high school, teacher-training university, adult foreign-languages program in Russia; undergraduate and graduate ESL and linguistics, Iowa Intensive English Program (IIEP) and Teaching Assistant Preparation Program (TAPE) at the University of Iowa).

Olga has been teaching composition, linguistics, and ELA classes for Kirkwood Community College since 2002, as well as occasional linguistics classes at the University of Iowa. In the last few years, Olga has been teaching English Language Acquisition grammar, reading, and writing.

Colleen Schmitt
Instructor
319-398-5899, ext. 5989
319-398-4998
3024 Cedar Hall 

B.A., Luther College
M.A., Hamline University

Colleen holds a B.A. in English and Spanish from Luther College and earned an M.A. in ESL with an adult learner emphasis from Hamline University. Prior to joining International Programs, Colleen coordinated Kirkwood’s noncredit ESL program in Iowa City. Her professional interests include advocacy for English Language Learners and best practices for teaching students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE). Colleen is a licensed K-12 educator and taught high school English, Spanish, and ELL for several years. She has studied in Chile, Spain, Ecuador, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Mexico and has led service-learning trips for American students abroad.  

• Hala Abumaizer-Scheetz
• Rita Cabello
• Sofia Chesney
• Kelly Fink
• Kim Flugga-Ciha
• Amy Guo
• Iryna Hasnikova
• April Hetrick
• Gail Koch
• Stephen McTier
• Jennie Morton
• Linda Park
• Eleanor Price
• Gloria Wenman
• Nancy York

• Tamar Bernfeld
• Scott Bleuer
• Nathan Borrett
• Craig Covington
• Diane DeMaria
• Robert DeSpain
• Jacob Herring
• Darren Hetrick
• Wendy Labinger
• Yvonne Maruniak
• Sandy Marz
• Dana Noble
• Denise Tiffany
• Emily Wagner