Roger Kott, M.A./Ed.S. Senior Instructor
With more than 20 years of experience in France and Spain and "several" more at CIES, Roger is our most experienced instructor. Educated in both France and the U.S., he holds an Ed.S. in Multicultural/Multilingual Education from FSU. Roger is also a recipient of the FSU Fordyce Award for Outstanding Teaching of International Students, and is fluent in both French and Spanish.
"Teaching ESL is unlike any other teaching experience," Roger says. "Every day is completely new, and the problems are completely different. I've always felt that I learn just as much as, if not more than, my students do. And, for that reason, I always feel grateful for and interested in my work."

Debbie Stump, MS Instructor

Debbie holds a Masters degree in Multilingual/Multicultural Education and a B.S. in Elementary Education both from Florida State University. Debbie has been teaching at CIES since 2001 and is a recipient of the FSU Fordyce Award for Outstanding Teaching. Debbie is an expert on ESL Reading and developed the CIES Reading book series.  “Language is a tremendous tool used for the communication of ideas. It is imperative, however, that we never think so highly of the tool that we forget the importance of the people with whom we communicate! Caring for other people and encouraging them should be the primary goal in all of our communication as humans.”

Ramin Yazdanpanah , MS Instructor

Ramin holds a Masters in Multilingual/Multicultural Education and a BA in International Affairs. He began teaching ESL at CIES in 2002. In 2003, Ramin taught one year in Madrid, Spain at the International Academy of Languages before returning to CIES. In addition to being an instructor, Ramin is an expert in ESL materials development. An example is his “American Interviews”. He is also a recipient of the FSU Fordyce Award for Outstanding Teaching. Ramin is of Cuban-Iranian descent and is fluent in Spanish. “Your mind is like a parachute. It only works if it is open.” - Anthony J. D΄Angelo, The College Blue Book

Laura Fister, MS Instructor, Testing Coordinator
Laura holds a BA in History and English from the University of Kentucky, and a Master’s Degree in Multilingual/Multicultural Education from Florida State University. Laura has been an ESL instructor since 1992. She worked in the JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) Programme in Kumamoto-ken, Japan and later taught ESL students in Fayette County Public Schools in Lexington, Kentucky. Laura has been a CIES Instructor since 2005. “The degree of slowness is directly proportional to the intensity of the memory; the degree of speed is directly proportional to the intensity with which one can forget.” Milan Kundera, Slowness “The things you own end up owning you.” --Chuck Palahniuk

Ah-Young Kim, MS Instructor
Ah-Young holds a Masters degree in Multilingual/Multicultural Education from Florida State University as well as a BA in French Language and Literature from Korea. She taught EFL in Korea for two years before moving to the United States for her Masters degree. Ah-Young speaks Korean, and French. “Vouloir, c’est pouvoir!” (“Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”)

Michele Downie, Master's Candidate Instructor
Michelle holds a Bachelors in Social Work from Florida State University and a Certificate in Multilingual/Multicultural Education. She is currently pursuing her Masters degree in Multilingual/Multicultural Education. Michelle has been a CIES instructor since 2006. "You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it come true." -- Richard Bach, Writer

Felicia Ciappetta, MS Instructor and Activity Coordinator
Felicia holds a Masters degree in Multilingual/Multicultural Education from Florida State University. In adddition, she received a BA in Spanish with a minor in Education from Florida State in 2002. Felicia is the Activity Coordinator at CIES and is responsible for our very successful Conversation Partner program. “If you can dream it, you can achieve it." – Walt Disney

Ryan Flemming , MS Instructor
Ryan holds a Masters in Multilingual/Multicultural Education as well as a BA in Information Studies, both from Florida State University. Ryan is at the beginning level in Arabic but is working hard at improving. His other interest is playing the bass guitar. “Withhold no sacrifice, begrudge no toil, seek no sordid gain, fear no foe, [and] all will be well.” – Sir Winston Churchill

Maria Samuel, MS Instructor, Ph.D. Candidate

Maria holds a Masters degree in Multilingual/Multicultural Education as well as Bachelors in Psychology with a minor in child development both from Florida State University. She has worked in the ESL field since 2000 teaching in Leon and Gadsden counties in both K-12 and family literacy programs. Maria also helped to establish and coordinate the ESL program at Florida State University Schools as well as designed ESL workshops to educate fellow faculty members teaching content area classes. In addition, she has taught the ESOL in the Content Area course for the Middle and Secondary Education Department at FSU before coming to CIES as an instructor in 2007. Currently, she is writing her dissertation for her Ph.D. in Multilingual/Multicultural Education at Florida State. Maria is a native of Puerto Rico and speaks Spanish, and a little French.   “Seize the moment! Take advantage of the opportunities that each day brings to learn and use English. This is your time to shine!” --Maria “ Education is an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity.” --Aristotle

International Teaching Assistant Program
ITA Program Information

Dr. Maria Beatriz Mendoza English for International Teaching Assistants Instructor/Coordinator

Maria Beatriz completed her Doctorate in Multicultural/Multilingual Education at FSU in 2004 and has been the International Teaching Assistant Coordinator for Florida State University and CIES since 2005. A recipient of the FSU Fordyce Award for Outstanding Teaching, Maria Beatriz taught English as a Foreign Language in Venezuela for 3 years and then at CIES for 6 more years. Maria Beatriz is an expert in ESL writing and developed the CIES Composition book series. She is a native of Venezuela and speaks Spanish. “Learning another language is discovering a new world. Enjoy the journey! It will change your life forever.”

Kathy Moulton, MA English for International Teaching Assistants Instructor

Kathy has been in the ESL field since 1976 having taught in Thailand and Iran before returning to the United States and receiving her MA in Linguistics and TESL in 1980. She has been an instructor, curriculum coordinator, and director of various English language institutes and university departments in the Midwestern area of the US. Kathy came to FSU to teach International Teaching Assistants in 2006. In addition to her ITA instruction, Kathy teaches classes in Technical Communication to the international faculty and staff at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory at Florida State University. "Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I will remember. Involve me and I learn." – Benjamin Franklin.

Patrick C. Kennell, Ph.D. Director
Dr. Kennell keeps CIES running on a daily basis and is a very student-centered director. His door is always open, and he encourages students to come by to express their needs and desires. Dr. Kennell is constantly looking for ways to ensure that all students have the chance to make the most of their opportunities at CIES.
In addition to holding a PhD. in Multicultural/ Multilingual Education from FSU, Dr. Kennell has over 20 years of experience teaching English, not only at CIES, but also in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Denmark. His experience, as both a teacher of English and student of Danish, has taught him the value of using classroom knowledge in the real world.
"A ship in the harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for," Patrick says. "Get out and experience everything that you can while here in Tallahassee. Your best classroom is out there!"

Peggy Gary Program Assistant
Peggy is a native of Florida. She grew up in Crawfordville, Florida which is just south of Tallahassee. Peggy has worked at Florida State University for over 15 years. For the last 12 years, she has worked with international students. Peggy says that "this is my passion!". She goes on to say, "At the end of each day, I feel as if I have travelled all over the world after talking with my friends here at CIES!" Peggy's philosophy on life can be summed up in the following quote:
"The unexamined life is not worth living...Wisdom begins in wonder".

Frederick Jenks, Ph.D. Director Emeritus
Dr. Jenks is the founding director of CIES, having established the center in 1980. The senior professor of Multilingual/Multicultural Education at Florida State University, Dr. Jenks has an international reputation as a leader in the field of Teaching English as a Second Language. He has been a consultant to ETS-TOEFL for thirteen years. Dr. Jenks has taught in Saudi Arabia, Czech Republic, the former Yugoslavia, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Zaire and many other nations.
"CIES was established to be an ideal place to learn English intensively," says Dr. Jenks. "It's a place with an excellent program, a superior faculty, a beautiful environment and a successful curriculum. My greatest joy is seeing every student leave CIES with the gift of a new language."