Kudos: Chiesa selected for prestigious English Language Specialist project; Congratulations to the College’s five Blue Key initiates

**Chiesa selected for prestigious English Language Specialist project**

David Chiesa, a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Language and Literacy Education, was recently selected by the U.S. Department of State for a month-long English Language Specialist virtual project focusing on second language acquisition, language testing, and research in the Philippines.

Toward the end of the project, Chiesa will serve as the plenary speaker during the 2021 International Conference of the Philippine Association for Language Teaching, Inc. (PALT), which is also celebrating its 60th anniversary. PALT is the oldest professional language association in the Philippines and is an affiliate of TESOL and the Pan-Asian Consortium of Language Teaching Societies. Part of a select group, Chiesa’s project is one of approximately 200 that the English Language Specialist Program supports each year.

**Congratulations to the College’s five Blue Key initiates**

Four students and an alumna of the Mary Frances Early College of Education were recently recognized as 2021-22 Blue Key initiates at the annual Tucker Dorsey Blue Key Awards Banquet.

Blue Key recognizes second-, third-, and fourth-year undergraduate, graduate, and professional students of outstanding character who have achieved distinction in scholarship, leadership, and service. The College’s 2021-22 Blue Key initiates are:

* **Phaidra Buchanan** (B.S.Ed. ’21), social studies education
* **Lytzy Hernandez** (B.S.Ed. ’22), exercise and sport science
* **Margaret Kowalski** (B.S.Ed. ’22), sport management
* **Nia Mitchell** (Ph.D. ’24), qualitative research and evaluation methodologies
* **Sophie Waller** (M.S. ’18, Ph.D. ’24), kinesiology