Kudos: Faculty present at the Oxford Education Research Symposium; Bhattacharya to lead U.S. State Department project in Sri Lanka

Faculty present at the Oxford Education Research Symposium

In July, Juanita Johnson-Bailey, Rosemary E. Phelps, and Jamon H. Flowers represented the Mary Frances Early College of Education at the Oxford Symposia on Education. Their presentations highlighted the diverse scholarship and collaborative spirit that define our faculty’s contributions to national and international conversations about education.

Johnson-Bailey, a professor in the Department of Lifelong Education, Administration, and Policy, and Phelps, professor and director of clinical training in the Department of Counseling and Human Development Services, co-presented “Narratives of Women Faculty: Going from Pet to Threat,” offering an important examination of the shifting dynamics women faculty often face in academic spaces.

Johnson-Bailey also partnered with Mitsunori Misawa of the University of Tennessee to share “Pedagogical Praxis: A Knowledge and Perspective Shaped by Collaborative Autoethnographic Teaching Narratives.” Flowers, an assistant professor in the Department of Lifelong Education, Administration, and Policy, presented his research, “Addressing the Challenges: How Generative Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Rural Education Leadership,” which explored how rural leaders are using AI to reimagine equity and access in their communities.

A highlight of the symposium was the opportunity to visit the UGA at Oxford building, where the faculty engaged with current students and director James McClung. The visit underscored UGA’s strong presence at Oxford and offered meaningful connections between faculty scholarship and student experiences abroad.

Bhattacharya to lead U.S. State Department project on AI-integrated English language teaching in Sri Lanka

Usree Bhattacharya, an associate professor in TESOL and world languages in the Department of Language and Literacy Education, has been selected by the U.S. Department of State for an English language specialist project in Sri Lanka from Oct. 1-22. Her work will focus on advancing the use of AI in English language teaching, an area of growing importance in higher education worldwide. Through keynote and conference presentations, workshops, and curriculum consultations, Bhattacharya will support educators in exploring responsible and innovative ways to bring AI into English language classrooms and programs.

This marks Bhattacharya’s second appointment with the English Language Specialist Program; from August 2024-March 2025, she led a virtual project with Russian technical universities on AI integration in English language teaching.

The English Language Specialist Program is the premier opportunity for leaders in the field of teaching English to speakers of other languages to enact meaningful and sustainable changes in the way English is taught abroad. Through projects developed by U.S. embassies in more than 80 countries, English language specialists work directly with local teacher trainers, educational leaders, and ministry of education officials to exchange knowledge, build capacity, and establish partnerships benefiting participants, institutions, and communities in the United States and overseas.