Dr. Elsie Paredes

Dr. Paredes is the Director of the Virginia Tech Language and Culture Institute, where she leads university preparation programs for international students. With over 35 years in the field of language teaching and international education, she has extensive experience in teaching English as a second language, training instructors, and program administration in both Peru and the U.S. Dr. Paredes holds an M.S. in TESOL and a Doctorate in Adult Education and Human Resource Development with a specialization in International and Intercultural Development Education from Florida International University.

Throughout her career, Dr. Paredes has been involved in numerous international capacity-building projects, including program needs assessment and evaluation at Effat University in Saudi Arabia and Sokoine University in Tanzania. Notably, she developed and led a teacher training program for the Iraqi Kurdistan Rural University Partnership Program, enhancing faculty skills in English language teaching, curriculum development, and technology for language learning. Additionally, she has conducted workshops and seminars on intercultural development training at universities worldwide, significantly contributing to the advancement of global education.