Dr. Andy Curtis Named Recipient of 2022 James E. Alatis Award for Service to TESOL
2 November 2021 (Alexandria, VA) – TESOL International Association (TESOL) is pleased to announce that Dr. Andy Curtis is the 2022 recipient of the James E. Alatis Award for Service to TESOL. The award honors outstanding and extended service to the Association and the profession by TESOL members at international, regional, and local levels. The award will be presented to Dr. Curtis at the James E. Alatis Plenary during the 2022 TESOL Convention & English Language Expo in Pittsburgh, PA.
Dr. Curtis has been an active member and leader within TESOL for over 20 years. Much of his work has focused on the intersectionality of color and race within foreign language teaching. He has co-authored and co-edited 200 articles, book chapters, and books, and his work has been read by over 100,000 language educators in 150 countries. From 2015 to 2016, he served as the 50th Board President of TESOL, the Association’s first board president of Indian origin, and the first from the Afro-Caribbean Pacific. In 2016, as one of the 50 most influential figures in the field during the first 50 years of the Association, he received one of the Association’s 50 at 50 Awards. In recent years, he has focused on addressing the critical need of training and developing the next generation of leaders in language education.
TESOL Board President Gabriela Klečková reflected that, “Andy’s service to TESOL and the profession resembles a fine art collage masterpiece. It’s a striking assemblage of a range of professional activities from volunteer leadership roles to presenting and publishing in TESOL on a variety of topics creating a unique and outstanding professional portfolio. Like any great art, it is inspirational and moving.”
From 2007 to 2011, Dr. Curtis was the director of the ELT Unit at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and a professor in the Faculty of Education. Prior to 2007, he was the executive director of the School of English at Queen’s University in Canada, and a professor at the School for International Training in Vermont, USA. He lives in Ontario, Canada, and is an independent consultant for language education organizations worldwide.
The James E. Alatis Award for Service to TESOL was established in 1987 to honor James E. Alatis for his 21 years of devoted service as TESOL's first executive director. Alatis was a charter member of TESOL International Association and Dean Emeritus of the School of Languages and Linguistics at Georgetown University.
Learn more about the award here.
For more information about the TESOL 2022 Convention & English Language Expo, click here.
Download a copy of the full press release here.
About TESOL International Association
TESOL International Association is the trusted global authority for knowledge and expertise in English language teaching. A professional community of more than 10,000 educators representing over 150 countries, TESOL fosters the exchange of ideas to advance the expertise of those teaching English while supporting equity, diversity, and multilingualism. For over 50 years, TESOL has strived to advance its mission with programs, publications, and services to expand its global presence and connectivity throughout the field, share its knowledge and expertise, and amplify its voice through advocacy. For more information, please visit www.tesol.org.
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