About Our 2026 Keynote Speaker
Dr. Luciana C. de Oliveira (Ph.D.) is Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning in the School of Education at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her research focuses on issues related to teaching multilingual learners in K-12. With over 30 years in the field of TESOL, she has taught at all educational levels, including K-12, adult education, and higher education. Dr. de Oliveira’s research has focused on a functional approach to language development, one of WIDA’s (2020) Big Ideas, for the past 20 years. She has authored or edited 38 books and has over 250 publications in various outlets. She is the recipient of the 2026 James E. Alatis Award for Service to TESOL, the highest honor presented by TESOL International Association, and the 2025 Leadership through Research Award by Second Language Research Special Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). She served in the presidential line (2017-2020), as President (2018-2019), and as a member of the Board of Directors (2013-2016) of TESOL International Association. She was the very first Latina to serve as President of TESOL.
Secretary Cardona said in his 2024 video message to ConnTESOL, “You are some of the best, hard working teachers in the field.” We couldn’t agree more! Come join Connecticut’s TESOL affiliate and participate in our annual conference; submit a proposal and be a presenter; network, support and learn together. We look forward to seeing you there!
