2025 Executive Board Election
Welcome to this year’s executive board election.
The candidates have written both professional and biographical statements so that you might get to know them better. Please scroll down the page to read all the candidate statements. The candidates are listed in alphabetical order.
When you have made your decision, choose the candidates you prefer and click “Vote” to submit. You may choose up to TWO individuals, and the two receiving the most votes in this election will become the new board members. The individuals elected will take office at the conclusion of this year’s conference and serve a 3-year term.
Daniel Dixon
Professional Statement
I am grateful for all the wonderful people in the CALICO community who have been so welcoming, supportive, and kind over the years. This community is a rich source of inspiration and innovation for so many burgeoning as well as veteran researchers and educators. I certainly feel that I have benefited greatly from being a member of this amazing community, so I am excited for the opportunity to give back by serving as an executive board member.
As a board member, I will support efforts to grow our community and continue CALICO’s rich tradition of being an inclusive innovative organization of researchers, educators, and tech enthusiasts. In particular, I believe that we can grow our membership by reaching out to our colleagues not only in applied linguistics and related fields, but also those in other disciplines like computer science, game design, and software engineering, among others. Diversity, as our community knows well, is a great boon to any organization, allowing for new perspectives from which novel solutions often arise.
I would also like to explore additional support for graduate students, especially those who may be attending CALICO for the first time. When I first attended CALICO as a Ph.D. student, I was thrilled to find a community of teacher-scholars with a shared enthusiasm for technological innovation in education. Since then, I have attended the conference every year, but the 2024 conference was particularly special for me because I was able to bring some of my own Ph.D. students to CALICO for the first time. Like me, they reported their first CALICO conference as a fantastic and fun experience for professional development and research inspiration. Valuable experiences like these can lead to life-long memberships, so we should strive to reduce the barriers that prevent first-time attendees from joining our amazing community.
Biostatement
Dr. Daniel Dixon is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Linguistics and ESL at Georgia State University. Broadly, his research focuses on computer-assisted language learning where he has explored the effectiveness of various technologies like Generative AI and video games for second language learning. He also draws on corpus linguistics tools and methods to compare linguistic variation in a number of digital and real-world language-use domains. He has extensive experience developing and designing digital tools for applied linguistics teaching and research. At GSU, he teaches undergraduate and graduate level courses in language and technology as well as research methods.
Lillian Jones
Professional Statement
I am truly honored to be nominated for the CALICO Executive Board. Since attending my first conference in 2019, I have felt warmly welcome and inspired by the CALICO community, and regarded this organization as an essential hub for fostering innovation and collaboration at the intersection of language learning and technology. CALICO has been instrumental in my professional development, from my first meeting with the graduate student SIG, to being nominated to run for the Executive Board and drafting this candidate statement.
As a two-year committee member and subsequent Chair (1 year position) of the CALICO Graduate Student SIG, I experienced firsthand the profound impact that participation in this supportive and collaborative community has on the professional and personal growth of aspiring scholars, educators, and industry professionals. In that role, I facilitated events for learning and discussions, including conference panels, expert speaker presentations, and reading circles. Our group allowed for graduate students to gain experience in leadership, explore and develop skills relevant to academia and industry, and participate in and model collaborative teamwork. I currently serve as the Chair of the CALICO AI SIG, which fosters dialogue on AI and language learning, and aims to help position CALICO among the leading communities on navigating the role of artificial intelligence in language learning.
Continuing to champion for graduate students, including mentorship, guidance, and professional development will be one of my top priorities should I earn a spot on the Executive Board. I am passionate about supporting graduate students by promoting mentorship programs, expanding professional development resources, securing funding for research and conference attendance, and ensuring their voices are integral to CALICO’s governance and initiatives. For example, I would like to facilitate one-on-one mentorship programs (modeled after AAAL’s Conference Connections initiative) and continue discussions on implementing an “Adopt-a-Graduate-Student” program, helping advocate to create avenues to secure donations to support graduate students in attending conferences.
Additionally, with experience in industry roles,including a tech startup incubator and as a learning designer and language expert for an AI-driven chatbot language coach startup, I bring a unique perspective and a strong commitment to bridging academic research, practice, and the technology industry. I envision CALICO as a conduit for fostering partnerships that empower educators in various sectors that inform language learning and language technology development, including academia and industry. For example, I actively integrate technology tools into my teaching and research, conducting classroom-based research to support and refine these tools and their development, and to gain experience insight from learners. By modeling
collaborative partnerships– such as co-presenting with industry professionals at conferences and engaging in joint research and publications– I aim to create mutually beneficial opportunities that bridge academia and industry, while fostering innovation and informing practice on both sides. I am excited by the opportunity to keep learning from CALICO members and to give back to an organization that has profoundly shaped my professional journey. I look forward to contributing to CALICO’s mission of advancing the field of technology-enhanced language learning, and fostering a collaborative, inclusive community.
Thank you for your consideration!
Biostatement
Lillian Jones is an Assistant Professor of Teaching and the Director of the Spanish Language Program in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of California, Irvine. Her work focuses on second language acquisition, Spanish linguistics, and educational technologies, including mobile-assisted language learning, online and remote teaching and learning, and artificial intelligence. With over a decade of experience teaching Spanish, Lillian is a dedicated and passionate educator committed to implementing and trialing research-driven teaching methods that respond to evolving societal trends in learning, communication, and technology. As Chair of the CALICO’s artificial intelligence and graduate student SIG’s, she has spearheaded initiatives to advance AI discussions in language education and strengthen support for graduate students. She has extensive experience in online and hybrid teaching and has completed several curriculum and instructional design projects for Spanish as a second language. Lillian has published on text messaging and language learning, including its impact on literacy and approaches to integrating emoji into L2 lessons. She has collaborated with edtech organizations to inform innovative tools bridging research and practice and has published in journals such as CALICO Journal and L2 Journal. Other research interests include computer-assisted pronunciation training using automatic speech recognition for L2 pronunciation practice and development.
Stephanie Link
Professional Statement
I am honored to be nominated to serve as a member of the CALICO Board. Since joining in 2012, CALICO has been my professional home—a community that has shaped my growth as a scholar, mentor, and advocate for CALL. I deeply value CALICO’s role in advancing language education and technology and am eager to contribute to its mission.
As a board member, I aim to expand CALICO’s global presence and reinforce its leadership in CALL. My experience with the American Association for Applied Linguistics (AAAL), where I helped establish its largest standing committee on Online Education and Outreach, provides a strong foundation for this work. At AAAL, I launched initiatives to promote diverse scholarship and member engagement—efforts I would be interested in bringing to CALICO to amplify its visibility, connect interdisciplinary audiences, and enhance international collaboration.
I am committed to supporting the next generation of CALL professionals by prioritizing recruitment and mentorship, especially for students and early- to mid-career members. To achieve this, I propose strengthening professional development workshops, fostering cross-institutional collaborations, and offering mentorship pairings with experienced members. Additionally, I aim to help members explore pathways into industry, demonstrating how CALL expertise can thrive beyond academia.
Serving on the CALICO board is an opportunity to give back to an organization that has profoundly influenced my career. I look forward to collaborating with members to advance CALICO’s mission and ensure it remains a vibrant, inclusive, and forward-thinking leader in CALL.
Biostatement
Stephanie Link, Associate Professor at Oklahoma State University, is a dedicated leader within CALICO. She serves as an ex-officio member of the CALICO Journal Executive Board and as Series Editor for CALICO’s Advances in CALL Research and Practice Book Series, where she has been instrumental in advancing research and shaping the field. Her work focuses on L2 writing, technology, and AI in English for Research Publication Purposes (ERPP), with research published in leading journals such as CALICO Journal, Language Learning and Technology, System, and Journal of Second Language Writing.
Jeffrey Maloney
Professional Statement
I am honored to be considered for election to the CALICO Executive Board. I have been a member of the CALICO organization since I began my journey into this field in 2013. Being a part of this organization is a bright spot in my professional life. I deeply enjoy interfacing with other CALICO members and learning about their work within our wide field. I am grateful I have been able to deepen my understanding and develop my professional capacities through my membership and the connections that I have made over the years.
As a member, I have served as the chair of the Gaming SIG and the Teacher Education SIG, and I currently serve on the editorial board. I believe that our membership has some of the most dedicated, hard-working researchers and educators. We have so much to offer!
I am excited about the CALICO organization as I believe we are uniquely positioned to be thought leaders as we confront the changing landscape of language education. I believe strongly in the importance of equipping language educators with the knowledge and skills necessary to support students, something that members of CALICO also clearly care about. I also highly value the power of researcher-practitioner dialogue and hope to work to empower more efforts in this area through CALICO.
If elected, my goal is to promote teacher training for technology use and to seek and support more work exploring ethical and effective use of generative AI technologies in the language classroom. Finally, I hope to add my voice to strengthening ties across organizations and with other fields.
Biostatement
Jeffrey Maloney (Ph.D., Michigan State University) is an assistant professor in the TESOL/EIL program at Brigham Young University – Hawaii. He has worked and taught at universities in Ohio, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Hawaii. Currently, he teaches courses in TESOL, Linguistics, and Academic English. He also leads the EIL peer-tutoring program.
His primary research interests are language teacher education for CALL, World Englishes, and teacher and learner identity.
Tricia Thasher
Professional Statement
I am very honored by the nomination to run for the CALICO Executive Board. I have been a member of CALICO since 2018 and have truly never felt more at home amongst a group of scholars. The CALICO community and annual conference have been instrumental in shaping my identity as a researcher, and I would be delighted to give back to the organization through serving on the board.
During my time in CALICO, I have participated in various SIGs, including the Immersive Realities SIG and the Graduate Student SIG. From 2021-2023, I held leadership positions in the Immersive Realities SIG, acting as both the Associate Chair and Chair of the group. I also served as a co-guest editor for the CALICO Journal’s Special Issue (40.1) on XR and have been a member of the CALICO Journal Editorial Advisory Board since 2023.
As a scholar who transitioned from academia to an EdTech company, I am deeply passionate about bridging the gap between academia and industry. If elected to the CALICO board, I would prioritize building relationships between our organization and industry partners, ensuring the academic research that CALICO members are conducting reaches the companies that are creating language learning tools. I believe that as an academic organization, CALICO is uniquely positioned to bridge these two worlds. I am also committed to supporting initiatives focused on helping graduate students and early-career scholars who are interested in pursuing industry positions prepare for and secure these roles.
Thank you for your consideration.
Biostatement
Tricia Thrasher (Ph.D.) is currently the Director of Research at IMMERSE, a virtual reality language learning company. In this role, she manages partnerships with over 30 academic institutions who conduct research using IMMERSE. Her research interests include immersive learning technologies, emotional responses to learning, and the use of AI for learning. Her work has appeared in journals such as CALICO Journal, Foreign Language Annals, and the RELC Journal. She also co-edited the CALICO Journal’s 2023 Special Issue on XR: Crossing Reality to Enhance Language Learning. She has earned both the ACTFL Award for Doctoral Dissertation Research in World Language Education and CALICO Journal Article of the Year awards for her previous work.