SPEAKERS
Dr. Pedro Mayoral
Dr. Mayoral holds a Ph.D. in Education from ITESO, a Bachelor’s in English Language, and an M.S. in Technology and Education from the University of Colima. He has a Teaching Certificate with Commendation from the Anglo Institute and specialized training from Marjon University, UK. With 37 years in education, he has taught from early childhood to university levels, training teachers at the University of Colima, where he is a full-time professor and researcher. An experienced speaker, he has presented at TESOL New York, PBL China, and FIG in Sydney. His research explores technology, active methodologies, and learner autonomy.
Dr. Veronico Tarrayo
San Francisco State University
Veronico N. Tarrayo, Ph.D. is a full professor at the Department of English, Faculty of Arts and Letters, University of Santo Tomas (UST), Manila, the Philippines, and a researcher at the UST Research Center for Social Sciences and Education. With a deep passion for inclusivity, he champions gender equality in English language education, seeking to break down barriers and challenge traditional norms in the field. His work has been featured in various indexed journals, focusing on gender perspectives in English language teaching and teacher ideologies. He has held editorial roles in academic publications, including the Asian Journal of English Language Studies, Professional and Academic English, and the International Journal of TESOL Studies. Through his research and advocacy, he is committed to reshaping how language education embraces diversity.
East Carolina University
Dr. Astrid Núñez - Pardo
Universidad Externado de Colombia
Astrid Núñez-Pardo, an associate researcher in the Master’s Programme in Education at Universidad Externado de Colombia, holds a PhD in Education Sciences from Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, an MA in Education from Universidad Externado de Colombia, and a Diploma in Linguistic Studies from the University of Essex -UK and in Child Rights Management from Lund University-Sweden. Her research interests comprise cultural, political, and knowledge hegemony in EFL textbooks, critical analysis of English textbooks and teacher generated materials, and critical interculturality. Recognised with the Claire de Silva Award and as a Pioneer Colombian Woman in the comprehension EFL materials from a critical decolonial perspective.
Dr. José Vicente Abad Olaya
Universidad Católica Luis Amigó
José Vicente Abad holds a master 's degree (Saint Mary 's University, USA) and a PhD (UPB, Colombia), both in education. With 20 years of experience as a language teacher and 15 as a teacher educator, Dr. Abad currently works as assistant professor for the English teaching programs at Universidad Católica Luis Amigó. His research focuses on teacher research training, academic literacies, and collective writing practices. Dr. Abad is a member of EILEX research group and of EscriLab writing center. Since 2017 he coordinates semillero FORMALE, a student research lab on language teacher education. Besides teaching and research, he loves singing
Dr. Isabel Tejada Sánchez
Universidad de Los Andes
Isabel Tejada Sánchez earned a double PhD in Language Sciences from Paris 8 University and in Linguistic Communication and Multilingual Mediation from Universitat Pompeu Fabra. As an educator and researcher, she leads reflective spaces on the integration of artificial intelligence from a human-centered perspective in education and holds a certification in Prompt Engineering. Her research interests include second language learning in educational contexts, growth mindset, interculturality, and playful pedagogies. She is currently an Associate Professor at the School of Education at Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia.
