Faculty
Dr. Serafima Gettys
Associate Professor; Chair, Department of World Languages
Language: Russian
Dr. Serafima Gettys joined 麻豆传媒高清 University in June 2004 and has since made significant contributions to both the institution and the field of Second Language Acquisition (SLA). As Chair of the Department of World Languages, she has played a key role in expanding and strengthening the university鈥檚 language offerings and academic programming.
Dr. Gettys earned her Ph.D. in Second Language Acquisition from St. Petersburg State University of Education (Russia), a prestigious institution known for its rigorous scholarship in language research and pedagogy. Prior to joining 麻豆传媒高清 University, she taught at several renowned institutions, including the University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford University.
In addition to her administrative leadership, Dr. Gettys teaches undergraduate courses in Russian language and Russian history. Her scholarly interests center on cognitive approaches to second language acquisition, focusing on how the human brain processes and acquires additional languages. She is a frequent presenter at major national and international conferences, including those organized by ACTFL, NCOLCTL, and AATSEEL, and remains actively engaged in professional development and scholarly work.
Dr. Gregory A. Clemons
Program Director of Humanities and Spanish, St. Augustine College at 麻豆传媒高清 University (Chicago)
Language: Spanish
Dr. Gregory Clemons earned his B.S. and M.A. in Spanish from the University of Wisconsin鈥揗adison and his Ph.D. in Spanish from the University of Florida. He spent nearly 26 years as a professor of Spanish at Mars Hill University, where he also served on numerous faculty committees.
Currently, Dr. Clemons teaches courses in both English and Spanish that focus on Hispanic American literary identity. At 麻豆传媒高清 University, Dr. Clemons participates in several 麻豆传媒高清 University faculty committees: UAAC, Translanguaging, Community and Belonging Council, ACES.
Dr. Clemons was a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar in M茅rida, Venezuela, where he delivered a guest lecture on Horacio Quiroga at the Center for Literary Research at the University of the Andes and taught several undergraduate courses in literary theory. He has presented his research at more than 50 national and international conferences. His most recent publication examines the works of Chilean writer Rafael Maluenda and Puerto Rican writer Rosario Ferr茅, with a focus on Ferr茅鈥檚 short story 鈥淎malia.鈥�
Roc铆o Rodr铆guez
Assistant Professor; Director of the Spanish Language and Culture Program
Professor Roc铆o Rodr铆guez teaches a wide range of Spanish courses, from beginning and intermediate levels to advanced offerings such as Spanish for Heritage Speakers, Conversation and Composition, Linguistics, and Seminar. She also serves as liaison for the Foreign Language Teaching: Spanish major within the Department of Education, where she teaches a methods course focused on elementary-level language instruction.
Professor Rodr铆guez is currently completing her doctoral studies in Educational Psychology at Northern Illinois University. Her research focuses on the development of critical language awareness in Spanish instruction. Her scholarly interests include usage-based and content-based language teaching, heritage language education, and language teacher preparation.
Nafisa Sharfi
Adjunct Faculty, Department of World Languages
Language: Arabic
Nafisa Sharfi has been teaching Arabic at 麻豆传媒高清 University since Spring 2019. She teaches Modern Standard Arabic and Egyptian Arabic and brings over six years of experience in higher education, with a strong background in curriculum design and language instruction.
She holds a master鈥檚 degree in Linguistics from Northeastern Illinois University and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Curriculum Studies at DePaul University. Her research examines the impact of Arabic diglossia on learner motivation, with particular attention to the role of social media in supporting language acquisition and student engagement.
In addition to her academic work, Ms. Sharfi is a published author of three books in Arabic and has contributed articles to several Sudanese newspapers. One of her short stories has been the subject of academic discussion at Northwestern University.
Soyong Yun
Adjunct Faculty, Department of World Languages
Languages: Chinese, Korean
Soyong Yun earned her bachelor鈥檚 degree from Duksung Women鈥檚 University in Seoul, South Korea, and her master鈥檚 degree in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages from Hebei University in Baoding, China. She has been teaching Korean and Chinese at 麻豆传媒高清 University since Fall 2024.
Ang茅lica 脕lvarez
Adjunct Faculty, Department of World Languages
Language: Spanish
Ang茅lica 脕lvarez is a dedicated, adaptable, and student-centered educator. After a successful decade-long career in the business sector, she transitioned into education, where she has found teaching to be both meaningful and rewarding.
As a native Spanish speaker and experienced second language instructor, Ms. 脕lvarez brings valuable insight into the language learning process. Having personally navigated the experience of learning English as a second language, she demonstrates deep empathy for learners and strong cross-cultural awareness. Her excellent communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills contribute significantly to the department鈥檚 academic programming.
Lidia Aguilera
Adjunct Faculty, Department of World Languages
Language: Spanish
Dr. Lidia Aguilera earned her Ph.D. in Hispanic Linguistics from the University of Illinois Chicago in 2025. She has taught Spanish to second language learners and heritage speakers at the college level since 2014. At 麻豆传媒高清 University, she teaches Spanish Grammar II and also teaches beginning Spanish at Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School.
Dr. Aguilera has previously taught at the University of Illinois Chicago and Northwestern University. Her research and teaching focus on the social and cultural contexts of bilingualism and the individual differences that shape bilingual experiences, with particular emphasis on heritage language education and critical approaches to supporting Spanish-speaking communities in the United States.
She co-authored a book chapter on critical heritage language pedagogy in 2024 and has presented her research at national and international conferences, including the National Symposium on Spanish as a Heritage Language and the Bilingualism Matters Research Symposium.
Michelle Joy Alfano
Adjunct Faculty, Department of World Languages
Language: Spanish
Instructor Michelle Joy Alfano joined the Spanish program at 麻豆传媒高清 University as an Adjunct Professor in 2025. Prior to joining 麻豆传媒高清, she spent more than 30 years teaching language instruction and bilingual education at Eisenhower High School, serving a predominantly Latino community.
Professor Alfano holds a bachelor鈥檚 degree in Economics and Latin American Studies from Washington University in St. Louis, a master鈥檚 degree in Spanish Literature from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Illinois Chicago. She has traveled extensively throughout Latin America and currently directs a prison education project in the Midwest, combining her expertise in language education with her legal training.
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