Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Three Rivers TESOL draws its name from its host city's geography, which features the confluence of the Allegheny River, the Monongahela River, and the Ohio River. Three Rivers TESOL is the meeting place for professional development for ESOL teachers in central and western Pennsylvania, with the purpose of improving ESOL teaching in the region. Established in 1990, Three Rivers TESOL is celebrating its 25th anniversary by sending several delegates to the 2015 TESOL International Convention and English Language Expo in Toronto in March, and planning numerous exciting professional development events throughout the year, including the annual fall conference in October.

Three Rivers TESOL is proud to receive strong support from member colleges, universities, and schools in the area; their support demonstrates their resolute commitment to professional development by sponsoring their employees and students’ memberships and conference attendance. The majority of our 100-plus members study and work in these member institutions from diverse educational settings, including intensive English programs, colleges and universities, K–12 schools, and adult education organizations. The organization is also known for providing an exceptional forum for graduate students, who represent over 30% of our membership, to share their research in language learning and teaching with fellow graduate students and ESL professionals. In addition, Three Rivers TESOL is actively engaged with TESOL International Association by having its board members serve on the Affiliate Leadership Council and participating in events organized by TESOL, including the TESOL Policy and Advocacy Summit in Washington, DC. We look forward to celebrating our silver anniversary and TESOL International Association’s gold anniversary after 50 years in existence.

Linh Phung is the director of the English Language Program at Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She has taught EFL and ESL in various institutions in Vietnam and the United States, including Vietnam National University, Penn State, Carnegie Mellon, and Chatham University. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in TESOL.