Hello ITA Colleagues,

My name is Stephen Looney, and I have been coordinating the ITA program at Penn State University since 2013. I was introduced to the ITAIS at my first TESOL international convention in 2012 and have since served as a member-at-large and secretary. During this time, I have enjoyed meeting many of you and sharing experiences and ideas about ITA issues across the country. The ITAIS is an invaluable professional resource for all of us, and I look forward to working with you all to continue building the most vibrant interest section in TESOL.

TESOL 2016 in Baltimore was an exciting conference, and Seattle promises to be just as stimulating. I am currently organizing the academic session for TESOL 2017. The presenters will discuss what recent work in three strands of applied linguistics can contribute to ITA policy, research, and training. I hope you will join us for the academic session on Wednesday, 22 March 2017 from 3 pm–4:45 pm.

I am grateful for the opportunity to help lead such a great group and look forward to learning from past and present leaders like Liz Tummons, Rebecca Oreto, and Elizabeth Gillstrom. Feel free to email me if you have any questions or ideas to share about the ITAIS.

Stephen Looney