by Liza Armstrong
“Ching-Ching-CHING!”
Instructor Jenifah Abu-Hassan reminisced that Mark Algren, a MIDTESOL member, used to start his faculty meetings with this sound of Tibetan double bells when he served as her boss at American University of Sharjah in the UAE. As he undoubtedly started meetings as director of language programs at two Saudi universities and the University of Kansas (KU), Mark still begins meetings with this pleasant ringing at the University of Missouri-Columbia, where he is the Executive Director of the Center for English Language Learning (CELL).
In addition to having held these leadership positions, Mark has steered many professional organizations, including serving as the Vice President of University and College Intensive English Programs (UCIEP)(2013-14) and President of TESOL (2009-10). Recently, TESOL members selected Mark as one of the 50 most influential people in our field in the past 50 years. Some of Mark’s present and past colleagues have singled out distinguishing qualities that make him richly deserving of the 50 at 50 award:
1. Leader for innovation and improvement
- Frontiersman. According to Fahd Said, Mark’s Dean of Education Services in Saudi Arabia, Mark is a “frontiersman” who helped “establish a college in the middle of the Arabian Desert,” with his contributions to Hail University.
- Prime Mover. Administrative Assistant of CELL at MU, Susan DeMian, referred to Mark as an “administrative ‘mover and shaker.’”
- Navigator. Mark has navigated Mizzou’s CELL programs through many changes, including hiring new IEP director Lily Sorenson, restructuring IEP levels, substantially increasing the size of the faculty, renovating offices and classrooms, and purchasing a computer lab.
2. Advocate for professional development
- Investor. Mark financially supports professional development for his staff, offering opportunities to take online classes; attend and present at regional and international conferences; and participate in customized workshops with experts on topics like curriculum, assessment, and accreditation.
- Role Model. Mark also sets a great example for professional development. He delivered an impressive 6 presentations at the 2016 TESOL Convention in Baltimore and even dressed up as the Cowardly Lion in a Wizard of Oz-inspired musical rendition of the past 50 years of TESOL.
- Delegator. CELL instructor Barbara Leonhard wrote that Mark is “able to delegate jobs to the faculty and enable them to foster leadership skills,” thus adding to our professional development.
- Motivator. Kaitlin Westbook, CELL instructor, noted that she had also worked with Mark at KU and continues to learn from him, admire him, and is “grateful for his insight and steadfast confidence in his faculty.”
3. Expert Communicator
- Skillful Persuader & Active Listener. Leo Schmitt, who worked with Mark at American University of Sharjah, reported, “When there were pressures ‘from above’ to make counter-productive changes, Mark was able to respond with hard data and soft charm. . . Mark’s understanding of his own field and ability to convey that understanding to those who lacked it set him apart as an administrator.” Schmitt also noted that Mark was an active listener who “took real efforts to understand” his students, faculty, staff, and administration.
- Promoter Across Disciplines. Aaron Huerter, Program Manager at KU’s Applied English Center, wrote, “I always felt that one of Mark’s biggest contributions to the TESOL field has been his dedication to promoting and professionalizing the field, especially in relation to helping those outside the field understand it better.”
- Unifier. Charles Bankart, Assistant Vice Provost at KU, noted that Mark “has dedicated his life’s work to bringing people from diverse backgrounds together and helping them to understand one another.”
4. Champion of increasing program visibility
- Spotlight Operator. Irene Juzkiw, Senior Associate Director of CELL and Director of ELSP, wrote that Mark has helped CELL to increase its visibility at Mizzou through his work with department heads on campus. Additionally, he has made international students more aware of CELL through leading and supporting several recruitment trips abroad, improving CELL’s website, and launching a Mizzou IEP Facebook page.
- Professional. Mark also intends to increase visibility by having CELL become a member of UCIEP and complete the CEA accreditation process in the next 2 years.
5. Source of Wit, Charm, & Levity
- Fun-lover. CELL instructor Patty Wayland noted that Mark “accepts and encourages fun in the workplace.”
- Food-lover. Two of Mark’s colleagues from American University at Sharjah mentioned that he always had a bowl of M&Ms on his desk, which (obviously) added to his charm. Also, at CELL, Mark organizes faculty “elections” to establish the top Cadbury chocolate (UK vs. US) or brand of donut, thus creating a lighter atmosphere.
- Amusing Organizer. At the end of the semester, when the CELL refrigerator needs to be cleaned, Mark says that “Ruthless Ruth” will come to do it (a friendly and funny way of saying he will throw out all leftover food).
These are just a few of the many attributes that set Mark apart in the field of teaching English. He is a pleasure to work with, and it will be exciting to observe the positive effects from his contributions rippling out across many institutions, students, and colleagues in our field over the next 50 years.
Congratulations, Mark, on your 50 at 50 award!
Liza Armstrong is an instructor at the Center for English Language Learning at the University of Missouri-Columbia, where she works with Mark Algren. She is also the secretary of MIDTESOL and is grateful to the CELL staff and Mark’s former colleagues for their contributions to this article.
