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New Members Join LCAL

The Department of Languages, Cultures & Applied Linguistics (LCAL) at ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉúTV welcomes seven new faculty and scholars for the 2025–2026 academic year.

Isabelle Chen, Assistant Professor, French & Francophone Studies

Isabelle Chen joins LCAL after earning her Ph.D. in French Literature and Culture from Princeton University. She also holds a B.A. in English (Creative Writing) and French from Wellesley College.

Dr. Chen joins our French & Francophone Studies program, teaching French language and Francophone culture courses, along with interdisciplinary cultural studies seminars. Her research focuses on migration, diaspora and postcolonial studies, particularly translation in contemporary Francophone literature. Her first book examines how diasporic authors use translation to reflect migration and intercultural experience, and she has published in multiple journals including Modern and Contemporary France and Contemporary French and Francophone Studies: SITES.

Rachel Floyd, Associate Director, Online Language Learning

Rachel Floyd joins us from the University of Georgia. Previously, she earned her Ph.D. in Second Language Acquisition and Teaching from the University of Arizona, and her M.A. in French and B.A. in French and Psychology from the University of Tennessee.

Her research focuses on multiliteracies and critical pedagogies in language learning. At Carnegie Mellon, she co-develops and maintains our online language courses and teaches courses in Second Language Acquisition, Technology and Language Program Administration, integrating interactive methodologies and technology to enhance student engagement and language acquisition.

Yolanda Isabel Gordillo, Adjunct Instructor, Global Communication & Applied Translation

Yolanda Gordillo brings over 15 years of experience in translation and localization of multilingual software applications. For the past five years, she has focused on clinical trial operations, overseeing the licensing and localization of multilingual clinical trials with attention to accuracy, accessibility and cultural sensitivity. She holds a B.A. in International Studies from the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador and a M.A. in Hispanic Linguistics from Pennsylvania State University.

This year, she joins the M.A. in Global Communication & Applied Translation program as an adjunct instructor, bringing her professional expertise to the classroom.

Bertony Louis, Research Fellow and Writer-in-Residence

Bertony Louis is a Haitian poet whose work bridges cultures, languages and continents. He is the author of Recovering the Horizons (2022) and the widely anthologized poems “Cradle of My Vitality” and “Smile Gone Up in Smoke” (Harvard Review, 2025). A winner of thirteen international poetry awards, Louis has held fellowships and residencies at Harvard, the University of Glasgow, SafeMuse in Norway, and joins LCAL as a research fellow with a two year appointment.

He has taught literature and French for over a decade in Haiti and leads poetry workshops internationally. In addition to his fellowship with LCAL, he is also a writer-in-residence with .

Michael McEachrane, Senior Research Fellow, Center for Black European Studies & the Atlantic (CBESA)

Michael McEachrane is a Swedish researcher and international human rights activist specializing in Black European studies, human rights and postcolonialism. He joins LCAL as a senior research fellow with the Center for Black European Studies & the Atlantic (CBESA) and a member of the U.N. Permanent Forum on People of African Descent.

Author and editor of multiple works on race and equality in Europe, Dr. McEachrane has also co-founded several civil society organizations and recently served as a 2024–2025 Racial Justice Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School.

Michael Shaughnessy, Adjunct Instructor, German Studies

Michael (Mike) Shaughnessy is the executive director of the American Association of Teachers of German, leading initiatives to strengthen multilingual language and cultural education in the U.S., with a focus on the German-speaking world. With over 20 years of experience in education and administration, he has developed programs in educational technology, distance learning, nonprofit leadership, international education and data-driven decision-making.

His work spans classroom teaching, graduate program administration, software development, scholarship and endowment management, and partnerships across private and government sectors. This fall, he joins our German Studies program as an adjunct instructor.

Botagoz Tusmagambet, Visiting Lecturer, Korean and Russian Studies

Bota Tusmagambet (DC 2025) graduated with a Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics & Second Language Acquisition from LCAL. Her dissertation critically examined multilingual literacy practices in postcolonial Kazakhstan, focusing on how Kazakh, Russian and English interact in social, cultural, political and educational contexts. Using cultural-historical activity theory, she presented case studies of Kazakh mothers and the ideologies, opportunities and constraints shaping their children’s multilingual literacy.

Dr. Tusmagambet has joined our Korean and Russian Studies programs and will also be teaching general education courses starting this fall.