All VIPP instructors are experienced teachers who have been working with international audiences at MSU, as well as abroad. They not only bring knowledge and experience to the classroom, but also mentorship and guidance.
Lorelei Blackburn, Ph.D.
Lorelei Blackburn is an Assistant Professor in the Writing, Rhetoric, and American Cultures (WRAC) Department at MSU. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Purdue University, her Master of Arts in Rhetoric and Writing from DePaul University, and her PhD in Rhetoric and Writing from MSU. She has taught classes domestically, online, and in Uganda, Qatar, and the Republic of Georgia, to both native English speakers and to ESL/EFL students.
Laura Bowman, M.A.
Laura Bowman is an instructor with VIPP and teaches courses about American culture and society. She has master's degrees in German/Spanish and Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL). She has taught language classes at Lansing Community College and MSU. Laura is also a volunteer with international students and scholars at the Friendship House of East Lansing.
Jun Fu, Ph.D.
Jun Fu is the data analyst with the Neighborhood Student Success Center, Office of Undergraduate Education, and Department of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging of Student Life & Engagement. She leads or conducts holistic assessment and data analytics activities. An educational psychologist by training, she adopts an integrated lens to analyze the motivational, social, and cultural factors that shape learning and instruction. Her research has been published in journals such as Teaching of Psychology, Environmental Conservation and Journal of Small Business Management.
Rachael Gates, DMA
Rachel Gates is a global singer, singing-health specialist, and an in-demand public speaker for vocal health presentations. She has taught at Northwestern University, The Hartt School of Music, Yale University, Grand Valley State University ,and MSU. Her degrees in music performance are from Carnegie Mellon University, The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and The Ohio State University, where she pioneered a Singing Health Specialization at The OSU Medical Center with laryngologist L. Arick Forrest, M.D. and Kerrie Obert CCC-SLP.
Xinqiang Li, Ph.D.
Xinqiang Li is an Assistant Professor in Writing, Rhetoric and American Cultures at MSU. His research interests include intercultural rhetoric, second language writing, curriculum design, language and composition, and studies in prose style. Dr. Li earned his Ph.D. in English from Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA, and he holds an M.A. in English from Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China, as well as a B.A. in History from Shandong University.
Patricia A. McKay, Ph.D.
Patricia (Pat) McKay is a retired environmental and natural resource practitioner and Section Chief with the State of Michigan, an Associate Adjunct Professor at Lansing Community College, part-time faculty for MSU’s Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences and International Studies and Programs, a consultant for transformative social ecological system (SES) change, and a board facilitator for an international trade association. She holds a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. from the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at MSU.
Kenya Nelson, M.A.
Kenya Nelson is an ESL Teacher at the Literacy Council in Montgomery County (LCMC) with over ten years of experience helping adults and college-level students with English language acquisition, academic writing, and conversation coaching. Kenya used her B.A. in English from MSU and her M.A. in TESOL from Hamline University to focus on Critical Race Theory in teaching English to speakers of other languages.
Keith I. Bezant Niblett
Keith Niblett is a part of the Executive Development Program at MSU's Eli Broad College of Business. He holds a degree in English with a master’s in Music, and spent the first 20 years of his career in the media industry, holding senior executive and directing positions in regional and national publications, traveling around the world. He continues to teach, write, and advise in business and global strategy areas including cross and inter-cultural understanding, entrepreneurship, and leadership.
Michael Rip Ph.D.
Michael Rip is the Founding Director of the Program in Healthcare Administration (Broad College of Business), and previously the Founding Director of the Program in Public Health (College of Human Medicine). Dr. Rip was on the faculty of the Department of Community Health at the University of Cape Town Medical School, South Africa, for seven years. After obtaining his Ph.D. in spatial epidemiology and medical geography at MSU in 1991, he spent 16 years on the faculty of the Department of Epidemiology.
Amanda Sikarskie, Ph.D.
Amanda Sikarskie is a lecturer at the University of Michigan in the Comprehensive Studies Program. Since receiving her Ph.D. in American Studies from MSU in 2011, she has published five books—The Duprees of Spitalfields (CreateSpace, 2015), Textile Collections (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016), Digital Research Methods for Fashion Studies (Bloomsbury, 2020), Storytelling in Luxury Fashion (Routledge, 2020), and with her colleagues Peng Liu and Lan Lan, Male Idols as Brand Ambassadors in China (Bloomsbury, 2023).
Teresa M. Svec, J.D.
Teresa M. Svec has been teaching international students at MSU since 2012: instructing lawyers within the American Legal System Program at the College of Law, and teaching English at the English Language Center and VIPP. Previously, Teresa also served as VIPP’s Communications Manager, and prior to working at MSU, she served as a policy advisor for the nonprofit organization Disability Network Michigan. She holds a J.D. from MSU Law, and a B.A. in linguistics from the College of Arts & Letters, and is a member of the State Bar of Michigan.