First appointed as a member of the Georgia State faculty in 2013, Dr. Hakyoon Lee’s expertise and community connections have made her a recognized leader in national conversations about LCTL research and pedagogy, especially as it relates to project-based learning and community-based learning. As a community advocate, Dr. Lee’s research interests lie at the intersection of social justice, language and identity, sociolinguistics, multilingualism and immigrant education. Her research portfolio includes projects funded by the National Security Agency, the U.S. Department of Education, the Korea Foundation and the Academy of Korean Studies. Recently, Dr. Lee served as the PI for Georgia’s foreign language teacher (PreK-K12) certification program in Korean, supported by the Ministry of Education in Korea. Additionally, she remains connected with the k-16 language community in Metro Atlanta, specifically through her input on Korean Dual Language Immersion programs in Gwinnett County School District and her collaborations with the Georgia Department of Education.

Vega Charron oversees the coordination of CULTR’s key events, connecting with teachers, students and organizations from Atlanta and beyond, as well as cross-category research on language learning’s lasting impact. Recently graduating from Georgia State with a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Linguistics, Vega is excited to continue a lifelong passion for all things languages while working with CULTR.

Roy Swygert, Multimedia Communications Specialist, Associate, assists the CULTR team in their mission through digital design, print design and technology. He received his Bachelor of Science in Information Technology from Middle Georgia State University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Georgia State. He is pursuing his master’s in Digital Animation at Kennesaw State University.

Dr. Tim Jansa is responsible for advising on strategy concerning issues in international education, language learning and intercultural competence, as well as for delivering presentations, leading workshops and moderating panels on an ad hoc basis. Additionally, he will assist with the proposed research projects and serve as a liaison to the Grants & Contracts team in the College. Jansa earned a doctorate (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership with a focus on higher education from Georgia State. His research centers on leadership at the intersection of college and university internationalization with postsecondary world language education. His studies have also granted him profound insights into the financial and organizational workings of institutions of higher education and greatly informs his management of budgets in keeping with institutional policies, procedures and regulations, as well as staff leadership and development.