Aiko Pletch 

Academic Coordinator / Lecturer
pletcha1@newpaltz.edu  

Birthplace: Sao Paulo, Brazil 
Interests: online learning, lingusitics, academic preparation 
Award:  2018 Outstanding Teacher Award from New York State TESOL Association 

Bio: Aiko Pletch has been teaching English as a second language for over 15 years. She has a BA in History from McGill University and a MA in Applied Linguistics from Concordia University and has been part of SUNY New Paltz since 2014. She teaches all language levels and all language skills and has also taught both graduate and undergraduate academic classes in the TESOL Graduate program and in the English department. Recently, Aiko has taught in the Dual Diploma Program between SUNY New Paltz and Chongqing University of Education preparing early childhood educators.  

James Phillips 

Lecturer 
phillipj@newpaltz.edu 

Birthplace: USA 
Interests: Global history and cultures; US history 
Award:  Outstanding Teacher of the Year, New York State TESOL, 2016

Bio:  James Phillips has been a full-time lecturer in the Haggerty English Language Program at SUNY New Paltz since 2011.  He has developed English for Specific Purposes courses including Business English and Reading/Writing classes for engineering students and also for music therapy students.  In the summer he has coordinated and taught Business English in a certificate program for the Institute of International Business. He has also taught in China, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.  SUNY New Paltz is where he received his master’s degree in Second Language Acquisition.