New leadership ushers in new era for Language and Culture Institute

Amanda Broome

12 Dec 2023

Elsie Paredes and Pamela Smart-Smith pose together on a wooden bench — Elsie Paredes (at left) and Pamela Smart-Smith have been named co-directors of the Language and Culture Institute. Photo by Amanda Broome for Virginia Tech.

The Virginia Tech Language and Culture Institute (LCI), which for over half a century has helped international students improve their English language and academic skills, is ushering in a new era with the appointment of two new co-directors.

Longtime administrators Elsie Paredes and Pamela Smart-Smith will lead the institute, which this year moved into the fifth floor of the new Gilbert Street building.

“We are thrilled to have Elsie and Pamela lead our Language and Culture Institute,” said Susan E. Short, associate vice president for engagement with Outreach and International Affairs. “Their collective expertise will enhance our students’ learning experiences, foster further cultural exchange, and reinforce our commitment to promoting diversity and inclusivity.”

Impact for students

The institute has long been a global gateway to the university, helping international students meet their personal, academic, and professional goals. In addition to improving their English, students credit LCI with increasing their cultural fluency and preparing them for the rigors of the U.S. system of higher education.

“Because we help these Hokies cultivate their academic writing skills, cultural competency, and oral communication skills, we’re helping them feel and be more successful and better integrated into their programs and this community,” Paredes said.

Norovbanzad Tsogt-Ochir, for example, is a student from Mongolia who was able to pursue her master’s in transportation infrastructure and systems engineering with support from the LCI.

“One of the real benefits of studying at the LCI, is that in addition to English, you are immersed into what it’s like to study at an American university,” she said.

Meeting a need

To meet the diverse needs of students, faculty, and staff across the university, Paredes and Smart-Smith aim to expand the LCI’s scope by leveraging the expertise and experience of the institute’s faculty.

For decades, LCI faculty have been leading English as a second language teacher training, curriculum development workshops, and program evaluation as part of capacity-building initiatives across Virginia and around the world.

“We want to use the talent already in our offices to serve more Hokies,” Smart-Smith said. “We know that the knowledge and expertise we have is something that many departments and colleges are needing.”

Already, she and Paredes are developing targeted programming to meet specific department and college needs. For example, as departments identify students who would like support with their English language skills, the LCI provides custom plans for each student. The institute is also in the process of creating a summer semester program for international employees starting work with a local manufacturer.

Paredes and Smart-Smith are also focusing on leveraging the institute’s deep international relationships and the connections they make during regular international recruitment trips. These efforts will support colleges’ enrolment goals, departments’ research initiatives, and students’ academic success by recruiting highly qualified students and then helping those students transition to the culture, language, and new academic procedures of an American university.

“With the university’s focus on becoming a top 100 global university, the LCI is ready to step up and help colleges and departments meet that goal,” Smart-Smith said. “It’s all about attracting the brightest talent from around the world. Together, the LCI and the academic and research departments we’re working with are forming the international partnerships and building the bridges needed to make this happen.”

Experience for the role

Paredes has served as the institute’s associate director since arriving at Virginia Tech in 2011. She earned her doctorate in adult education and human resource development and her master’s in teaching English to speakers of other languages from Florida International University.

Smart-Smith has been with the LCI since 2012, most recently leading its academic preparation program for master’s students. She earned her doctorate in curriculum and instruction from Virginia Tech and has master’s degrees in education from Virginia Tech and in public administration from Old Dominion University.

Paredes and Smart-Smith had served on an interim basis after the retirement last year of Don Back, who had led the LCI since 2007.