Gadsden State Community College
Alabama Language Institute
FACULTY and STAFF
Ron Bagby received his Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in English from the University of Alabama in Birmingham and his Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and Portuguese from the University of Houston. Born and
raised in the German-Italian influenced southernmost state of Brazil, he came to the United States at the age of eighteen and found his second home in ALI. "After more than thirty years of teaching over nine thousand ESL students, I still feel that everyday is a fresh, new experience in an atmosphere of unequaled job satisfaction and continuous enlightenment of the benefits that international exchanges provide for this world." rbagby@gadsdenstate.edu
Paula Ross-Derrick has a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Curriculum and Instruction/TESOL from the University of Alabama and a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in English from the University of West
Georgia. Dr. Ross has twenty five years' experience teaching English, American Literature and ESL on the college level. She taught at Universidade Federal de Vicosa, Brazil, in 1995 and 1999.
"Teaching ESL brings the world into my classroom. As my students learn English from me, I learn about the world from them. Everyday is a delight." pross@gadsdenstate.edu
Elise Harbin has a Master of Arts degree in TESOL from the Pennsylvania State University. She has taught English for ten years, including two in Japan, to students of a variety of ages and nationalities. "I love that as I teach and help students I can learn so much because each student brings his or her own culture, experience and knowledge to the classroom ." eharbin@gadsdenstate.edu
Patti Wilborn has a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in TESOL from the University of Alabama as well as a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in German Literature
and Language from the University of South Carolina. She has taught English in the Slovak Republic and Brazil. Her favorite courses to teach are
grammar and conversation.
"My interest in learning language and exploring other cultures has brought me to the profession of teaching English to non-native speakers. For me, being a good teacher means approaching the classroom as a place where I not only teach students English, but also learn from the knowledge and experiences that students bring with them. pwilborn@gadsdenstate.edu
