Faculty

Greta Climenhaga - Instructor and Curriculum Coordinator

MEd, University of Arizona
BA University of Arizona

My master's degree is in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in second language acquisition. I have taught English as a Second Language for 25 years. I also taught courses in psychology for several years. I am happy to have been at Kansas State University since 2006. I have taught all levels of ESL in addition to teacher education courses and online programs in English for Public Policy and English for teaching about Climate Change.

Smoky Kelly - Instructor and Faculty Coordinator

slkelly@ksu.edu

Masters in TESOL, Anaheim University

Smoky has taught a variety of English courses in the US and in Japan. He has served in multiple roles as an instructor, professional development chair, faculty coordinator and currently serves as the J-1 scholar interview coordinator/administrator in the English Language Program at K-State the past 11 years. He also serves as the advisor for the Japanese Student Association.

Smoky grew up in the Seattle, Washington, Before getting into the field of education, he worked in various fields and earned a BA in Organizational Management at Ashford University, then later earned a master's in TESOL from Anaheim University while teaching in Japan. He earned a second master's degree in Adult Learning and Leadership, along with an Online Course Design Certificate from Kansas State University.

Outside of work he spends his time raising family with his spouse. Smoky's personal and professional interests include coaching, leadership, personal development, faith, family, finances and collaborative partnerships.

Christine Lewis - Instructor and Curriculum Coordinator

christinelewis@ksu.edu

Ph.D in Applied Linguistics from Universiti Brunei Darussalam
MA in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from San Francisco State University
MA in Intercultural Studies from Kim School of Intercultural Studies (GGBTS)
BA in Spanish from Samford University

Christine is a Kansan by birth. However, her life, her love for teaching, and her desire for growth took her all over the world before she recently returned to this wonderful state. She explored countries like Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Peru as she learned Spanish. She took in the colors, flavors, and life of busy cities in India during her first English teaching jobs. Her students in intensive English programs in Maryland and Arkansas introduced her to the fascinating perspectives of more cultures than she can count. As an English Language Fellow in Indonesia, she also learned how to train the next generation of English language instructors. Finally, her experience as a doctoral candidate in Brunei Darussalam fine-tuned her skills in research, editing, publications, and academic presentations. Don’t worry. All that learning in her travels did not mean that Christine did not have fun. In each place she lived, she baked cookies, played games, read books, played her guitar, watched movies, sang Karaoke, ate at new places, saw amazing sites, and made many friends. Now back in Kansas, Christine looks forward to growing not only as an English language instructor at KSU but also as a Kansan who knows the amazing places this state has to offer.

Jolene McConnell - Instructor

jmcconnell@ksu.edu

MA in TESOL and Linguistics from Ball State University in Muncie, IN
BA in History from Point Park University in Pittsburgh, PA

Jolene began teaching at K-State in 2012 and has served as a member or chair of several committees including curriculum chair, tutoring center coordinator, social media chair, testing committee, and technology committee.

After a year away from the ELP, Jolene returned in January of 2024 to continue working with students.

Ranae Peverill - Instructor and Curriculum Coordinator

ranpev@ksu.edu

Master's Degree in Teaching English as a Second Language, Oklahoma State University
Bachelor of Arts Degree in English, Indiana Wesleyan University

Along with a Master's Degree in TESL and many years of teaching experience, Ranae has spent 20 years learning Arabic in the Middle East and understands language learning. She is eager to help students through the learning process for reading, writing, listening and speaking in English. Ranae and her husband Tim (also an ELP instructor) have traveled and lived in many places around the world, but truly enjoy living in Manhattan, Kansas and want to welcome all international students to study here.

Tim Peverill - Instructor and English Proficiency Test Coordinator

timpev@ksu.edu

B.A. in History from Asbury University
M.A. in Linguistics from the University of Iowa

Tim first came to teach at K-State in 1989. That's when he met his wife Ranae, who also was a teacher in the English Language Program. After a few years he left to study Arabic and teach in the Middle East. He worked in Jordan, the UAE, and Oman for almost 20 years. He came back to K-State in 2014 . Tim and his wife, Ranae still teach in the ELP. Now, they have two adult daughters and two grandchildren.