Katherine Menec joined the SUNY Geneseo faculty in 2019 after teaching as an Associate Professor of English Language Learners at Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) for six years. She received her Master's of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from the University of Findlay after completing her undergraduate work in Teaching Language in Society. She has significant experience in English Language programming and teaching. Previously, Katherine revised the curriculum at DMACC and designed it to be more accessible and efficient for Iowa's large immigrant and refugee population. She has taught ESOL classes at Chinju National Education University in South Korea, lived abroad in Christchurch, New Zealand and in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. She has also traveled extensively throughout Eastern and Western Europe. Katherine believes in the value of cultural capital, which helps her relate to her students' experiences in the classroom, on campus, and in the community. She supports ESOL students through appropriate curriculum and teaching methods. Outside the classroom, Katherine ensures students have access to academic and personal support.
She teaches INTD 288: Methods of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, Writing 101/201: English Language and American Culture, and INTD 105: First Year Writing Seminar. Katherine’s research interests include Bilingual Education and Policy, Curriculum Design, and Generation 1.5 students. She has been featured on Iowa Public Radio’s Talk of Iowa and has mentored new English Language instructors and college faculty on best practices for the ESOL student population. She is involved with the TESOL International Association and Geneseo's Access Opportunity Program (AOP).
Katherine Menec is head of the Speech Buddies Program and coordinates the ESOL Program at Geneseo. She lives in the greater Rochester area with her golden retriever, Buddy.
