Vanessa joined the Chicago Center for Teaching and Learning (CCTL) in June 2025. Previously, she served UChicago from positions in the Chicago Language Center and the English Language Institute. As the Associate Director of Operations and Finance, Vanessa assists the CCTL Executive Director in the center’s financial planning and administration. Additionally, in collaboration with the CCTL’s Programs and Operations Administrator, she addresses the center’s communication and programming needs. She is purposeful about aligning programming decisions with the center’s mission of providing exceptional professional development to faculty and instructors in service of inclusive teaching in The College. She is also enthusiastic about fostering a sense of community across campus, particularly among program administrators, to build support systems that promote human connection, collaboration and efficiency.
She earned her MA in Applied Linguistics/Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) in 2013 and has worked for nearly 15 years in higher education classrooms, writing centers, and language centers. In addition to teaching English language, she has designed and taught a variety of courses including academic and digital literacy, first-year writing, and public speaking at institutions such as DePaul, Tokyo International University, and Columbia College Chicago. Her academic interests include language pedagogy, critical thinking, and digital literacy in the age of the Internet and AI.
Please contact Vanessa if:
- You have questions about the CCTL’s operations and financial activities.
- You have requests for using the CCTL classroom (Wieboldt 310 D/E).
- You have questions about our calendar or website.