Dr. Syeda Farzana Sultana received her Ph.D. in Education from the Warner School of Education, University of Rochester, USA. She was the recipient of the prestigious Scandling Scholarship offered by the Warner School. She also obtained an Advanced Certificate in Online Teaching from Warner School. She received her master’s and bachelor’s degrees in English Literature from the University of Dhaka. Dr. Sultana has over 18 years of teaching experience in different universities in Bangladesh and in the U.S. She was hired by the Warner School of Education as an adjunct faculty, and she also served as a Writing Consultant at the Warner School for five years. She was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to teach Bengali at North Carolina State University and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, USA. She won the Fulbright Alumni Project Grant Competition for 2009/2010 together with a colleague and successfully completed the project. She is currently serving as the General Secretary of TESOL Society of Bangladesh and Convenor of its Educational Technology SIG.
Master of Arts in English
PhD – Warner School of Education, University of Rochester - NY, USA
MA – University of Dhaka - Dhaka, Bangladesh
BA – University of Dhaka - Dhaka, Bangladesh
ESOL teacher professional development, academic writing in ESOL context, curriculum development, online teacher identity development, educational technology, use of technology in language teaching, and designing effective online courses.
Work Experience:
TEACHING EXPERIENCE:
Assistant Professor (October 2020 – Present)
Department of English and Humanities, University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB), Dhaka, Bangladesh
Teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, advising students.
Served at the DEH Events Committee for two semesters
Adjunct Instructor (2018, 2014- 2015)
Warner School of Education, University of Rochester, NY, USA
Taught two courses “Professional Writing and Communication” and “American Linguistic and Educational Practices” to masters’ students for three semesters each.
Teaching Assistant (2013, 2017 – 2018)
Warner School of Education, University of Rochester, NY, USA
Provided class support, led discussions, and graded scripts for two courses: Online Teaching Learning and American Educational and Linguistic Practices.
Teaching Assistant (2015 – 2016)
Simon School of Business, University of Rochester, NY, USA
Supported the English Language and U.S. Culture and Management Communication course teachers during class, led discussions and graded scripts.
Instructor | Program Coordinator Summer (2014, 2012, 2011, 2008)
Bangla Language Institute, Independent University, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Taught intermediate, upper-intermediate and advanced Bengali to U.S. graduate students and coordinated the program in 2012.
Assistant Professor (2008 – 2011)
Department of English, American International University- Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Taught English language and literature courses and business communication and served in departmental committees for teacher development and event management.
Fulbright FLTA (2007 – 2008)
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
Taught elementary, intermediate and advanced Bengali to graduate and undergraduate students.
Senior Lecturer (2006 – 2007)
Department of English, Asian University of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Taught English language and literature courses, business communication and served in teachers’ professional development and conference organizing and other committees.
Lecturer (2003 – 2006)
Department of English, Asian University of Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Taught English language and literature courses and served in departmental committees.
OTHER RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE:
Educational Researcher (part time) (September 2019- August 2020)
Zuroski Consulting LLC – Rochester, New York, USA
Consulting on new online learning initiatives, identifying the need and potential for online course/s, assisting with the curriculum development and design of online course/s, consulting on making education services accessible to people with disabilities via online media.
Graduate Assistant (2018- 2019)
Warner School of Education, University of Rochester, NY, USA
For the Center for Learning in the Digital Age, developed web content, wrote annotated bibliographies on teacher and online teacher identity, and researched publication venues.
Writing Consultant (September 2011- May 2016)
Warner School of Education University of Rochester, NY, USA
Coached graduate students on improving their academic writing and critiqued their drafts; conducted workshops on topics related to academic writing. On an average provided feedback on 75 graduate papers each semester.
Scholarships/awards:
- Scandling Scholarship (highest scholarship awarded by Warner School of Education, University of Rochester) to pursue PhD in Teaching and Curriculum (Education)
- Fulbright FLTA Scholarship 2007/2008 awarded by the US State Department
- Merit Scholarship awarded by DU to pursue MA and BA.
Project:
Fulbright Alumni Project Grant 2009/2010 – Won this competition in 2009 to run Learner-centered Teaching and Networking Project for a year. Organized five workshops for secondary schools and madrasa teachers in five districts in Bangladesh. Made follow-up class visits in two schools in each of the five districts and organized a professional development seminar for teachers in Dhaka. The workshops were attended by 150 participants, and the seminar drew 50+ participants. Edited and published a project-end book in December 2010 which detailed the five workshops on how to foster and implement learner-centered teaching in English language classrooms in Bangladesh.
Professional Activities:
- Serving as the General Secretary of TESOL Society of Bangladesh
- Serving as the Convenor, TESOL.BD Educational Technology SIG
- Serving as the Editorial Board Member of TESOL Bangladesh Journal
- Scheduled to be serving as the Editorial Board member of the European Journal of English Language Studies from January 2022
Membership:
TESOL Society of Bangladesh – Life member
- General Secretary
- Convenor, TESOL.BD Educational Technology SIG
- Editorial Board Member of TESOL Bangladesh Journal
Bangladesh English Language Teachers Association (BELTA) – Life Member
- Served as the Publication Secretary for two years in 2009-2010
- Served as the EC Committee member for six years.
Asia TEFL – Member
State Alumni (U.S.) – Member
Fulbright Alumni Association – Member
Center for Learning in the Digital Age (LiDA, UofR) – Member
Research Areas:
- Online teachers’ identity development
- Online teacher preparation and professional development
- ESL/EFL teacher professional development
- Impacts of feedback on students’ motivation
- Use of technology in language teaching
- Academic writing in ESL context
Technical Skills:
- LMS: Blackboard, Blackboard Collaborate, Canvas
- OS: Windows 8, Windows 2010, Windows 10 Pro
- Applications: MS Office Suite 2013/2010/2007, Chrome, Safari
- Social Media: LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter
Research Experience:
University of Rochester, Warner School of Education
Research Assistant to Professor Raffaella Borasi at Center for Learning in the Digital Age (LiDA) – reviewed and curated literature and developed web content, wrote annotated bibliographies on teachers’ professional identity and online teacher identity for the LiDA web page, and researched publication venues, 2019.
University of Rochester, Warner School of Education
Research Assistant to Assistant Dean Laura Brophy in the project “International Students’ Web Project” – planned the project, wrote a project proposal, designed surveys, researched websites of different schools, interviewed international students and staff, coded and analyzed interviews, wrote reports, made recommendations, collected and curated contents for the website, 2019.
University of Rochester, Warner School of Education
Research Assistant to Professor Mary Jane Curry in the project “Publishing Engineering Writing,”– coded and analyzed qualitative data, curated literature, 2011- 2013.
Refugee and Migratory Movement Research Unit (RMMRU) – Dhaka, Bangladesh
Research Associate to Professor Tasneem Siddiqui – helped prepare the manuscript and cross-checked references for the book “Migration,” 2004.
Community Involvement:
- Serving as the Curriculum Development Advisor at Heroes for All (non-profit) since April 2019.
- Developed and taught an online elementary Bengali course for U.S. children in 2018.
- Volunteered at the James P. Wilmot Cancer Institute | Strong Memorial Hospital, Rochester, New York in 2016-2017.
- Served as the Vice President of the Warner Graduate Student Association in 2013-2014.
- As a volunteer with the Students Tackling Authentic and Relevant Science (STARS) Project of the Warner School, funded by National Science Foundation, supported the lead teachers and the students in their science projects, and conducted participant observations for a graduate qualitative research project in 2012.
- Served as the Joint Secretary of the Bangladesh Society for the Change and Advocacy Nexus (B-SCAN), a voluntary organization working with people with disabilities, in 2010-2011.
Certifications:
- Advanced Certificate in Online Teaching, awarded by Warner School of Education, University of Rochester, 2017.
- The Online Multicultural and International Xperience Certificate awarded by Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, Mexico (an opportunity made available for the University of Rochester students), 2018.
Presented at a webinar titled “Theory and Practice in Applied Linguistics and TESOL: Future Directions,” organized by University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh, May 2021.
Presented a workshop on “Writing Better Papers: Tips for Success” for A Levels students as a part of ULAB’s Community Outreach Program, October 2020.
Presented at a webinar titled “Teaching and Learning Virtually: Coping with the Pandemic as an Academic,” organized by Canadian University of Bangladesh, October 2020.
Presented a webinar titled “Navigating the “new normal”: Strategies and tools for online teaching,” organized by State University of Bangladesh and TESOL Society of Bangladesh, August 2020.
Presented a webinar titled “Concepts and best practices in online teaching,” organized by Bangladesh English Language Teachers Association (BELTA), August 2020.
Presented a webinar titled “Pedagogic shifts in learner engagement, interaction, and assessment in the context of online classes,” organized by American International University- Bangladesh, July 2020.
Presented a webinar titled “Teaching in The Time of Disruption: Understanding the Design and Implementation of Effective Online Courses,” organized by University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh, July 2020.
Presented a Keynote titled “The Role of Media in Establishing the Rights of People with Disabilities in Bangladesh,” organized by B-SCAN, FREPD Auditorium, 2011, Dhaka.
Presented a Keynote titled “Integrating the Disabled People in Information Technology: Bangladeshi Context” at the Bangladesh Computer Society’s Annual ICT World, 2010, Dhaka.
Borasi, R., Hafsa, S.F. & Miller, D. (2021). Rethinking the preparation of online teachers with a focus on identity development. Article manuscript ready for submission in fall 2021.
Borasi, R., Hafsa, S.F. & Miller, D. (2021). The role of early collaborative teaching experiences in the preparation of novice online teachers. Article manuscript ready for submission in fall 2021.
Borasi, R., Hafsa, S.F. & Miller, D. (2021). Leveraging the power of experiences as learners for the preparation of online teachers. Article manuscript ready for submission in fall 2021.
Hafsa, S.F. (2021). Autoethnography of a higher education teacher transitioning to online teaching in Bangladesh. Article manuscript in progress, to be submitted in fall 2021.
Hafsa, S.F. (2021). Online teacher identity development: What may we be missing? Article manuscript in progress, to be submitted in fall 2021.
Hafsa, S.F. (2021). What are the common challenges faced by novice online teachers and how those can be addressed? Article manuscript in progress, to be submitted in fall 2021.
Hafsa, S.F. (2021). Is education a right or an opportunity? – A study of The National Education Policy of Bangladesh (2010) using Foucault’s theory of power. Article manuscript in progress, to be submitted in fall 2021.
Sultana, S.F. (2011). Dealing with Gender Bias inside Bangladeshi Classrooms - An Overview of Teachers’ Perspectives, Language in India, 11, 249-264.
Sultana, S.F., Haque, S., Bari, A.W. (2010). Continuous Professional Development: An Issue in Tertiary Education in Bangladesh, Language in India, 10, 37-47.
Sultana, S.F. (2005). Towards Organizing a Teacher Development Movement: Bangladesh Perspective, Stamford Journal of English, 1(1).
Learner-centeredness in English Language Classroom in Bangladesh (A project-end book of the Fulbright Alumni Project 2009/2010), Editor, December 2010.
“Autoethnography of a higher education teacher transitioning to online teaching in Bangladesh,” presented at the international conference titled “Entangled Englishes in Translocal Spaces,” September 2- 4, 2021, Department of English and Humanities, ULAB, Bangladesh.
"Online teacher identity development: What may we be missing?," presented at the Online Learning Consortium Innovate conference, June 15- 26, 2020, USA.
"What are the common challenges faced by novice online teachers and how those can be addressed?," presented at the Online Learning Consortium Innovate conference, June 15- 26, 2020, USA.
“Impacts of online teacher identity on course design and delivery for novice online teachers,” co-presented at the Online Learning 2019: Global Summit and EdTech Expo, October 8-10, 2019, Toronto, Canada.
“Education: Right or opportunity? A Foucauldian Genealogical study of The National Education Policy 2010, Bangladesh,” presented at the Comparative International Education Society’s Annual Conference, March 10-15, 2014, Toronto, Canada.
“Does your choice of language equate to your choice of identity? Exploring the role of languages in education,” co-presented at the Language and Development Conference organized by the British Council, DFID, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, June 23-25, 2009, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
“Dealing with Gender Bias inside Bangladeshi Classrooms: An Overview of Teachers’ Perspective,” presented at the East West University International Conference, December 12-13, 2008, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
“Teachers’ Belief: How Much Does It Influence Teaching?” presented at the first East West University International Conference, April 15-16, 2006, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
“Continuous Professional Development: An Insight into the Private Universities in Bangladesh,” presented at the 3rd BELTA (Bangladesh English Language Teachers Association) International Conference, September 15-16, 2005 at BIAM, Dhaka, Bangladesh.