2026 Presenter Bios
Dr. Evelyn Baca and Dr. Monica Noraian
"International Teaching"
Evelyn C. Baca is an Assistant Professor of Bilingual/Bicultural Education in the School of Teaching and Learning at Illinois State University. Dr. Baca is a former secondary language teacher (Spanish as a heritage and new language) and taught English in bilingual elementary schools as a Fulbright Scholar in the Community of Madrid (Spain). Dr. Baca leads international educational experiences for pre-service teachers to Alcalá de Henares, Spain. Dr. Baca’s research and teaching focus on multilingual learners, bilingual teaching and learning, and educator preparedness to work with culturally and linguistically diverse learners.
Dr. Ryan Brown
"The Roles of a High School Teacher"
Dr. Ryan Brown is an Associate Dean in the College of Education and Professor of Secondary Education. Ryan is a former middle and high school technology and engineering teacher. His current research focuses on engineering education and STEM integration.
Dr. Lindsey Jensen
"Student, Family, and Community Engagement"
Dr. Lindsey Jensen is the 2018 Illinois Teacher of the Year, the 2020 NEA Foundation for Teaching Excellence Illinois Awardee, and Vice-President of the Illinois State Teachers of the Year. Her work has been featured in IL-ASCD, Teach Plus, NEA Today, Education Post, and Flip the System US: How Teachers Can Transform Education and Save Democracy. Her career in education spans 18 years, and she currently serves as the State Coordinator for Educators Rising Illinois & the Early Career Development and Aspiring Ed Director for the Illinois Education Association.
Ricky King
"Meaningful Talk for Multilingual Learners: A Guide to Supporting Student Speak"
Ricky is an ESL Bilingual Teacher at Normal Community High School. He graduated from Illinois State University in the Spring of 2020 with a degree in History and Social Sciences Education. He has an endorsement in English Language Arts and English as a Second Language, and has been teaching at Normal Community for the last five years in the ESL Department. In 2023, he was recognized as the Illinois Bilingual Teacher of the Year from the Illinois State Board of Education. When he isn’t in the classroom teaching, he is the Co-Coach of the Mock Trial team, the Student Council Sponsor, and the sponsor of the Hispanic Heritage Club.
Dr. Miranda Lin
"Learning Rhyming Words Can Be Fun"
Dr. Miranda Lin is a professor of early childhood education. Prior to becoming a teacher educator, Miranda taught in Taiwan, China, and Florida. Miranda has more than 30 publications and two edited books and was a PI of the ECE competence module pilot project and a current PI for the early childhood faculty preparation grant. She has brought more than 1.3 million external grant money to support student learning. Her research interests include service-learning, anti-bias education, home-school partnerships, teacher preparation, and global education. Besides being active in her scholarly work, Miranda also has extensive service at the local, state, national, and international levels. She is the current president of AsiaConnect at ISU and past president of the Chinese American Educational Research Association and Development Association.
Sherrilyn Thomas and Monica Wilks
"What's Your Teacher Type? How Your Personality Shapes Your Future Classroom"
Sherrilyn Thomas has worked for Bloomington Public Schools District 87 for 26 years and is currently in her 3rd year as the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources. Sherrilyn is a multi-graduate of Illinois State University. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Middle School Education in 1996 and a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration & Foundations in 2000. A lifelong learner, Sherrilyn is a member of various professional organizations such as Illinois Principals Association, Illinois Association for School Personnel Administrators, American Association of School Personnel Administrators and Bloomington/Normal Human Resource Council (BNHRC). Throughout her tenure with District 87, Sherrilyn has served as a mentor and worked to develop leadership skills in young women. Sherrilyn has consistently promoted women in leadership during her time as a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. and as a member of the YWCA Women of Distinction WINGS Committee.
Monica Wilks, SHRM-SCP is the Director of Human Resources for Decatur Public School District #61 and coordinates the New Teacher Recruitment initiatives for the district. She has been a member of the Bloomington/Normal community for over 20 years and a member of the HR community for over 10 years. Monica is a graduate of Illinois State University with a Masters of Science in Public Administration and a Bachelor’s of Science in Political Science. In 2016 she was named a Distinguished Alumni of Illinois State University by the Department of Politics and Government. Monica is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), and she received her Senior Certified Professional designation from SHRM in August 2019.