JALT2023 Invited Speakers

Each year, JALT welcomes two speakers to our annual international conference who represent the values, work, and vision of two teachers who served as leaders in our association: the Bill Balsamo Asian Scholar and the Kevin Cleary Invited Speaker.
In 1988, JALT started an Asian Scholar Program through which teachers from other Asian countries are brought to give presentations at JALT’s annual international conference. In 2008, the program was renamed the Balsamo Asian Scholar Program in honor of Bill Balsamo, president of JALT’s Himeji Chapter and founder of JALT’s Teachers Helping Teachers SIG. Over the years, teachers from many countries have visited Japan on this program.
The JALT2023 Bill Balsamo Asian Scholar is Septina Nur Iswanti (EF English First Semarang). The title of her talk is “Smart Gamification: Fueling a Growth Mindset.” Based in Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia, Septina Nur Iswanti (Nina) has actively been involved in the field of ELT as a teacher, researcher, and teacher trainer for many years. Currently, she humbly serves as the Senior Teaching Manager at EF English First Semarang. Her particular interests include educational technology, teacher and student motivation, and teacher professional development. She is also passionate about cultivating kindness and positivity to improve the well-being of her school community.
The Kevin Cleary Invited Speaker program was begun in 2014 in memory of a beloved JALT President who passed away in January of that year. Kevin had been involved with JALT as an officer at the chapter level and the national level since 2002. He served as JALT President from 2010 until his death in 2014. He is remembered as a soft-spoken but dynamic leader with energy, vision, a great sense of humor, and strong interpersonal skills. The speaker for this award is one who encompasses the same spirit and enthusiasm Kevin showed during his time with JALT.
The JALT2023 Kevin Cleary Invited Speaker is Melodie Cook (University of Niigata Prefecture). The title of her talk is “From Publish or Perish to Publish your Passion.” Melodie Cook hails from Canada’s capital and has been working in Japan since 1993. She is a Professor at the University of Niigata Prefecture, and her research interests include teacher education, high-stakes testing, gender representation in educational materials, multicultural family education, fostering and adoption, and special needs education in Japan. She has been an active member of JALT in various capacities since 2003.
For full details about both of these presentations, please see our JALT2023 Invited Speaker page.