Alina Slapac, Ed.D

Alina Slapac is an Associate Professor of teacher action research within the College of Education, Department of Educator Preparation & Leadership. She earned her Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Northern Iowa. She has an M.A. in British Cultural Studies from the University of Bucharest (Romania), and a B.A. in Romanian-English as a Foreign Language from Ovidius University of Constanta (Romania). Dr. Slapac’s research interests include teacher preparation and development with focus on virtual exchange (VE) contexts and partnerships such as Collaborative International Learning (COIL) through social justice lens and critical frameworks, internationalization of teacher education and global citizenship education, and culturally and linguistically responsive teaching (culture as strength within classrooms and beyond, locally and internationally). She has been collaborating with educators from China, Norway, Romania, Spain, South Africa, South Korea and USA on research and teaching. Dr. Slapac aims to advance global awareness and engagement within contextual transforming practices of preservice/inservice teachers through intercultural experiences. Dr. Slapac has been an UMSL Global Ambassador and Fellow and an UMSL Inquiry Circles Fellow on global competency.

Among numerous journal articles, book chapters, and national and international conference presentations, she also co-edited three books: Encouraging Transnational Learning Through Virtual Exchange in Global Teacher Education (Slapac & Huertas-Abril, 2024), Handbook of Research on the Global Empowerment of Educators and Student Learning through Action Research (Slapac, Balcerzak & O’Brien, 2021) and Beyond Language Learning Instruction: Transformative Supports for Emergent Bilinguals and Educators (Slapac & Coppersmith, 2019) (IGI Global). She currently serves as the Vice-Chair for Internationalization of Teacher Education TAG (Topic Action Group) through the American Association for Colleges of Teacher Education (ACCTE).

At UMSL, she received three prestigious teaching awards: Governor's Award for Excellence in Teaching (UMSL, 2022), The Chancellor's Award of Excellence in Teaching (UMSL, 2020) and Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award (UMSL, 2013). She was also recognized through several national and local service awards: O.L. Davis, Jr. Counselor of Distinction Award (KDP national, 2015), Best Faculty Advisor (UMSL, 2015, 2013), Regional Counselor Award for the Midwest Region (KDP, 2013) and KDP Recognition Award for Outstanding Service and Dedication as the Counselor of MU Iota Chapter (2010).

Dr. Slapac has been teaching face-to-face, blended and online graduate (master’s and doctoral level) courses, such as Teacher Action Research I & Teacher Action Research Capstone Practitioners (Faculty Steward), embedding Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) with faculty collaborators from South Africa and Spain. She was a faculty team mentor in two Ed.D cohorts, Educational Practice (partnership with Shenyang University, China) and Language, Literacy and Culture. At undergraduate level, she taught Introduction to Teaching, Positive Behavioral Supports in Inclusive Educational Settings, and Student Teaching Abroad (South Korea).

Dr. Slapac has been the Counselor of Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education since 2009. She has helped for many years coordinate the Children’s Program during the Martin Luther King Celebration Day. The program received “The Best Cultural Awareness Program” Award (UMSL, 2020; 2015; 2012), “Best Sustained Program on Campus” (UMSL, 2015), “Chapter Program Award for Outstanding Community Service” (KDP, 2023; 2017, 2016, 2015), and Literacy Alive Silver and Bronze Awards (KDP, 2013-2015). The KDP Mu Iota Chapter (College of Education) also received Achieving Chapter Excellence Award (ACE, 2015).

Program Involvement

• M.Ed. Program (Faculty Steward for Teacher Action Research 1 and Teacher Action Research Capstone)
• Ed.D. - Language, Literacy and Culture
• Ed.D. - Educational Practice (partnership with Shenyang University, China)

Published Research Areas

• Action Research
• Bilingual Education/Language Immersion
• Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL)
• Cross-Cultural Education
• Cultural and Linguistically Responsive Teacher Preparation/Development
• Diversity
• Global Competencies
• Differentiated Instruction
• Global/Intercultural Education
• Professional Development
• Social Justice
• Teacher Education/Development
• Transnational Learning
• Virtual Exchange (in Higher Education)