Adrianne Aiko Thompson

Adrianne Aiko Thompson obtained a doctorate degree in curriculum and instruction, specializing in educational technology from the University of Florida, a master’s degree in teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) from Columbia University, Teachers College, and bachelor’s degrees in Spanish and global studies from the University of Iowa.

She taught English in Japan for nearly nine years and is currently a professor at Miami Dade College, where she has taught English for academic purposes since 2002. She also teaches leadership courses in the Honors College and supports students on their transfer journeys to prestigious universities. Her academic interests include educational technology, linguistics & second language acquisition, classroom community, and Asian studies. She has led students in study abroad programs in Austria and Japan.

In her free time, she practices the Japanese tea ceremony and gives community demonstrations, competes and paddles on a breast cancer survivor dragon boat team, and enjoys exercise and yoga. She is a dual pilgrim, meaning she has walked both the Camino de Santiago in Spain and the Kumano Kodo in Japan, the only two recognized UNESCO World Heritage pilgrimages. She loves traveling with her daughter, and when she has time to relax, she spends time with her two cats. She is proficient in Spanish and has a basic level of Japanese.