Hello! My name is Rob Griffin and I am the Director for the Center of Academic Literacy at Columbia Theological Seminary. I completed my Ph.D. in Linguistics at Indiana University—Bloomington with specializations in Applied Linguistics and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and Second Language Acquisition. After 15 years as a Professor and Director of TESOL at Oklahoma City University, I relocated to Atlanta where I was appointed as a faculty member and the ELL (English Language Lesrner) Specialist in the School of Literature, Media and Communication at Georgia Tech. While at Tech, I oversaw the development of ELL Services for students and developed a program for adjunct instructors who were working with international students across the institute.
As the current Director of the Center for Academic Literacy at Columbia, I work with advanced pastoral leaders and faculty to assist them with their academic studies and professional development. My interests revolve around issues related to second language writing development and phonology as well as brain-based approaches to language learning. In my administrative capacity at Columbia Theological Seminary, I oversee the operation and coaching within the Writing Center while also acting as a contributor to discussions concerning intersections between library support and the writing center under the umbrella of the Information Services team.