Monica Festa
Monica Anne Festa holds a PhD in Languages, Literatures, Cultures, and their Applications from the University of Salento, Italy. She earned a Master’s in the Science of Instruction from Drexel University, a Bachelor’s in Drama from the University of Washington, and a Diploma of English Language Teaching to Adults, from Cambridge English. Before joining LaRoche University, she taught Academic Reading and Writing I and II, Academic Spoken Communication, Basic Methods of Scientific Research and Design, Creative Writing, IELTS and TOEFL test preparation, English as a Foreign Language, Life and Study Skills, Rhetoric, and Workplace Preparedness in the UAE and Morocco from 2004 to 2025. Her research interests include learner engagement, technology-assisted learning, reducing teaching and learning bias, gamification, and curriculum design. Monica earned her Professional Certificate in Online Education through the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in June 2021, and has completed further certified training in the fundamentals of increasing interaction and engagement, designing gamified learning environments, and creating an interactive syllabus through the Online Learning Consortium.