Marisa Lucian is an Instructional Designer with the Center for Teaching Excellence at The George Washington University, where she partners with faculty to design engaging, research-informed learning experiences and integrate emerging technologies into higher education. Her work centers on instructional design, faculty development, educational technology, and the pedagogically sound use of artificial intelligence, with a particular interest in helping instructors align technology with meaningful learning outcomes. She is also an active leader in the TESOL community, serving as Professional Development Coordinator for WATESOL and organizing workshops and events that support language educators and instructional professionals.
Marisa holds an M.S.Ed. in Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language from Temple University, a Certificate in Instructional Design from The George Washington University, and a B.A. in East Asian Studies from Ohio Wesleyan University. Before joining GW, she served as a Learning Specialist at American University, where she designed instructional resources, supported faculty in workshop development, and advanced initiatives in online learning, educational technology, and student success. Earlier in her career, she taught English as Foreign Language and developed curriculum at multiple universities in Japan, experiences that continue to inform her learner-centered approach to instructional design. She regularly presents at regional and national conferences on topics including student AI use and policy, faculty development, adult learning, language education, and learning technologies. Her scholarly interests span second-language acquisition, educational technology, and evidence-based teaching, and she has contributed research on English language pedagogy, including work on teaching pragmatics and sarcasm to EFL learners.
