̨��Swag

Office: DS 140 #6

Phone: +1 (716) 839-8338

Email: mfiori@daemen.edu

Dr. Melissa Fiori is a tenured, full-time faculty member who holds the rank of Associate Professor. She is also an Instructional Designer.

She received her Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition from The Pennsylvania State University in 2004 with the Department of Spanish, Italian & Portuguese. She obtained her M.A. in Spanish Literature, Language and Culture of the Spanish Speaking World from Middlebury College in 1998 (Vermont & Madrid), and completed her undergraduate work from Bucknell University in 1997 with a degree in Spanish and International Relations (Latin American History and Politics).

Dr. Fiori is an ISTE Certified Instructor, a Levels 1 & 2 Google Certified Educator, passed the assessments through CAST on UDL (1-Mindset and 2-Analysis), holds a Quality Matters Teaching Online Certificate with Applying the Quality Matters Rubric (APPQMR) training for rubrics 6 & 7, is a QM Peer Reviewer (PRC), and is licenced to offer the APPQMR (Applying the Quality Matters Rubric, Face to Face) and INTRO2QM (Introduction to Quality Matters) for ̨��Swag, has completed Accessibility training through the Online Learning Consortium and is a CPACC Professional (Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies), holds an Advanced Instructional Designer Certificate through the OLC, and is an OSQCR Trainer. She has ten certified online courses and a history of engagement with language acquisition and educational technology. She offered ̨��Swag’s first fully online curricular offerings through the experimental VLLP Project (Virtual Language Learning Project) in 2012-2013 and has been a member of the Quality in Online Education Committee since its inception in 2016. Her linguistics courses focus on Hispanic Applied Linguistics with a critical pedagogy focus. Dr. Fiori also has international teaching experience at Yakın Doğu Üniversitesi in Lefkoşa, Northern Cyprus.

Continuing education and conferred professional development include:

She has published and presented articles on Technology and Language Learning over the years, as well as on topics of Culture and Access:

• Fiori, M. (2024). Enacting the World readiness Standards: Culture, Comparisons, and the 3Ps (NYSAFLT Annual Conference) [Review of Enacting the World readiness Standards: Culture, Comparisons, and the 3Ps].
• Fiori, M. (2024).  Digital Accessibility 101. [Review of Enacting the World readiness Standards: Culture, Comparisons, and the 3Ps].
• Fiori, Melissa. (2021, October 19). Language Learning with Lyricstraining. FLTMAG. Retrieved October 19, 2021, from
• Fiori, Melissa. (2022, February 23). Language Assistant Visit Program: Interpersonal, Intercultural, Community-Building Virtual Activities. FLTMAG. Retrieved February 23, 2022, from
• Fiori, Melissa. (2022, February 10). Gradekeeper – Facilitating Student Success. FLTMAG. Retrieved February 10, 2022, from
• Blattner, G. & Fiori, M. (2011). Virtual Social Network Communities: An Investigation of Language Learners’ Development of Sociopragmatic Awareness and Multiliteracy Skills, Calico Journal V.29,1.
• Blattner, G. & Fiori, M. (2009). Facebook in the Language Classroom: Promises and Possibilities. International Journal of Instructional Technology & Distance Learning, v.6, 1, ISSN 1550-6908.
• Fiori, M. (2006). Instructor-Student Interaction: Form/Meaning Chat. Academic Exchange Quarterly: Language. Spring 2006.
• Fiori, M. (2005).  The Development of Grammatical Competence through Synchronous Computer-mediated Communication. CALICO Journal. 22, 3.

Rocío Giráldez Betrón is from Madrid, Spain where she studied a Certificate to Teach Spanish as a Second Language and a B.A and M.A in Filología Inglesa at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. At University of California San Diego she initially attended a Language Poetry summer course and later on completed a 1 year-long exchange program, a M.A in English Literature and a Ph.D in Literature. At UCSD Rocío taught for 13 years all levels of Spanish in the Linguistics Language Program and in the lower-division section of the Literature Department. Rocío started teaching upper division Literature courses online as early as 2009 at United States University. She completed a 1 year-long certificate to teach online with an emphasis on Pedagogy offered by Miracosta College, and the . Her current main interest is Asynchronous Online Pedagogy and building courses with a design specifically for online learning. As a Rocío presents at universities and in webinars on the pedagogy of online teaching and learning and on how to create online courses with Connect to improve completion rates in Spanish Language, Literature and Culture courses. She trains Faculty virtually on online pedagogy and digital tools using Connect and their LMS. She also assists Faculty by rebuilding and building Spanish online, hybrid or face-to-face courses. and Voice Boards are an important component of the Asynchronous Online Courses she currently teaches.

Rocío teaches asynchronous online Spanish courses at Foothill College. She also teaches at Chapman University and Irvine Valley College where she received the Outstanding Part-Time Professor of the Year 2017 of Irvine Valley College for her work starting, designing and teaching the first Spanish Hybrid courses offered by the School of Languages and Learning.

Rocío travels often to Spain and loves to spend time in Madrid, Málaga, Córdoba and Granada.

Lori Chilcott, Instructor of Spanish in the Modern Languages Department, received her Ph.D. in Spanish Peninsular Literature from the University at Buffalo in February, 2021 through the Department of Romance Languages and Literature. She obtained her M.A. in Spanish Peninsular Literature from the University at Buffalo in 1997, and completed her B.A. at Canisius College in 1995, majoring in Spanish and Secondary Education.   

Dr. Chilcott has taught high school Spanish at Sweet Home, Clarence, and Williamsville, and has been a Spanish teacher in the Williamsville Central School District since 2009. Dr. Chilcott has also taught at Buffalo State (2017-18). She is currently a Technology Integrator at Williamsville South High School.

She has presented articles on the following: 
“Shaping a Spiritual King: Alfonso de Valdés on Charles V.” RSA Annual Conference. Virtual, April 13-22, 2021.
 
“Shaping a Spiritual King: Alfonso de Valdés on Charles V.” Languages, Literatures and Cultures Conference, University of Kentucky, April 22-24, 2021.
 
“Making the Most out of 40 “Virtual” Minutes.” NYSAFLT Annual Conference. Virtual, March 6, 2021.
 
“Shaping a Spiritual King: Alfonso de Valdés on Charles V.” The Sovereignty Lab Research Workshop. University at Buffalo, Nov. 15, 2019.
 
“María de Zayas and the 21st Century: The Spectacle of the #MeToo Movement and Female Control of Discourse.” Spectacular, Spectacular: Truth, Violence, Politics and Performance; Romance Languages and Literature’s Symposium, University at Buffalo, April 27-28, 2018.
 
“Jack of all Arts or Master of One: Sprezzatura.” Languages, Literatures and Cultures Conference, University of Kentucky, April 18-21, 2018.
 
“From Past to Present: 16th Century Humanists Search for Identity through Politics, Religion and Literature.” Languages, Literatures and Cultures Conference, University of Kentucky, April 19-22, 2017.
 
“The Search for Puerto Rican Identity in Los soles truncos and El gran circo EUkraniano.” Fifth Annual Caribbean Without Borders Conference, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, April 6-8, 2016.
 
“Los temas de la honra, la violencia y el poder en la obra de María de Zayas.” Languages, Literatures and Cultures Conference, University of Kentucky, April 15-18, 2015.
 
“Re-Inventing the Language Lab: Modern Approaches to L2 Instruction with Technology as the Focus for Strengthening Speaking and Listening Skills.” Second Annual Conference on Foreign Language Teaching: Reinventing the Classroom and the Curriculum, Binghamton University, Sept. 27-28, 2014.