Meet our NICE Staff
Judy Ensing, Acting Director
Master of Arts (MA) in English as a second language, University of Hawai‘i at Manoa; Bachelor of Arts (BA) in secondary education and Spanish, Calvin College; Secondary Education Teaching Credential (Michigan)
Judy first joined the program back in 1984 as a NICE Program instructor. In 1987, she stepped into the position of NICE program coordinator, which over the years evolved into her current position overseeing the entire International Programs of Outreach College. She has enjoyed playing a key role in the development of the various programs over the years. Judy enjoys program administration because it allows her to work with everyone involved in the organization, including students, teachers, university administrators, and foreign sponsors. Watching new ideas come alive is her favorite part of the work. Before coming to Hawai‘i to study for her MA, Judy taught English to Hispanic immigrants in Michigan, taught for a year in Guatemala, and traveled to several Spanish-speaking countries. When she's not at work, she spends time with her husband and two teenage children, or working on projects at her church and her children's school.
Phone: (808) 956-3414; Fax: (808) 956-3421; Email: ensing@hawaii.edu
Academic Coordinator
Master of Arts (MAT) in English as a second language, School for International Training; Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English literature & French, Providence College
Ash taught English around the world, in Switzerland, South Korea, Japan, Mexico, Thailand and Martinique, before settling down in Hawai‘i at NICE in 1984. He's especially interested in program and curriculum development, cross-cultural communication and teacher training. He led the first group of NICE teachers and Interchangers in the annual Nihon University summer program in Japan, and became Academic Coordinator of the English for Conversational Purposes (ECP) course in spring of 2004. He enjoys meeting all the different kinds of people he comes across in his work, and is proud to have a hand in the improvement of understanding among cultures. In his free time he enjoys swimming, reading, gardening, and living in beautiful Hawai‘i.
Phone: (808) 956-3417; Fax: (808) 956-3421; Email: ruggiero@hawaii.edu
Academic Coordinator
Master of Arts (MA) in TESOL, Monterey Institute of International Studies; Bachelor of Arts (BA) in French, University of Texas-Austin
Prior to 1989, Shira taught English at universities in Mexico and Japan. Since then, she has taught at the NICE Program and is now the Academic Coordinator of the Intensive Spoken English (ISE) course. She has also coordinated and taught in our EFL Teacher Training seminars for several years. Her specialties are teaching integrated skills, materials and test development, content-based learning, and teacher training and development. She likes everything about her job, but most of all, seeing that "Ah-hah!" moment on students' faces when they really understand something for the first time. When she's not in the classroom, Shira is at home, either at her computer working on materials for classes or in the kitchen, whipping up some of her other "specialties" for her husband Thom or for the staff and other teachers at NICE.
Phone: (808) 956-0764; Fax: (808) 956-3421; Email: shiras@hawaii.edu
Jan Bigalke, Special Programs Coordinator
Master of Arts (MA) in applied linguistics, Northeastern Illinois University; Bachelor of Arts (BA) in French, St. Olaf College
Jan has worked with our International Programs since September of 2002. She is responsible for planning and implementing Special English Programs and also coordinates our NICE at Night program. Before coming to Hawai‘i, Jan taught ESL and ESL teacher education at Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin for 13 years. In her last year there she also functioned as international student advisor. Prior to that, Jan taught EFL in Jakarta, Indonesia and ESL in Madison, Wisconsin. She loves working with and learning from colleagues and students from other countries and providing positive and stimulating study-abroad experiences for them. She enjoys her variety of responsibilities and the people with whom she works. Traveling and reading are favorite pastimes, but her greatest pleasure comes from spending time with her husband and two grown children and their extended families.
Phone: (808) 956-3650; Fax: (808) 956-3752; Email: jbigalke@hawaii.edu
Student Services Coordinator
Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Asian studies, University of Hawai‘i at Manoa
Lisa has been in charge of NICE student services since 1982. Prior to coming to NICE, Lisa decided to explore her roots while studying for a year and a half in Okinawa, Japan at the University of the Ryukyus on a governmental scholarship. A fluent Japanese speaker, Lisa manages the NICE office, and is our in-house immigration expert. She loves working in an educational environment with international students. Lisa enjoys Okinawan dance; in fact, she's a senior assistant instructor at the Nakasone Dance Academy. She also enjoys Japanese culture and sports.
Phone: (808) 956-7753; Fax: (808) 956-3421; Email: nakandak@hawaii.edu
Student Services Specialist
Master of Educational Administration (M.Ed). in Higher Education,
University of Hawai‘i at Manoa;
Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (BASW), minor in Chinese studies, Pacific Lutheran University
Shannon has been with our International Programs since June 2002. Most of his work involves corresponding with prospective students, preparing I-20s, and keeping track of students' coming and going. Before coming to NICE, he taught English at Zhongshan University, China, and at Kaimuki Community School for Adults and Project Ho‘olokahi in Hawai‘i. Shannon enjoys interacting with and assisting NICE students and learning about the cultures that they represent. In his free time, he enjoys running, swimming, listening to music, watching foreign/independent films, and spending time with friends.
Phone: (808) 956-7753; Fax: (808) 956-3421; Email: skwcmark@hawaii.edu
Academic Support Specialist
Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English, University of Hawai‘i at Manoa
Pancho's job at NICE includes taking care of many program details, such as room scheduling, payroll, and paperwork and database work related to making purchases for the program. He has been at NICE since 1995. Before coming to NICE, he worked at the UHM College of Education and also taught English at local high schools. He's interested in ethnic literature, ethnic studies, and ethnic cuisine. Pancho likes working at N.I.C.E because he likes the interaction with people from other cultures and the challenge of solving unexpected problems. And he likes working in historic Krauss Hall with so many NICE people!
Phone: (808) 956-7753; Fax: (808) 956-3421; Email: pdsantos@hawaii.edu
Interchange Coordinator/Academic Support Specialist
Bachelor of Education (BEd), San Diego State University;
Teaching Credential in Elementary Education, California State San Marcos;
CELTA Certificate (Certificate of English Language Teaching Adults), Cambridge University, England; ESL Certificate, San Diego State University
Laura has worked at International Programs since 2003. She works behind the scenes hiring and scheduling university students to meet with NICE and SEP students as conversation partners in our popular interchange program. She also arranges for classrooms, receptions, and graduations for our Special English Programs, and she makes sure teachers and interchangers get paid! Before coming to NICE, Laura lived in Japan for seven years, working as an English teacher for Japanese students of all ages. (She tells us entertaining stories about her experiences during lunch!) She's also taught Elementary school age children in San Diego, California. In addition to living in Japan, she has also lived in Italy and Australia as well as traveled extensively around the world. Laura loves being the catalyst who arranges meetings among American and foreign students for conversation and friendship. She likes to help make students' time in Hawai‘i and at the University of Hawai‘i as enjoyable as possible.
Phone: (808) 956-6824; Fax: (808) 956-3752; Email: lranney@hawaii.edu
NICE Office Assistants
Phone: (808) 956-7753; Fax: (808) 956-3421; Email: ips@hawaii.edu
Maiko Tanaka
Bachelor of Business (BA), graduating 2009
Hobbies: Playing golf, movies, shopping, traveling
Airi Logan
Bachelor of Business (BBA) and Japanese major, graduating 2009.
Hobbies: Shopping, movies, music, hanging out with friends.
William Chang
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Electrical Engineering, graduating 2010
Hobbies: Going out with friends, football, basketball, sleeping, and eating good food.
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