See more of this interview with Lundgren on our sister website, Colorín Colorado.
Biography
Dr. Cynthia Lundgren is an English language development specialist at WIDA. She is working as part of the Academic Language and Literacy Department on WIDA’s new Can Do development project, as well as developing policy initiatives for English language development.
Previously, she was an assistant professor at The Center for Second Language Teaching and Learning at Hamline University’s Graduate School of Education in St. Paul, MN. She has also taught English language learners of all ages and in many different places, including on a Crow reservation in Montana, as well as in South America, Florida, Texas, and New York. Her special interests are reflective practice and the development of cultural sensitivity.
Lundgren earned a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in educational policy and administration, with a specialization in comparative and international development education, a master’s from the University of Texas in applied linguistics, and a bachelor’s from the University of Minnesota in elementary education and Spanish. She has expertise in the areas of systemic functional linguistics, second language acquisition, applied linguistics, and teacher education.
Along with her dog, Lundgren volunteers for Project R.E.A.D., a nonprofit dedicated to improving children’s reading and communications skills by encouraging them to read to animals.