Crystal has been involved with international education since 2006. She taught EFL in Sapporo, Japan for three years, and in Lugansk, Ukraine for one as an English Language Fellow in conjunction with Georgetown University and the U.S. Department of State. In addition to her lecturer position here at UNL, she has served as a U.S. Department of State English Language Specialist since 2013 and has worked on teacher training assignments in Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Georgia, Belarus, Pakistan, Russia, and Vietnam, with a focus on educational technology, arts-based language learning, and project-based learning in EFL. She also serves as the Executive Director for Global Ties Nebraska, a local nonprofit which does international programming work for the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program.

Currently, Crystal is a PhD Candidate in Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education at UNL with an anticipated graduation of May 2025. Her research focus is on the sociocultural aspects of language learning and more meaningful engagement on American university campuses among domestic and international students. Besides teaching, she loves photography and travel, which has taken her to 55 countries and 34 U.S. States.

Courses: 

EAP, CESL, IEP, ITA

Areas of Expertise: 

Academic Writing and Critical Thinking, Photo & Video in Language Learning, Presentation Skills, Language Development Through Campus and Community Involvement, Arts-based Language Learning

Degrees & Universities: 

PhD (Candidate): University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Expected 2025

Mixed-Methods Research (Graduate Certificate): University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2022

M.A. in TESL: University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, Missouri, 2006

B.S. in Spanish and B.S. in Photography: University of Central MO, 2004

Publications:

Bock Thiessen, C., Catalano, T., Morales, A. (2025, under review). International students in intensive English programs engaging with domestic peers on campus: Exploring the possibilities of forum theater. TESOL Quarterly.

Bock Thiessen, C. (Dec. 2023). "Where to From Here? Continuing to Innovate, Respond, and Reform in IEPs". In: J. Litzenberg (Ed.) From Start to Future: Innovation in University-based Intensive English Programs (pp.208- 224). Multilingual Matters.

Bock Thiessen, C. (June 2022). [Book review] Decolonizing Foreign Language Education: The Misteaching of English and other Colonial Languages Edited by Donaldo Macedo Routledge in TESOL Journal.

Bock Thiessen, C. (2021). Confronting the Past, Challenging the Future: Linguistic Hegemony, Capitalism, and Neoliberalism in TESOL. The Nebraska Educator, Volume 6, Issue 1 (2021), 10, 80.

Bock Thiessen, C. (2019). Promoting your department and practice with Twitter. Issues in Language Instruction. The University of Kansas. Vol. 8, 10-15. Retrieved from: https://journals.ku.edu/ili/issue/view/1469

Bock Thiessen, C. (2018, November). Infographics for language teaching and learning. TESOL Connections. Retrieved from: http://newsmanager.commpartners.com/tesolc/issues/2018-10-01/2.html

Catalano, T., Morales, A., and Bock Thiessen, C. (2024).  Forum Theater as critical reflection for pre/inservice teachers and international students in intensive English programs. Departures in Critical Qualitative Research.

Morales, A., Catalano, T., Bock Thiessen, C. (2025, forthcoming). Rehearsing a revolution: Boal’s forum Theater as a “4 Trans+” approach to bi/multilingual teacher preparation. International Journal of Multicultural Education.

Professional Memberships:

TESOL International 

MIDTESOL