Joel Gómez, EdD
President
Dr. Joel Gómez is the President and Chief Executive Office for the Center for Applied Linguistics. He holds an Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration from The George Washington University. He received his M.A. in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin, where he also completed doctoral work in Applied Linguistics and Foreign Language Education Studies. He received a B.A. in Liberal Arts (Spanish and History) from the University of Texas at Austin.
With a proven management style that empowers and motivates, Gómez brings a wide range of experience in research, policy, and practice in equity, language and education to CAL from his work in higher education, the private, for-profit sector, and public education.
Dr. Gómez joined CAL from the George Washington University (GW) where he held a joint appointment as a faculty member and Chair of the Department of Education Leadership and where he also served as Associate Dean for Research for the Graduate School of Education and Human Development. Dr. Gómez’s areas of expertise include bilingual and bicultural education, higher education, national online information centers, and federal funding of education research and development. He has also worked at the international level as an evaluator and technical assistance provider in countries such as India, Pakistan, Macedonia, Dominican Republic, among others.
Before GW, Gómez served as vice president for computer and clearinghouse operations in a small, for-profit business, as well as project director on sponsored projects. As vice president, he assisted in competing for and supporting a variety of information clearinghouse sponsored projects, including the National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education, among others.
Gómez began his career in education by teaching at the middle school and elementary grades. In this capacity, he taught first, second, and sixth grades in two school districts in South Texas. Following his elementary school teaching experience, Gómez taught undergraduate courses in the Department of Romance Languages at Pan American University (UTRGV), where he taught beginning Spanish courses for Spanish-speakers along with courses in peninsular and Latin American literature and Spanish applied linguistics.
Gómez has served as President and Treasurer of the National Association of Bilingual Education, and is a founding member of the Mexican and American Solidarity Foundation, a multi-million entity funded by the government of Mexico.
Following his time at Pan American University, Gómez worked at the Texas Education Service Center (XIII), where he lead various efforts, including serving as director of federal programs in Title I, Migrant Education, and bilingual education. Related to these efforts, he also served as regional director for a national Spanish curriculum development project (language arts, social sciences, math, science, and fine arts); director of a tri-state education technical assistance center; and, director for a national assessment and curriculum project in bilingual education.
His publications include:
- Calderon, M. E. & Gómez, J. (2012). Implementing the Change. In M. E. Calderon (Ed.) Breaking Through: Effective Instruction and Assessment for Reaching English Learners. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press. Gómez, J. (Ed.). (2009). Issues in education policy - Reflections: Why and how should we educate in the 21st century. Washington, DC: GW Institute for Education Studies.
- Torres-Guzman, M., Gómez, J. (Eds.). (2009). Imagine: Multilingual Schools. New York: Teachers College Press.
- Simon, S. Gómez, J., & Yen, C.J. (July, 2009). Community college online course retention and final grade: Predictability of social presence. The Journal of Interactive Online Learning
- Futrell, Mary H., Gómez, J. (2008). How tracking prepares students. Educational Leadership Journal, ASCD, May 2008, 65(8).
- Liu, S., Gómez, J., Khan, B., & Yen, C.J. (2007). Toward a learner-oriented community college online course dropout framework. International Journal on E-Learning, 6(4).
- Futrell, M. H., Gómez, J. (2003). Making it work: Conclusions regarding diversity as a unifying theme in standards, assessments and accountability. In N. Carver. (Ed.).
- Futrell, M. H., Gómez, J, Bedden, D. (2003) “Teaching the children of a new America: The challenge of diversity.” Phi Delta Kappen. 84(5).
- Futrell, M. H., Gómez, J. (2002) Convergence or divergence: Alignment of standards, assessment and issues of diversity. Washington, DC: American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.
News

Mellon Grant Awarded to Build Language Search Engine Tool for Parents, Students
The Center for Applied Linguistics has been a part of the America’s Languages Working Group since its inception, and will continue to play an important role in shaping the conversation around language equity and access in this country.

CAL Provides Leadership and Support for $10 Million Grant to Break Down Barriers for Middle and High School English Learners
CAL staff and partners, including Trey Calvin, Maria Cieslak, Dr. Joel Gómez, and Dr. Diane August, have published actionable recommendations for states and districts educating English learners during the on-going pandemic as a part of their work on a new IES-funded research center.

CAL Statement On the Passage of the Biliteracy Education Seal and Teaching Act in the House
The Seal of Biliteracy is an official academic recognition affixed on a qualifying student’s diploma indicating proficiency in English and at least one other language. Today, the Center for Applied Linguistics is proud to announce a bill in Congress that would expand opportunities for millions of bilingual high school graduates across the country.
CAL President Joel Gómez Receives NABE 2018 Ramón Santiago Award
Congratulations to CAL President Joel Gómez on receiving the NABE 2018 Ramón Santiago Award. Named for the founder of NABE, the award represents career-long contributions to bilingual education, mother tongue education and social justice.
Presentations
La Red Bilingüe: A Conversation about the Benefits of Bilingualism (feat. CEO, Dr. Joel Gómez and Secretary of the Mexican Embassy, Marta Peña)
Educating America’s Emerging Multilingual Learners: Congressional Briefing
The Center for Applied Linguistics presents to members of the House and Senate on issues pertaining to the state of K-12 English Language Learners in this country. Speakers will include Dr. Keira Ballantyne, Peggy McLeod, EdD, Gabriela Uro, and Dr. Eugene García. Invitation-only.