Michelle Benegas

Michelle Benegas is an Associate Professor of TESOL at Hamline University's School of Education and Leadership. She is renowned for her work in teacher leadership and multilingual education.

Her research focuses on systemic approaches to improving services for multilingual learners, sociolinguistics, and culturally relevant pedagogy. She led the ELM Project, a $1.5 million National Professional Development grant from the US Department of Education, and co-authored influential books such as Language of Identity, Language of Access (2024) and Teacher Leadership for School-Wide English Learning (2020, 2nd ed. 2025). Her work impacts global initiatives, including presentations in Bahrain, Canada, and Northern Ireland.

Benegas has received recognition as an English Language Specialist (2024) and actively contributes to TESOL International Association and Minnesota's English Learner Task Force. She advocates for community-driven learning spaces and sociopolitical engagement in education.