Our Staff and Teachers
The faculty and staff at ACLAS consist of professionals committed to language teaching and learning. Our teachers have completed graduate level degrees from prestigious universities in Ecuador or have degrees from American or European universities.
FERNANDO MIÑO-GARCÉS, FOUNDER & ACADEMIC DIRECTOR
Fernando has over 40 years experience as a teacher of languages and linguistics at the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador (PUCE) in Quito - Ecuador, among others. He served as Dean of the School of Communication, Linguistics and Literature at PUCE and as director of several international exchange programs and educational consulting and other relevant academic positions.
Throughout his career Fernando has been a visiting professor at several American and German universities.
Ask Fernando about his dictionary project.
EUGENIA ANDRADE DE MIÑO, FOUNDER & HOMESTAY DIRECTOR
For many years Eugenia ran most aspects of all ACLAS programs as ACLAS Administrator.
Eugenia's current role is to oversee our high-quality homestay families and the student placement in those families, as well as the general welfare of all the students. She also offers her support and guidance to all ACLAS staff around all aspects of running excellent study abroad programs.
Ask Eugenia about her grandchildren!
luis maldonado, ACADEMIC COORDINATOR
As our academic coordinator, Luis manages all academic programs including curriculum development. At PUCE (PONTIFICAL CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF ECUADOR), Luis earned a degree in Applied Linguistics and minored in both language teaching and translation.
Luis is obsessed with language and communication because he believes that words have power and therefore we should learn to use them wisely!
Luis speaks five different languages (English, Spanish, German, Italian and French) and he can also sign in Spanish and some in English.
Ask Luis about his work as a paramedic.
FERNANDO MIÑO ANDRADE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Fernando (Nando) Miño Andrade is the executive director of ACLAS as well as the General Manager of Grupo Macro, ACLAS’s parent company. After spending his early childhood in the United States and then returning to Ecuador, Nando’s interest in intercultural understanding and international exchange became a very important part of his life.
Nando returned to the U.S. to earn his master’s degree at Willamette University and studied abroad in Sweden. Beyond his work with student groups, Nando is a corporate trainer in intercultural intelligence and has worked with companies and organizations such as Coca Cola, Tata and the Foreign Service of Great Britain. Other certifications include DFA and the Intercultural Development Inventory.
Ask Nando about his experience of learning two languages as a young child.