Article by Lucas Edmond, current MA student in SLS
After 27 and a half years serving the Department of Second Language Studies, Dr. Thom Hudson retired this December. While his research interests have evolved over the years, he has primarily been interested in issues of language assessment, L2 reading, program development, and English for Specific Purposes (ESP). He has taught a variety of courses, from introductory testing to advanced seminars in specialized topics such as ESP and quantitative research. As an advisor, he has chaired nearly 15 PhD committees and served on countless others.
Dr. Hudson joined the SLS department in 1989 when it was known as the Department of English as a Second Language (ESL). He has witnessed the department changing over time, which he views as a positive evolution. “The cultural identity of the department has changed over the years, and it has become very interesting and complex,” says Dr. Hudson. “When it was ESL, almost everyone was engaged in researching English language pedagogy, but now, we have moved beyond that and the research here embraces a variety of applied linguistics topics.”
Carrie Bach, a current MA student, will remember Dr. Hudson not only for his support and clear instruction, but also his quirky sense of humor. “Dr. Hudson really dislikes pie charts. I remember he would bring to our QR class a lot of jokes and comics about bad graphs and charts that he’d found in newspapers and on the Internet. . . . Now whenever I see a bad pie chart, I immediately think of him.”
After retiring, Dr. Hudson will relocate to Portland, OR, where he plans to spend more time relaxing and enjoying nature, but still continue doing research and activities related to language education. He plans to stay connected with the department as a Professor Emeritus in the future.
“The department has been home. I will miss Hawaii, especially the
multicultural aspect of it. The cultural richness here is rare, and it’s something that I’ve valued. I will truly miss the diversity of the student population here, who really bring interesting and complex perspectives to the department.”
We all would like to sincerely thank Dr. Hudson for his dedication to his students, and we wish him the best of luck in this next stage in his life. He is聽truly missed here at Moore Hall!
