Dr. Ruslana Westerlund

Dr. Ruslana Westerlund is an educator, researcher, author, and consultant with 30 years of experience in multilingual learner education. Her work centers on disciplinary literacy through Systemic Functional Linguistics, helping teachers make academic language visible and accessible to multilingual learners.
As a former WIDA researcher, Dr. Westerlund contributed to the WIDA 2020 English Language Development Standards Framework. She now partners with educators and school districts to translate research into practical language-development instruction.
Through English Learner Portal, Dr. Westerlund contributes her expertise to the Functional Language Planning Expert Intensive and Functional Language Academy.

Dr. Ruslana Westerlund is a distinguished language development specialist with extensive experience in research, curriculum development, and teacher preparation. As a former researcher in WIDA's Research and Development Division, she co-authored the WIDA 2020 English Language Development Standards, contributing to foundational frameworks that guide multilingual education nationwide.

Ruslana is also an adjunct faculty member, teaching ESL and bilingual licensure programs at several universities. Her expertise extends to supporting refugee students and developing innovative teacher preparation programs.

Currently, she contributes to English Learner Portal as a course developer, creating professional learning opportunities that equip educators with the skills and strategies to support diverse multilingual learners.