Name: Jeffrey Scott Maloney
BYUH Employee since Fall 2021.
My job at BYUH is… an assistant professor in the EIL/TESOL program
I grew up in… Fairfield, Ohio.
I chose to teach at BYUH because… of the students. I was drawn to the diversity here, and I had the conviction to join the students here because I believe in the mission of the university.
My most cherished memory at BYUH is… having the opportunity to share a little about my own testimony of faith as well as hear the students’ testimonies at the end of every semester. I cherish the appreciation they express to me.
The best advice I’d give to incoming students is… to try to relax. It’s going to be okay. It can be nerve-wracking because there are a lot of changes when one comes to this university. Just know that the professors here really care about your success, so don’t hesitate to reach out to them. We care and are invested in you.
What sparked my interest in my field is… I always thought it was kind of a superpower to speak in another language. Being a missionary in Brazil, our mission president encouraged us to teach English to other non-English-speaking missionaries to help them develop their skills in the language, so that taught me that being multilingual could open doors for lots of opportunities.
I’m currently working on… a project with a colleague of mine involving what is called ‘Linguistically Responsive Instruction,’ which is focused on helping fellow instructors improve their skills to better support multilingual students in the classroom.
You’ll never find me without… a bag of some kind. I always have either my briefcase or backpack with me.
If I could travel anywhere, I would go to… somewhere international with my wife and three daughters.
The title of my autobiography would be… “Really?” Not a negative ‘really’ but more of a positive, ‘Wow, really, you were able to do that kind of stuff?’
During the summer… we visit family in Ohio. We stay with my in-laws on a farm and enjoy the peace and quiet there.
I’ve always loved… reading fantasy and science fiction stuff. A favorite of mine that got me started was the Dragonlance series.
A podcast I’m currently listening to is… Intentionally Blank by Brandon Sanderson and Dan Wells.
If I could eat one food for the rest of my life, it would be… spaghetti bolognese.
My favorite quote of all time is… from 2 Nephi 2:26, which states that we “[know] good from evil; to act for [our]selves and not to be acted upon.” Heavenly Father created us to act, but sometimes Satan tries really hard to convince us to just be acted upon.
