Victoria Byczkiewicz Cutler holds a BA in Cultural Anthropology from UC Santa Barbara and held candidacy for an MA in the Anthropology of Visual Communication from Temple University, where she studied and practiced documentary filmmaking with a particular emphasis on native-generated image-making and issues of social justice. She helped build grassroots video activism networks to highlight the AIDS epidemic and worked with the group LISN (League of Indigenous Sovereign Nations). Victoria taught English and worked as a translator and editor for six years in post-unification Berlin, Germany, then returned to her home city of Los Angeles in 2000 to earn an MA in TESOL at Cal State LA in 2005. Victoria has long experience as an editor and writer for both commercial and academic publications. Within applied linguistics, her interests include classroom discourse analysis, language and identity issues, and oral language assessment. She is committed to developing engaging content-based instructional materials. At present, she serves the American Language Institute at USC as a Lecturer and as a Testing Coordinator. In the latter capacity, she is committed to the continual development of the ALI's in-house English language proficiency examination, and has amassed a significant database which provides the basis for a variety of research projects. She also works for the Educational Testing Service (ETS) supervising Raters for the TOEFLIbT Speaking Test. The philosophical foundations of Victoria's work as an educator lie in two important concepts: (1) democracy and democratic values as the basis for the best possible education, and for the creation and sustaining of strong educational institutions, and (2) mindfulness as key in promoting a healthy academic environment. In 2014, Victoria is pleased to present her edited collection of articles from international scholars titled Democracy & Education: Collected Perspectives, to be printed in April/May 2014. She has also completed a Mindfulness Faciltator's Training via the Office of Religious Studies and is committed to working to promote the Provost's initiative toward creating a "mindful university" by facilitating mindful meditation practice for both students and faculty.