Please join the Department of Spanish & Portuguese in congratulating Kiley Specht, graduate student in Spanish Applied Linguistics, on her American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) 2025 Research Priorities Initiative Award! She received this award for her dissertation study, Analyzing Dialectal Awareness, Attitudes, and Listening Comprehension of Caribbean Varieties in L2 Learners. It recognizes the original contribution that Kiley’s work makes in the area of Intercultural Teaching and Learning. In addition to earning a monetary prize, Kiley’s work will be prioritized for publication in a future issue of Foreign Language Annals, ACTFL’s peer-reviewed professional journal. Congratulations, Kiley – you’re a true inspiration!