In loving tribute to Paul Chamness Iida

Paul Chamness Iida worked as an editor of Critical Inquiry for Language Studies (CILS) for ten years, first as the Media Review Editor (2011–2014) and then as Editor (2015–2021). During that time, Paul worked closely with authors to disseminate work that furthered the aims of critical pedagogy and social justice. The hours that he spent corresponding with authors and reviewers, editing manuscripts, and typesetting issues of CILS were given freely. Like other leadership positions in the International Society for Language Studies (ISLS), CILS editors are volunteers. Paul dedicated tremendous amounts of time and energy, though, because he believed in the mission of ISLS and CILS. After attending ISLS 2009 in Orlando, he told Erin that he was motivated to dive into the organization. Jennifer and Paul met at the registration area at that conference; ISLS founding member Terry Osborn introduced Jennifer to a few other ISLS members in the area as “ISLS President in ten years,” pausing briefly to nod at Paul and add “and Paul in eight.” In fact, Paul would be elected ISLS President only a few years later, serving from 2013–2015. Paul’s passing on June 13, 2021 was devastating to those who knew him, including those in ISLS who recognized him as the heart and soul of our organization. We are privileged to have spent time with him working on the minutiae of ISLS; it was often in those moments that we saw over and over the incisive, dynamic, fun, and generous man Paul was. In these pages of the journal that he edited for a decade, we want to share with you some of his most personal scholarship and some of our memories. We each selected three texts to show who he was, what he valued, and what he contributed to our understanding of being a language learner, a language teacher, and a language advocate today.