Biography and expertise
Minda Morren López, PhD, is Professor of Literacy in the College of Education at Texas State University and Co-Founder of the REDEE (Research for EDucator Equity and Excellence) Collaborative, a mixed methods research collaborative.
Dr. López teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in reading, writing, and language acquisition. She has worked with Study Abroad courses in South Africa and Panama and now leads an interdisciplinary Study Abroad course focused on International Human Rights, Social Justice, and Education to the Dominican Republic.
Minda began her career in education as a Spanish/English bilingual teacher at Crockett Elementary in the Houston Independent School District. She went on to pilot the TWI/Dual Language program at Helms Elementary and worked in Spring Branch ISD as a bilingual teacher. After finishing her M.Ed. in Second Language Acquisition at the University of Houston, Minda taught at the Escola Pan Americana da Bahia, an international school in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. She also taught ESL at Rice University and worked as an ESL/Bilingual Specialist at the Education Service Center, Region 20. Dr. López completed her Ph.D. in Culture, Literacy, and Language from the University of Texas, San Antonio. Her award winning dissertation examined language ideologies and biliteracy practices in Two-Way Immersion schools in Texas. She continues mixed-methods research on topics such as equity, ideologies, literacies, language acquisition, multicultural/multilingual education, and teacher preparation, licensure, and development and has published widely on these topics.
Dr. López teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in reading, writing, and language acquisition. She has worked with Study Abroad courses in South Africa and Panama and now leads an interdisciplinary Study Abroad course focused on International Human Rights, Social Justice, and Education to the Dominican Republic.
Minda began her career in education as a Spanish/English bilingual teacher at Crockett Elementary in the Houston Independent School District. She went on to pilot the TWI/Dual Language program at Helms Elementary and worked in Spring Branch ISD as a bilingual teacher. After finishing her M.Ed. in Second Language Acquisition at the University of Houston, Minda taught at the Escola Pan Americana da Bahia, an international school in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. She also taught ESL at Rice University and worked as an ESL/Bilingual Specialist at the Education Service Center, Region 20. Dr. López completed her Ph.D. in Culture, Literacy, and Language from the University of Texas, San Antonio. Her award winning dissertation examined language ideologies and biliteracy practices in Two-Way Immersion schools in Texas. She continues mixed-methods research on topics such as equity, ideologies, literacies, language acquisition, multicultural/multilingual education, and teacher preparation, licensure, and development and has published widely on these topics.
Education
Doctorate Degree
PhD in Culture, Literacy, and Language
Univ of Texas at San Antonio, 2008
Master's Degree
MED in Curriculum and Instruction- Second Language Education
University of Houston, 1999
Bachelor's Degree
BAA in Art History
University of Texas at Austin, 1995
Teaching Interests
Research Interests
Featured grants
- Lopez, Minda M (Principal), Van Overschelde, James P (Co-Principal), Mencke, Paul D (Supporting). Houston Education Endowment Grant, Houston Endowment, Private / Foundation / Corporate. (Submitted: 2024, Funded: 2025 - 2026). Grant.
- Van Overschelde, James P, Lopez, Minda M. Identifying barriers to educator and student success, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Private / Foundation / Corporate, $299998. (Funded: 2022 - 2025). Grant.
- Van Overschelde, James P (Co-Principal), Percent Contribution: %50, Lopez, Minda M (Principal), Percent Contribution: %50. Addressing Misalignment at Critical Transition Points in Texas Education, Greater Texas Foundation, Private / Foundation / Corporate, $91200. (Submitted: October 2021, Funded: January 1, 2022 - January 15, 2023). Grant.
- Van Overschelde, James P, Lopez, Minda M. Identifying Barriers to Educator and Student Success, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Private / Foundation / Corporate, $100000. (Funded: October 2021 - 2022). Grant.
- Negrete Lagos, B C (Principal), Lara Morales, P R, Gainer, Jesse S (Co-Principal), Lopez, Minda Morren (Co-Principal), Colegrove, Kiyomi Sanchez-Suzuki, O'Malley, Michael P. Migration, Inclusion & Diversity in Texan and Chilean K-12 Schools and Local Communities: MID Texas-Chile Project, 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund Grant, public-private sector collaboration between the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Embassies, Partners of the Americas, NAFSA, corporations, and foundations working together to stimulate new higher education partnerships between the United States and the rest of the Western Hemisphere., $24300. (Submitted: June 2018, Funded: November 2018 - October 2019). Grant.
Featured scholarly/creative works
- Lopez, M. M., & Newman, T. A. (n.d.). Walk with me: Caminatas as a way for developing culturally sustaining literacies pedagogies with preservice teachers. In Handbook of Research on Cultivating Literacy in Diverse and Multilingual Classrooms. IGI Global.
- L\’opez, Minda Morren, M. (2020). Linking Community Literacies to critical literacies through community language and literacy mapping. Teaching and Teacher Education, 87, 1–9. https://doi.org/doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2019.102932
- Lopez, M. M. (2026). “Reading the World” under Policy Pressures: Community Mapping and Critical Hope in Texas ELAR Classrooms. English in Texas, 56(1), 28–35.
- Lopez, M. M., Gottlieb, J., Kirksey, J., Van Overschelde, J. P., & Marder, M. (2025). Rebuilding the Pipeline: Ensuring Texas Students have Well-Prepared Teachers. Lubbock, TX: Center for Innovative Research in Change, Leadership, and Education. Retrieved from https://ttu-ir.tdl.org/items/0b785a42-9ed5-4185-a9c2-ca77a679782b
- Van Overschelde, J. P., Ellis, C., Nale, G., & Lopez, M. M. (2025). Year-One Readiness: Preservice Clinical Teaching Programs Results in Most Effective First-Year Teachers in Secondary English and Mathematics. Journal of Teacher Education.
Featured awards
- Award / Honor Recipient: Presidential Distinction Award for Teaching, Associate/Professor Level, College of Education. 2020
- Award / Honor Recipient: Presidential Award for Service, Texas State University. January 2017 - August 2017
- Award / Honor Recipient: Bilingual Research SIG Dissertation Award (Third Place), American Educational Research Association (AERA). January 1, 2009 - December 1, 2009
- Award / Honor Nominee: Dissertation Award (Second Place), National Association of Bilingual Education (NABE). January 1, 2009 - December 1, 2009
- Award / Honor Recipient: Honorary Professor of International Studies, Texas State University. 2025 - Present
Featured service activities
- Other
Curriculum & Instruction
- Member
Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award
- Member
Learning Management System (LMS) Advisory Committee
- Other
Texas State Teachers Association (TSTA) - Aspiring Educators
- Organizer
Race and Education Book Study/Faculty Development
- Member
Dissertation Committee - Shannon Ture (Adult Ed)