Faculty Profile for Dr. Minda M Lopez
-1.jpg)
Dr. Minda M Lopez
Professor — Curriculum And Instruction
ED 3023
phone: (512) 245-3096
Biography Section
Biography and Education
Minda Morren López, PhD, is Associate Professor of Literacy in the College of Education at Texas State University. She also serves as the Curriculum and Instruction Department Associate Chair.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, Education, and Social Work 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 taught ESL at Rice University and worked as an ESL/Bilingual Specialist at the Education Service Center, Region 20. In 2008, Minda 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 development and has over a dozen publications on these topics.
Teaching Interests
Reading, Writing, ESLResearch Interests
Dr. Lopez conducts mixed-methods research on topics such as equity, ideologies, literacies, language acquisition, multicultural/multilingual education, and teacher development.Selected Scholarly/Creative Work
- 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., & Saunders, J. M. (2022). Where Our Paths Crossed: Latina Teachers, Professional Development, and Funds of Identity. In Research Anthology on Racial Equity, Identity, and Privilege (pp. 623–643). IGI Global. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-4507-5.ch033
- Lopez, M. M., & Lara Morales, P. (2021). From Global South to Global North: Lessons from a short-term study abroad program for Chilean teacher candidates in English pedagogy. Journal of Research in Childhood Education.
- Lopez, M. M., Newman, T. A., & Day, C. (2021). Community Cultural Wealth: Uncovering Assets through Community Mapping. In Reshaping Graduate Education through Innovation and Experiential Learning (pp. 83–102). IGI Global. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-4836-3.ch005
Selected 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: Presidential Award for Teaching, College Achievement Award, College of Education. 2014
Selected Grants
- 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.
- Lopez, Minda (Principal). Preparing preservice teachers to work with culturally and linguistically diverse students through Service Learning, Texas State University, Institutional (Higher Ed), $3243. (Submitted: January 1, 2013, Funded: January 1, 2013 - January 12, 2014). Grant.
- Lopez, Minda (Principal). Language and literacy ideologies of literacy educators working with English Language Learners, NCTE Research Foundation Grant, Private / Foundation / Corporate, $6350. (Submitted: January 1, 2008, Funded: January 1, 2008 - January 12, 2010). Grant.
- Norton, Christine L (Co-Principal), Lopez, Minda M (Principal). How Stories Define Us: The Importance of Diverse Storytelling, Equity and Access, Texas State University, $1100. (Funded: November 2018). 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.
Selected Service Activities
Member
Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award
January 1, 2009-Present
Associate Chair
Curriculum & Instruction
August 2017-January 2021
Member
Learning Management System (LMS) Advisory Committee
October 2017-October 2019
Faculty Advisor
Texas State Teachers Association (TSTA) - Aspiring Educators
August 2017-June 2019
Organizer
Race and Education Book Study/Faculty Development
August 2016-June 2018