Faculty Profile for Dr. Minda M Lopez

Dr. Minda M Lopez
Professor — Curriculum And Instruction
ED 3023
phone: (512) 245-3096
Biography Section
Biography and Education
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.
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 preparation, licensure, and 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., & Van Overschelde, J. (2024). Texas Districts of Innovation: Unlicensed Teachers Hurt Student Math Achievement. San Marcos. TX: Research for EDucator Equity & Excellence Center. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.24459.91688
- Van Overschelde, J. P., & Lopez, M. M. (2024, May 6). Unlicensed Teachers Now Dominate New Teacher Hires in Rural Texas Schools. The Conversation. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/unlicensed-teachers-now-dominate-new-teacher-hires-in-rural-texas-schools-219522
- Lopez, M. M., Van Overschelde, J. P., & Wiseman, A. (2023). Addressing Misalignment at Critical Transition Points in Texas Education.
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
- 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.
- Van Overschelde, James P (Co-Principal), Lopez, Minda M (Principal). 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.
Selected Service Activities
Associate Chair
Curriculum & Instruction
August 2017-January 2021
Member
Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award
January 1, 2009-2020
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