Faculty Profiles

Dr. Gloria Velásquez is a native of Michoacán, México. She came to the United States at age 12 when her father, seeking an opportunity for a better life for his family, brought her and her six siblings to the “Land of Dreams.” She taught herself to read and write first in Spanish and then in English.

Furthermore, she earned her GED at the age of 24. Dr. Velásquez has taught Spanish at Texas State, levels 1-4, since 2002 and has also taught at Texas Lutheran University, Austin Community College, and Wharton County Junior College.

Aside from her passion for teaching, she is also committed to being part of students' academic life; therefore, she does so by mentoring students and serving as an advisor for a student organization. She is currently the advisor to two campus student organizations: First-Generation Connect at Texas State and Grupo Folclórico Ocotochtli. She has also served as advisor to two other student organizations: Students Against Sweatshops and Sigma Iota Alpha. Furthermore, she also served as a support faculty member to SCOPE (DACA and Dreamer Students at Texas State) and regularly attends meetings of other organizations, including Spanish Connections. Dr. Velásquez's dedication extends not only to teaching and advising student organizations but also to serving first-generation students, as she holds a special place in her heart for these students herself; she understands the challenges they face when navigating college life. Therefore, she serves as a committee member for the First-Gen Student Success, attends and participates in the First-Gen Graduation Ceremony, represents the Department of World Languages and Literatures at the First-Gen Welcome event, and co-organizes the College of Liberal Arts' First-Gen event, the First-Gen Information and Networking Fair.

For Dr. Velasquez, Texas State is her home away from home, and she considers it her community. With this in mind, she co-established with her colleague, Alba Melgar, the organization GADiA (Gloria and Alba, Dedication in Action). Since 2010, GADiA has organized the Día de los Muertos Celebration with a different theme each year. This event offers presenters from various disciplines across campus the opportunity to share their knowledge on the year's theme. Additionally, Dr. Velásquez co-organizes other events and collaborates with other departments, centers, and organizations that organize community-oriented events. Due to her commitment and dedication, she was a recipient of the 2015 Excellence in Diversity Award and the College of Liberal Arts Excellence in Teaching Award in 2019.

Dr. Velásquez's commitment and dedication to her department, college, and university earned her the highest position a non-tenure faculty member can hold, Professor of Instruction.

Dr. Velásquez strongly believes education is the path to success. This belief is transmitted to her students not only through words, but also with proof, since she has been a professor for 25 years, having started as an illiterate 12-year-old. She earned a Master's degree in Public Administration, a Master's degree in Spanish, a Bachelor's degree in Political Science, and a Bachelor's degree in Spanish.

Dr. Velásquez also believes that dreams and goals do not have an expiration date and that age is just a number, since she accomplished her lifelong dream when she received her doctoral degree in Adult, Professional, and Community Education in May 2024.