Dr. Veronica Lopez Estrada is an Associate Professor and Department Chair for the Department of Curriculum & Instruction. She is originally from Santa Elena, a small ranch community in Starr County, TX located in the lower Rio Grande Valley. Dr. Estrada earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English Communications Arts from St. Mary’s University at San Antonio, TX. She also holds a Master of Arts degree in English and a Master of Arts degree in English Education from The Ohio State University. Her doctoral degree is a PhD in Education Studies, also earned at The Ohio State University. Her doctoral specialization is in the area of Language, Literacy & Culture.

Dr. Estrada's public school teaching experience began as an English teacher at Mission High School at Mission, TX in the early 1990’s. She also taught 7th-11th grade students at The Ohio State University as an Instructor for the Academic Scholars Program for five years while working on her graduate and doctoral degrees. Her teaching experiences with middle and high school students at both institutions predominantly included racial and ethnic minorities from low socioeconomic backgrounds and students who were English Language Learners.

Dr. Estrada has taught at UTPA since 1995. She was a lecturer for two years prior to being hired as an Assistant Professor in 1998. Dr. Estrada has served her department and college as a Program Coordinator of the Secondary Education Program, the Master of Education in Reading Program, Department Chair, Interim Associate Dean, and currently, she is the All-Level Teacher Certification Program Coordinator. Among many university and college committees, Dr. Estrada was elected to be a Faculty Senator for the College of Education during her tenure track, and she has served as Counselor of Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education for the past 9 years.

Dr. Estrada has written, directed and evaluated numerous external grants during her tenure at UTPA. Her research interests include qualitative studies in education, technology and teacher education, teacher mentoring and induction, and cognitive and literacy development of diverse learners.

Teaching Philosophy/Style: My teaching philosophy reflects a social constructivist model of teaching that is inclusive of qualitative inquiry as a form of learning. The goal of education, in my view, is a transformation of self and society where prospective teachers see themselves as reflective thinkers, change agents, inquirers and activists for children and adolescents. During the past few years, my teaching has been enhanced due to my inclusion of online technology applications in my teaching that are readily available in our new College of Education Complex. My research interests continue to generate toward discovering ways that cognitive growth and literacy development are affected through electronic online technology applications and to also discover implications for pedagogy and curriculum.

What I like about teaching at UTPA: The University of Texas Pan American is a wonderful place to work for several reasons: #1. Since most of the students at UTPA are first generation college students, they have a hunger to learn and to immediately apply what they have learned in our field-based teacher preparation programs (undergraduates) and in their classrooms (graduate students); #2. Abundant educational research opportunities in a predominantly Mexican American or Latino/a population in this area make UTPA an attractive institution in which to work; #3. Faculty and staff are friendly, collegial and genuinely interested in working with one another; and #4. This university has a mission to grant more and more graduate and doctoral degrees in an effort to ultimately transition to a research institution. This is inspiring and exciting.