Dr. J. Joy Esquierdo is an Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Texas-Pan American. She is currently the Bilingual Education Graduate Program Coordinator and an Associate Director for the Center for Bilingual Studies. She received her Ph.D in Educational Psychology from Texas A&M University at College Station in 2006; her Bachelor of Arts and her Master of Education in Elementary Education-Bilingual/Bicultural from the University of Texas-Pan American. She taught and worked in Texas public schools for nine years before working in academia. The majority of her teaching experience is from working in elementary schools in the Rio Grande Valley and in the Houston-area. She has provided teacher training in the areas of gifted bilingual education, dual-language education, and various sessions on how to increase the academic rigor in bilingual classrooms.
Dr. Esquierdo’s academic interests center on Bilingual Education, Gifted and Talented Education and the cognitive development of children, especially bilingual children. She has a strong commitment to dual language education programs. The positive long-term outcomes of dual language programs offer evidence of closing the current academic achievement gap between bilingual Hispanic students and American mainstream students. Her research agenda includes topics that focus on the academic performance of bilingual students in various areas such as gifted education, content literacy development (in both English and Spanish), and overall best teaching practices for bilingual learners. She has co-authored two books: Teaching Content to Latino Bilingual-Dual Language Learners: Maximizing Their Learning and A Practical Guide for Student Interns: Meeting the Needs of Latino Students and their Communities.
Associate Professor, Bilingual & Literacy Studies; Director, Center for Bilingual Studies
Bilingual & Literacy Studies
Email:
joy.esquierdo@utrgv.edu
Phone: (956) 665-3605