Profile

Dr. Esperanza De La Vega, PhD, is the coordinator of the Bilingual Teacher Pathway (BTP) program in the department of Curriculum and Instruction. She earned her PhD in language, literacy, and culture in education at UC Berkeley. Her four-year ethnographic dissertation study looked at Mexicana/Latina mothers’ perspectives on what it meant to be involved in their children’s educational process. Her research interests focus on the intersections of language, literacy, and culture in the educational process for linguistically and culturally diverse children and families.

Prior to joining PSU, she taught in the United Arab Emirates at the country’s first university dedicated to the education of Emirati women. During her four years in the UAE, Dr. De La Vega conducted several small research projects. She looked at the English literacy development practices used in schools, as well as the strategies used for students’ English as a second language acquisition. She explored the cultural tradition of stories among Emirati elders and noted the wisdom that was being passed on to the next generation of Emirati women. Recently, Dr. De La Vega studied what it means to be involved in a child’s education from the perspective of Emirati parents.

Dr. De La Vega continues her work around developing strong parent and family relationships with schools in order to create learning environments that honor, respect, and value the strength of cultural and linguistic diversity among its community for the benefit of children.

Esperanza De La Vega, PhD
Graduate School of Education
Curriculum and Instruction
Portland State University
PO Box 751
615 SW Harrison
Room 602C
Portland, OR 97207-0751
Phone: 503-725-9902
Fax: 503-725-8475
Email: delavega@pdx.edu