Stephanie Gonzalez

Stephanie Gonzalez, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in Spanish as a Heritage Language, Director of the Spanish as a Heritage Language Program in the College of Liberal and Fine Arts at the University of Texas-San Antonio (UTSA COLFA).

Co-PI Stephanie Brock González specializes in working with beginning-level heritage learners of Spanish and is a heritage learner of Spanish herself. She has demonstrated leadership and initiative by expanding the Spanish as a Heritage Language (SHL) Program during her postdoctoral fellowship at UTSA. She has designed new courses, such as a course on Bad Bunny and #nosabokids, facilitated discussions on critical perspectives, updated SHL classroom and program practices, and presented at SHL conferences nationwide. In addition to her duties as SHL Program Director, in Spring 2023, she and other members of the SHL Team were awarded a grant through the USTA Library to design and Open Educational Resource (OER) textbook for the introductory SHL courses. She piloted this new OER curriculum, conducted classroom observations, provided feedback to instructors, and ensured alignment with SHL best practices. Her involvement includes student recruitment, contributing to the Hispanic Heritage Month Committee, and organizing regional SHL workshops and a national SHL conference. Stephanie has co-created new courses blending heritage Spanish, Latino and border studies, and digital humanities with Dr. Sylvia Fernández as part of the expansion of the SHL Program. In Fall 2024 semester she will be teaching the first fully designated service learning course in the Spanish program.  Gonzalez brings to the consortium her extensive experience in leadership and innovation within SHL, her expertise in piloting Open Educational Resources (OER) curricula, and her dedication to fostering community partnerships through Community-Engaged courses and the SHL Program.