DENISE N. LARA, Ph.D.

TPI-US REVIEWER

Denise N. Lara is a tenured associate professor in the Bilingual/ESL/Multicultural Education program at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. At Texas Tech University she earned a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in Secondary Education, a Masters in Bilingual Education and a Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum and Instruction emphasis in multicultural education. Additionally, she serves as a certified TPI-US inspector of teacher preparation programs who specializes in bilingual/ESL/multicultural education and the preparation of teachers to serve and support culturally and linguistically diverse student populations.

Denise holds English Language Art and Reading (ELAR) 4-12th grade and a Bilingual Supplemental Texas teaching certification. She taught in Texas Title I public schools for five years as a secondary ELAR teacher. Her experience in higher education includes research assistant on a federal math/science elementary grant, clinical teaching field supervisor/Site Coordinator, bilingual/ESL instructor for graduate and undergraduate courses, and bilingual/ESL curriculum and program development. 

Currently, her research focuses on the achievement of English Learners and marginalized BIPOC student populations, through the development of critical educators who can teach and advocate in a culturally sustaining manner. Through the inclusion of critical issues in bilingual and multicultural education and training in asset-based pedagogies, she strives to develop the knowledge, skills and dispositions of in-service educators at the master’s and doctorate level. Her work with district and school partnerships includes serving on several school boards and providing on-going professional development to in-service teachers on policy, standards, advocacy and best practices for teaching and serving culturally and linguistically diverse student populations. Denise has extensive experience leading and coordinating bilingual/ESL curriculum and programs and lead a series of faculty development opportunities on topics of multicultural education.