Julia Oliver Rajan

Julia Oliver Rajan is an Associate Professor of Instruction at Northwestern University, specializing in Spanish linguistics and heritage language education. She designs tailored courses for Spanish Heritage Speakers and leads the Spanish for Heritage Speakers Track. Her work includes creating the digital archive Del cafetal al futuro documenting Puerto Rican coffee zone dialects and the service-learning textbook Amigos de la comunidad. She holds a Ph.D. in Hispanic Linguistics from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

• Teaches across proficiency levels with a focus on experiential learning
• ACTFL certified tester and rater
• Developed Open Educational Resources (OER) for Advanced Spanish Heritage Speakers
• Translated Tales from the Barrio and Beyond by Irma Olmedo

Her research emphasizes community engagement and language preservation, highlighted through her involvement in UNAM's IV Semana de la Lengua Española and her podcast contributions.

• Academic service roles: Faculty Senate member, Learning Technology Advisory Committee (LTAC)
• Coordinates Spanish for Heritage Speakers Track and advises the Latin Music Ensemble
• Co-chair of the 12th Symposium on Spanish as a Heritage Language (2025)