Blanca Caldas Chumbes

Blanca Caldas Chumbes is an Assistant Professor in Multilingual Education and Elementary Education at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities within the College of Education and Human Development. She holds a PhD from the University of Texas at Austin, an MEd from Boise State University, and a BA from Universidad Federico Villarreal in Lima, Peru.

• Education: PhD in Curriculum and Instruction (Bilingual/Bicultural Program, 2016) from the University of Texas at Austin, MEd in Bilingual education from Boise State University, BA in Education from Universidad Federico Villarreal.

Her research focuses on bilingual education, critical pedagogies, and minoritized language practices. She employs methodologies such as critical discourse analysis, participatory action research, and critical performance ethnography to explore teacher education and language learning. Her dissertation, Performing the Advocate Bilingual Teacher: Drama-based Interventions for Future Story-making, was recognized with the Activist Research Grant Initiative Award. Her work emphasizes equity in education, particularly for Latino ELL students through initiatives like Literacy sin Fronteras, which she co-founded. She has presented extensively at conferences and published in both English and Spanish.

• 2016 Activist Research Grant Initiative Award
• 2021 Early Career Award, AERA Bilingual Education Research SIG
• 2020 Douglas Foley Early Career Award, CAE
• NCTE Research Foundation Cultivating New Voices Among Scholars of Color Fellowship (2016-2018)

Dr. Caldas Chumbes co-founded the Literacy sin Fronteras Initiative, which addresses achievement gaps through biliteracy camps. Her career blends activism, performance-based pedagogies, and critical approaches to teacher education. She contributes to academic discourse through publications and conference presentations, emphasizing the intersection of language, culture, and social justice. Her affiliations include the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Minnesota, where she works to advance multilingual and elementary education frameworks.