Estella Almanza

Estella Almanza is a Professional Research Assistant and E3 Project Director at the BUENO Center for Multicultural Education, affiliated with the University of Colorado Boulder. As a first-generation college student from South Texas, her career spans roles in elementary, special education, and higher education settings, with a focus on equity, bilingualism, and biliteracy.

• PhD in Education: Equity, Bilingualism & Biliteracy (University of Colorado Boulder, 1999)
• MS in Special Education (University of Texas Dallas, 1989)
• BS in Elementary & Special Education (University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, 1985)

Her research integrates special education with cultural and linguistic diversity, emphasizing student evaluations, equity, and social justice. She has contributed to grant writing, data collection/analysis, and collaborated with classroom teachers and principal investigators. Key areas include bilingualism, MTSS frameworks, reading comprehension strategies, and literacy development for native and English language learners.

• Title VII Fellow

Estella brings extensive practical experience from K-12 and university teaching environments, alongside leadership in multicultural education initiatives.