Esther Poveda Moreno

Esther Poveda Moreno is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Spanish, Italian & Portuguese at the University of Virginia, also serving as Community Outreach Coordinator. She actively participates in Charlottesville immigrant advocacy groups including CIRAC, the C’ville Immigrant Bond Fund, and CHITA, demonstrating a strong commitment to social justice and community engagement.

Her academic credentials feature a B.A. in English from Universidad Complutense (Madrid), an M.A. in Spanish and Graduate Certificate in Latin American Studies from UNC Chapel Hill, and an M.A. in Amerindian Studies from Casa de América and Universidad Complutense. She completed doctoral coursework (ABD) at UNC Chapel Hill with dissertation research on Guatemalan Maya Movement literature.

Her research spans Latin American literature (indigenista novels, testimonial writing, and indigenous cultural productions), community-engaged pedagogy, and multiliteracies approaches for advanced Spanish writing. Current projects focus on developing open educational resources and analyzing emotional shifts in community-based language learning.

Her scholarly output includes early contributions to reference works on Spanish American poets, but recent efforts prioritize pedagogical innovation and community engagement, reflecting a shift from literary analysis to applied language education for social impact.

While no major scientific awards are documented, her work has attracted substantial grant support including the Mellon Race, Place, and Equity Program, UVA's SoTL Dissemination Grant, and multiple Institute of World Languages grants for course development and research.

Dr. Poveda Moreno mentors students through community-engaged courses where they volunteer with Starr Hills Pathways, and she has coordinated the development of an OER textbook. Her grant-funded initiatives consistently bridge academic learning with real-world social justice applications.

She maintains robust partnerships with local organizations such as the UVa Equity Center and Starr Hills Pathways, creating structured pathways for student involvement in immigrant support services and educational equity projects across Charlottesville.