Lisa Ortiz

Dr. Lisa Ortiz is an Assistant Professor of Language, Literacy, and Culture at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Education, within the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Leading. Her research focuses on Puerto Rican and Latinx migration, rural education, and knowledge production through an intersectional, decolonial lens. She earned a PhD in Educational Policy Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with minors in Latina/o and Gender & Women’s Studies, alongside a Master of Art in English Education and a Bachelor in Business Administration from the University of Puerto Rico.

Research Interests:

• Migration and education in rural regions
• Ethnoracial, gender, and labor dynamics in the Latinx Midwest
• Language ideologies and transnational feminisms
• Values of knowledge in marginalized communities

Her publications explore pedagogical strategies for multicultural classrooms, immigration policy impacts on education, and critical analyses of Latinx identities. Her work has been supported by grants from the Obermann Center and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Dr. Ortiz previously held postdoctoral roles at the University of Iowa and Illinois State University, and her interdisciplinary approach bridges education, sociology, and cultural studies.

Awards:

• Provost Postdoctoral Research Scholar (University of Iowa)
• Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Research Scholar

Her academic service includes founding a working group on Latina/o/x Migration and Education and contributing to Sawyer Seminars on Latinidad. Teaching interests align with her research, emphasizing critical pedagogy and equity in education systems.