María G. Leija

María G. Leija is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), specializing in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. She holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on Bilingual/Bicultural Education from The University of Texas at Austin.

• Current affiliation: Assistant Professor, UTSA College of Education and Human Development
• Education: Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, UT Austin

Her research emphasizes culturally sustaining biliteracies, community cultural wealth, and critically conscious teacher education. She works to prepare pre-service and in-service educators for multicultural and cross-national contexts, drawing on her 20+ years of experience as a bilingual teacher and supervisor in Texas, Idaho, and Oregon.

Honors and Awards

• 2025 Outstanding Graduate Mentor Award, UTSA Graduate School
• 2025 Teaching Excellence Award Nominee
• 2021 Early Career Reviewer Award, Bilingual Research Journal
• 2021-2023 Professional Dyads and Culturally Relevant Teaching (PDCRT), National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE)
• 2018-2020 Cultivating New Voices Among Scholars of Color (CNV) Fellow, NCTE

Dr. Leija has served as a graduate mentor and university instructor, contributing to teacher education programs. Her work bridges pedagogical innovation with equity-focused practices in bilingual and multicultural education.