Melissa Venegas

Melissa Venegas is a Teaching Assistant Professor in the Department of Spanish at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill), part of the Romance Studies program (ROMS). She holds a PhD in Spanish Applied Linguistics and Pedagogy from the University of California, Riverside, alongside advanced degrees in Spanish, Elementary Education, and Anthropology. Her teaching spans over 15 years across K-12 and higher education, emphasizing critical language awareness and social justice. Venegas employs place-based pedagogy to foster student agency and connects classroom learning to community activism for linguistic justice.

Education:

• PhD in Spanish Applied Linguistics and Pedagogy, UC Riverside
• MA in Spanish, UC Riverside
• MEd in Elementary Education, University of Missouri-St. Louis
• BA in Spanish and Anthropology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Research Interests: Venegas focuses on raciolinguistics, critical sociocultural linguistics, and decolonial approaches to language education. She critiques dominant language ideologies and advocates for inclusive pedagogies that center marginalized voices, particularly in Spanish language instruction. Her work explores how classroom practices can address systemic inequities and empower students through community-engaged learning.

Awards:

• 2023 Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award, UC Riverside
• 2017 UCR Chancellor’s Distinguished Fellowship
• 2012 Fulbright ETA in Argentina

Teaching & Advising: Venegas has extensive experience designing curricula that integrate local community resources and Indigenous knowledge systems. Her approach emphasizes reflexivity and relational accountability in language learning. Though no formal advisees are listed, her pedagogical innovations reflect sustained mentorship of students through participatory methodologies.