Raquel Sáenz Ortiz

Raquel Sáenz Ortiz is an Assistant Professor of Education at Southwestern University, specializing in culturally responsive teaching and Ethnic Studies curriculum development. She holds a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from Boston College, with prior teaching experience in New Mexico, Nicaragua, and Boston. Currently directs field placements for pre-service secondary teachers and teaches courses like Foundations of American Schools and methods courses for teacher candidates.

Her research focuses on culturally sustaining pedagogies for immigrant-origin youth, with projects including analysis of Texas' Senate Bill 3 censorship laws and comparative studies of identity politics in Mexican-American and Franco-Maghrebi contexts. She has conducted fieldwork in the U.S., Mexico, France, and Morocco.

Recent presentations include discussions on immigrant education at the International Conference on Education and Migrations (2022) and invited talks on anti-racist teaching practices. Collaborates with student researchers and international scholars to advance social justice in education systems.