Ruth E. Quiroa

Ruth E. Quiroa is an Associate Professor at National Louis University's National College of Education, specializing in Reading and Literacy. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has extensive experience in teacher education and literacy advocacy. Her academic roles include directing the M.Ed. Reading Program and the Ed.D. Teaching & Learning/Reading, Language & Literature Major. She teaches courses across multiple programs including Literacy Methods, Diverse Perspectives in Youth Literature, and Scholarly Habits of Mind.

Education:

• Ph.D., Education, Curriculum & Instruction (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2004)
• M.Ed., Education, Curriculum & Instruction (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1998)
• B.A., Psychology (Olivet Nazarene University, 1987)

Research Interests: Dr. Quiroa focuses on Latinx representation in children's literature, multicultural literature's impact on pedagogy, bilingual/ESL education, and literacy equity for culturally diverse students. She examines visual portrayals of Latinidad, wordless picture books, and international Spanish-language youth literature.

Professional Engagement: She serves on prestigious committees like the Pura Belpré Award and Jane Addams Children’s Book Award panels. As a grant mentor, she contributed to a $2.3M U.S. Department of Education grant (CLAVE). She has supervised 25 doctoral dissertations and mentored 21 doctoral fellows.

Key Contributions: Her work emphasizes culturally responsive teaching and equity, with publications in journals like The Reading Teacher and Literacy Today. She frequently presents at conferences such as NCTE and the International Visual Literacy Association, addressing topics like anti-racist pedagogy and diverse classroom libraries.