Sofia A. Villenas

Sofia A. Villenas is an Associate Professor at Cornell University's Department of Anthropology, affiliated with the College of Arts and Sciences and multiple programs including American Studies, Feminist/Queer Studies, and Latina/o Studies. Her research bridges education, critical race theory, and Latinx feminisms, focusing on public pedagogy in social movements and migrant communities.

She has published extensively on topics such as testimonio, narrative methodologies, and decolonial praxis. Key publications include the edited volume Handbook of Latinos and Education and works exploring Latina mother-daughter pedagogies. Her teaching includes courses like Anthropology of Education and Latinx Education Across the Americas.

Villenas previously served as director of Cornell's Latina/o Studies Program (2009-2016) and held leadership roles in the American Educational Studies Association and the Council on Anthropology and Education. She examines how education functions in home, school, and community contexts through lenses of imagination and social change.