Dr. Sofia Villenas

Biography

Sofia Villenas is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Cornell University. Her academic background integrates Ethnography, Feminist Anthropology, and Critical Race Studies. With a pivotal focus on education, she examines the intersectionality of race, identity, and community through the lens of the Latin@/x diaspora. Villenas’ past experiences as a bilingual elementary school teacher and English language instructor in Latino communities in Los Angeles filter into her scholarship. She earned her PhD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where her research centered on Latina mothers and their navigation of educational systems. Her current projects emphasize the pedagogical forces of social movements and the role of cultural citizenship, particularly in creating agency among Latinx communities. Over the years, Villenas has served in various leadership roles, including as president of the American Educational Studies Association and director of the Latina/o Studies Program at Cornell. She teaches a range of courses that bridge anthropology and education, engaging students with critical methodologies and ethnographic approaches to understanding diverse cultures and educational practices.

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