For the past 15 years, I have dedicated myself to the research and practice of serving the underserved.” — Prof. Alegría Ribadeneira

The face of joy

Dr. Alegría Ribadeneira is a full professor of Spanish and director of world languages at Colorado State University Pueblo. Ribadeneira actively researches and presents on issues of language instruction, assessment and program development focusing on heritage and second-language learners in mixed classrooms.

She was born and raised in Ecuador and was encouraged to develop her superpower of bilingualism at a very young age. Her father brought her and her siblings to the U.S. to have greater access to advanced education and to further their linguistic abilities.

Earlier this semester, Ribadeneira was awarded the Distinguished University Professor Award from the president of Colorado State University Pueblo, Dr. Timothy Mottet. This is the highest award a professor can earn at the university, and Ribadeneria is the second award recipient since the honor was introduced. 

She presented a seminar on best practices for reaching all students Nov. 10. Ribadeneria “has tailored her teaching methods to inspire students from a variety of countries who speak a multitude of languages,” according to a university press release.

“Alegria is a teacher scholar; she enriches her teaching and the student experience by incorporating her research process into her instruction activities,” Mottet said in the release. “Her research-infused teaching methods can now be shared with her colleagues and community members to better serve and engage students, especially those who come from diverse backgrounds.”

Her students are, without a doubt, the beneficiaries of her talent and love. They have said that she cares for every single individual who she meets and she sees the potential in all. 

Additionally, Ribadeneria has been on the forefront of making language, culture and everything in between fiscally attainable. She creates all the textbook content in her spare time so her students do not need to spend unnecessary amounts of money on their studies. She also creates a program specially designed for each and every student with a wide range of classes that range from well being and studying the history of the Spanish-speaking world to cooking and film.  

“When I was fresh out of grad school and came to teach at CSU Pueblo, I quickly realized that much of what I had learned about being a teacher did not apply to our student population,” Ribadeneria said per the university press release. “For the past 15 years, I have dedicated myself to the research and practice of serving the underserved, and I can’t wait to share some of the lessons I have learned!”

Her recognitions include the 2020-21 Students’ Choice Award Winner for Faculty and the 2020 International Individual Educator Award for Excellence.

But it’s the students’ responses that show the true extent of her impact. In December of 2020, after a tough fully online semester in the midst of COVID, all students in her class held up notes of appreciation for all the work she does.

If you have any questions regarding the World Languages Program here at CSU Pueblo, contact the professor at [email protected].

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