Josefina Villamil Tinajero

Josefina Villamil Tinajero is a Mexican-American educator and author. Her work and writing are focused on bilingual literacy, and improving student outcomes in higher education. Tinajero has served as president of the National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE) and has worked as a professor of bilingual education at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Tinajero later became the dean of the College of Education at UTEP. According to El Diario de El Paso, she is an expert in bilingual education.

Biography Tinajero was born in the state of Chihuahua and lived in Ciudad Juárez until she was three before moving to El Paso, Texas. When Tinajero first started school, she didn't know how to speak English. She learned English at school, but retained her Spanish-speaking skills by using them at home.

Tinajero began teaching at UTEP in 1981. The program originally focused on Mexican-American girls because they had one of the highest risks of dropping out of school or going to college. The majority of students in the program, which is now available for fathers and sons, finish high school and attend college. In 2002, she was awarded "Texas Professor of the Year" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Publications