Melissa Rojas Williams

Melissa Rojas Williams is an Assistant Professor of Bilingual Education at the University of North Texas. Her research interest focuses on centering and amplifying the knowledge production and experiences of Latina bilingual teachers in bilingual classrooms. Melissa’s research draws from intersectionality research methods. Her most recent research project explores how pre-service bilingual teachers utilize children's literature and critical historical inquiry to help build children's civic identities as they also reflect on their own civic identity, membership, and agency.

Prior to joining UNT Denton, Melissa graduated with her Ph.D in Curriculum and Instruction from The University of Texas at Austin. While at UT, she had an opportunity to learn from the roles of instructor, researcher, and field supervisor. Having had ten years of teaching experience in a bilingual classroom in a public urban school district, Melissa is personally invested in the long-term mentoring of pre-service teachers in their journey of mental health and sustainability within the teaching profession. She is also committed to providing space for teacher education candidates and teachers to become more reflective and critical in their practice and creating classrooms that ensure safe spaces for all students.

• Williams, M.R.  &Berlanga, P. (accepted/2024). Why stories matter: Using Latine children’s literature in the bilingual elementary classroom in advancing the civicness of Latine communities. In A.T. Jaffee &C. Salinas (Eds.). Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Relevant Social Studies: Examining Research and Practice with and for Emergent Bilingual and Multilingual Youth, pp., Teachers College Press. 

• Salinas, C., Fránquiz, M, Williams, M.R.(2023). The narrative and our civicness: Capturing the identity, agency, and membership of the Latina/o communities. In P. Ramirez (Ed.), Reimagining Citizenship Education: Empowering students to become critical leaders and community role models. Information Age Publishing. 

• Salinas, C., Williams, M. R.(2018). Crossing/erasing borders: A response to global and Immigration. In D. Krutka, M. Helmsing, &A. Whitlock (Eds.), Keywords in the Social Studies: Concepts and Conversations. Peter Lang Publishing Group.