DEPARTMENT OF SPANISH & PORTUGUESE

Julia is a Spanish professor who teaches across a wide range of proficiency levels and specializes in designing tailored courses for Spanish heritage speakers and experiential learning. She created the Spanish for Heritage Speakers Track at the University of Iowa before joining Northwestern University in 2022. She currently serves as the Coordinator of the Spanish as a Heritage Language Track and as a member of the Spanish Placement Test Committee.

One of her key accomplishments is the creation of Del cafetal al futuro, a digital archive that captures the unique dialect of the coffee region of her native Puerto Rico, as well as the esteemed service-learning textbook Amigos de la comunidad: Curso de aprendizaje-servicio en español. Her scholarly work includes book chapters and articles published in reputable national and international journals, including Borealis: An International Journal of Hispanic Linguistics.

Julia is the author of an Open Educational Resource (OER) for advanced Spanish heritage learners, Historias compartidas, supported by an OER Faculty Grant and a Hewlett Fund for Curricular Innovation Grant. She also completed the Spanish translation of Irma Olmedo’s Tales from the Barrio and Beyond, which highlights the Puerto Rican diaspora in the United States. Her commitment to promoting Spanish as a heritage language and advancing service-learning initiatives is evident in her participation in the IV Semana de la Lengua Española en Estados Unidos y Canadá, in collaboration with UNAM, as well as in her podcast contributions. She has also served as Editor-in-Chief for the Spanish-language content of the upcoming Smithsonian exhibition ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa.

In addition to her teaching and research, Julia plays an active role in academic service and governance. She represents her department in the Faculty Senate and on the Learning Technology Advisory Committee (LTAC). Her engagement with students is further reflected in her service on the Student Affairs Senate Subcommittee and her fellowship at Willard and the International Studies Residential Colleges. Additionally, she serves as the advisor for the Latin Music Ensemble.

Julia chaired the 5th Symposium on Spanish as a Heritage Language and edited a special issue of the Hispanic Studies Review focused on the same topic. She also co-chaired the 12th Symposium on Spanish as a Heritage Language, held at Northwestern University in May 2025.

Julia earned her Ph.D. in Hispanic Linguistics from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), specializing in sociolinguistics and phonology.