Valeria Ochoa (she/her/ella) is an Assistant Professor of Spanish Linguistics and Heritage Education in the School of Language, Culture, and Society. Her research focuses on Spanish as a heritage language (SHL) in the United States. Within this field, Valeria investigates issues relevant to local bi/multilingual communities through the incorporation of critical and decolonial perspectives. Her research has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Pragmatics and Languages.

Valeria coordinates and teaches the courses in the Spanish for Heritage Language Learners (SHLLs) program. She brings her academic and personal expertise to this role as a Mexican American SHLL from Las Vegas, Nevada.