OLBI is pleased to welcome Professor Valenzuela whose dynamism and expertise will contribute greatly to the services offered by the Institute and to its local and global outreach.
Professor Valenzuela has worked for the past five years as Graduate Studies Director of uOttawa’s Spanish program. She is also Co-Director of the Language Acquisition Research Laboratory, where she teaches and offers research and project management mentoring to students.
Her research deals with second language acquisition, bilingualism and heritage languages in a Canadian context. In 2022, Valenzuela received the Faculty of Arts Distinguished Teaching Award, a major distinction.
“Joining this esteemed institution is an honour, and as a first generation Canadian who benefited from bilingualism policies in Canada, this opportunity holds a special meaning for me.
I am eager to contribute to the institute's mission of promoting bilingualism and language policy. I am grateful for the opportunity and excited for the journey ahead!” — Elena Valenzuela
You can email Professor Valenzuela.
We also wish to thank Professor Catherine Buchanan for serving as Interim Director since the beginning of 2023.