Title: Department Chair of World Languages and Cultures, Communications and English
Company: Texas Lutheran University
Location: San Antonio, Texas, United States
Ariadne de Villa, PhD, Department Chair of World Languages and Cultures, Communications and English at Texas Lutheran University, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Educators for dedication, achievements and leadership in Language Education.
Marked by more than 15 years of dedicated service and leadership as an educator, author, international public speaker and cultural advocate, Dr. de Villa has led a distinguished career in higher education. Since 2025, she has served as department chair of world languages and cultures, communications and English at Texas Lutheran University. In her role, she oversees a range of academic programs, supports faculty and students, and fosters a diverse and inclusive campus culture. Her leadership is characterized by a commitment to advancing Spanish language education and promoting cross-cultural understanding to enrich the learning experience for her students.
Dr. de Villa is also an associate professor of Spanish at Texas Lutheran, a role she has held since 2022. In this position, she continues to inspire students through her innovative teaching methods, advocacy and dedication to academic excellence. She previously served as an assistant professor of Spanish from 2016 to 2022, during which she taught courses in Spanish and utilized the language within health care positions. Among her most significant achievements at Texas Lutheran is her founding of the Heritage Spanish program, which addresses the unique needs of heritage speakers and enriches the university’s language offerings for students.
Prior to her tenure at Texas Lutheran University, Dr. de Villa was a lecturer of Spanish at St. Mary’s University, where she contributed to the institution’s language programs and engaged students in the study of Spanish language and culture. In 2014, she held the position of invited lecturer of Spanish at Rice University, where she played a pivotal role in designing curriculum and taught Medical Spanish, Intermediate and Advanced Spanish classes.
Throughout her career, Dr. de Villa has been an active member of AATSP, ACTFL and Casa de España, reflecting her ongoing engagement with professional organizations dedicated to the promotion of Spanish language and culture. She also serves as adviser for the Alpha Mu Gamma National Collegiate Foreign Language Honor Society and is a reviewer of the distinguished Hispania academic journal. Furthermore, she regularly participates in national and international conferences, underscoring her commitment to scholarship and professional development, including an honorary presentation delivered at the University of Salamanca in Spain in 2018, as part of the 800th Anniversary Commemoration of the university’s founding. On October 23, 2025, Dr. de Villa was recognized as Ambassador for the Arts and Humanities for her exemplary leadership and dedication.
Dr. de Villa’s academic background is both extensive and international in scope. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Spanish language, culture and gender, graduating cum laude from Universidad de Málaga in Spain. She also holds a Master of Arts in Spanish language, culture and gender, awarded cum laude by the same institution. Earlier in her academic journey, she completed a Master of Arts in Spanish applied linguistics from Middlebury College and obtained a Bachelor of Arts from St. Mary’s University.
To augment her qualifications, Dr. de Villa holds a C2 certification — the highest level in German language proficiency — from Berlitz Institute in Freiburg, Germany, where she also collaborated with research in applied linguistics. Her passion for languages was shaped by her bilingual upbringing in German and Spanish, which includes roots in both Spain and Germany. She later acquired proficiency in English, French, Arabic and Turkish and is fluent in multiple languages. Deepening her belief that language is a powerful bridge that connects people across cultures, this multilingual background has been central to her professional inspiration.
Along with her achievements as an instructor and department lead, Dr. de Villa is a prolific author who has contributed significantly to the field of language education. In 2019, she published the first of two versions of “Introducción al estudio de la lengua española,” with one presented in Madrid in collaboration with Middlebury College, Spain, and the other showcased at the Frankfurt Book Fair, further highlighting her international recognition. She has also authored numerous peer-reviewed articles — covering topics in the area of second language education, sociolinguistics and Spanish in the U.S. — and has been featured in prominent publications including the Revista Iberoamericana de Educación, Revista Iberoamericana de Linguística and the Journal of Emerging Economies and Policy.
Outside of her professional endeavors, Dr. de Villa is a proud mother of two trilingual children and remains driven by both personal fulfillment and societal contributions. Looking to the future, she is dedicated to continuing her service to the Texas Lutheran University community by making language learning more accessible through cost-effective textbooks, supporting faculty through the tenure process and fostering a welcoming, motivated environment. Her vision emphasizes leadership rooted in mindfulness, collegiality and helping others recognize the value of their contributions, further cementing her legacy of making a positive impact through everything she does.
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International Book Fair Article
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