Rate My Professor Miriam Villanueva

Dr. Miriam Villanueva is a dedicated history educator and scholar with expertise in Latin American history. She obtained her Ph.D. in Latin American History from Texas Christian University in 2017. Her doctoral dissertation, titled “A Cultural History of Panamanian Militarism, 1968-1986,” was supervised by Dr. Peter Szok and examines the cultural aspects of military governance in Panama during that era. She conducted extensive fieldwork for this project while living in Panama from 2014 to 2017.

Throughout her graduate career, Villanueva earned prestigious recognitions, including the James R. Scobie Memorial Award in 2014 from the Conference on Latin American History, which funded her pre-dissertation research trip to Latin America. She also received the Graduate Essay Prize for her paper “Lifting the Curtain on the Cultural Influences of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties.” Her research has been presented at notable academic gatherings, such as the 2013 Southern Historical Association conference, where she delivered a paper on “Panama's Military Government (1968-1989).” Currently, Dr. Villanueva serves as an Instructor in History and Social Science at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. She has developed innovative curricula, including a course on North American Borders in 2018 exploring cross-border complexities, and a Spring 2021 class using zombie films to dissect historical narratives. Her teaching integrates experiential learning, featuring field trips to historical sites like terrestrial shipwrecks and partnerships with the Peabody Museum. Notable collaborations include a 2021 lesson on the material culture of protest tied to the American Indian Movement and a 2023 student project utilizing Abbot Academy archives to investigate institutional legacies. In 2024, she was named an ALLF Fellow by Latinos for Education for Massachusetts, highlighting her impact in education and leadership within Latino communities. Dr. Villanueva's blend of rigorous scholarship and dynamic teaching continues to shape the next generation's engagement with global histories.