Dr. Hilda López Laval is Professor Emerita of Chadron State College, part of the Nebraska State College System established in 1911 and located in the Pine Ridge area of the Nebraska Panhandle. An integral member of the language faculty at the school, Dr. Laval began her tenure as part of the English department, because at the time no Spanish department had been created. She was a key player in the creation of the school’s Spanish major and minor offerings.

Dr. Laval’s impact on the school and her department has received considerable notice and credit internally and in the academic community at-large. She was nominated for the Chadron State College Best Teacher Award in 2003, and received the Diversity Award in 2001. Dr. Laval also was a recipient of the Robert G. Mead, Jr. Travel and Scholarship Award by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese, and has been recognized by the Nebraska Humanities Council, Nebraska Consortium for Service-Learning in Higher Education, and the Darold A. Newblom Foundation.

Born in Argentina, Dr. Laval relocated to the United States, where she is a citizen. After earning a bachelor's degree in Spanish and Philosophy from Hunter College in New York City, she went on to complete a master’s degree in Spanish Literature from City College. In 1992, she completed her doctoral degree in Spanish and Latin American Studies from the University of Florida at Gainesville. Her doctoral dissertation was published in Spain.

Prior to joining the Chadron State College faculty, Dr. Laval worked her way up through education at the elementary, secondary and university levels. Stetson University was the first institution that Hilda taught at as a professor, before moving onto Rollins College in Florida. Additionally, she has worked in language translation for the legal and judiciary system, and edited a bilingual book for children, written by her Spanish class students.

Hilda credits her success to the strength that her mother gave her at a young age and carried her through the years. She is perhaps the most proud on the impact her work has made on an individual, rather than institutional level, as she retains close ties to many former students and they make a conscious effort to reach out to her as they progress in their lives and careers.

International Alumni Association Member Hilda López Laval, PhD can be found on the Association Directory, where she is looking forward to networking with you.