Born in Fortaleza, Brazil. Raquel has a Law Degree and a Specialization in Tax Law and Legal Proceedings from the University of Fortaleza- UNIFOR, Brazil, and a Masters degree in Human Resource Management from Troy University, Alabama. Her extensive knowledge on Brazilian culture, art, history, politics, and economics makes her prepared to meet student needs in a diverse university setting. She is energetic, creative, and committed to excellence in teaching. During her years at the UIUC, she has ranked consistently outstanding by her students. This type of feedback is a great recognition of a job well done, and reflects her goal of striving for excellence in teaching Portuguese and Brazilian Culture. Her ability to speak, translate, and interpret in Portuguese and English using her language skills in addition to her cultural understanding of Portuguese-speaking Countries makes a difference in the local community and contributes to the mission of the University. For the past ten years, at the University of Illinois, she has been delivering programs that provide students with the foreign language skills and cross-cultural awareness they need to live and work abroad, to communicate effectively, and to perform other language-related duties. She is invested in applying the latest instructional methodologies and technologies to meet student demands. She has completed formal training by the ACTFL (the American Council in Teaching of Foreign Languages) to conduct OPI (Oral Proficiency Interview)-based interviews. She has assisted many departments conducting language proficiency evaluations in the four skills (reading, speaking, writing, and listening for understanding) for recipients of scholarships and fellowships such as FLAS (Foreign Area Studies Fellowship) and Fulbright. She has served Department of Spanish and Portuguese in many committees, such as the Language Proficiency Evaluation, the Policy and Development, and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She has provided a variety of language support services such as interpreting and translating legal documents, transcripts, and other academic papers for a wide range of purposes. Since 2018, she has served as reviewer for the Journal of the National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages- NCOLTCL. She is proud of working closely with the local Brazilian community to bring native speakers of Portuguese to our campus, organizing community and cultural events with the goal of educating and fostering cultural understanding and appreciation. In the Spring 2017, under her leadership, the Portuguese Program was nominated and received the Prestigious National award in the category "best educational initiative” by the Association of Teachers of Portuguese (AOTP) for the immersion project entitled Illinois Portuguese Language Connection (IPLC). The event, organized by the three major universities in Illinois– UIUC, Northwestern University, and University of Chicago– exemplifies how to raise the profile of a Portuguese Language Program in a university, and how collaborations can integrate universities and generate opportunities for students. In 2019, she was awarded a very prestigious Mellon Grant to develop innovative online and proficiency-based models in collaboration with the University of Chicago and Michigan State University. Through this grant, she has developed three advanced Portuguese courses to be offered through Course Share to members of the BTAA (Big Ten Academic Alliance). In 2020 she was elected member of the Brazilian Council of Citizens, a non-political group of Brazilian citizens who represent the interests of community members within the jurisdiction of the Brazilian Consulate in Chicago. In 2021, she was invited to join the International Academy of Brazilian Writers. In January 2022, she was selected by the Brazilian Times, the largest Brazilian newspaper in the United States, for the award "Os Notáveis," a list of people who have made great contributions to improve the quality of the Brazilian Community in Illinois. She has been serving our campus community in the role of Advisor to the Luso-Brazilian Association, organizing and delivering conversation tables, workshops (i.e. painting, cooking), talks, and field trips to cultural events. She is also collaborating with the Student Association in the production of a series of Podcasts entitled "Brazil: One Country, Many Voices." These podcasts seek to introduce our community topics that are relevant to the Portuguese-speaking world, with a focus on Brazilian culture. If you are interested in learning Portuguese, want to experience Brazilian culture, or simply want to join a vibrant community of Portuguese speakers, make sure to contact her!