Dr. Matilde A. Sarmiento-Arribalzaga is currently a faculty member in the Department of Education at the University of Texas-Pan American. She received her Ed.D in Bilingual Education from Texas A & M University in Kingsville, Texas. Originally from Mexico, she has taught at the elementary level, community college, undergraduate and graduate level since 1997. She has also held various administrative positions.

Her academic interests center on Bilingual Education, early childhood, ESL, and language instruction. From her involvement in public schools, Sarmiento has developed an increasing interest in the role of Spanish in the teaching of Mexican and Mexican-American children.

Her research interests are in the education of language minority students, and in challenging our conceptions of "risk" for low income and second language students. She firmly believes that, first, teachers need to re-conceptualize current understandings of the "risk" factors presented by students who are low income, racially or ethnically diverse, and second language learners. She also believes that such students have an enormous untapped potential (Emotional Intelligence), and that they can demonstrate surprising talents and abilities when given an educationally enriched and challenging program through the preparation of highly qualified Bilingual Education teachers.

Sarmiento also considers that the United States’ education system has completely disregarded the well-established research on the power of second language instruction. She believes that children who are not offered the opportunity to learn a second language before the age of ten are being unnecessarily/severely/significantly disadvantaged in today’s global society. She asserts that teaching is one of the most powerful positions one can hold in society if done with unconditional love and mutual respect for one’s students, colleagues and the greater community.