Gabriela Olivares is a Professor of Spanish at the University of Northern Iowa and a member of the Department of Languages and Literatures. Her work is central to the Teacher Education Preparation Program, where she specializes in second language methodology and supports the development of both pre-service students and local K-12 educators. Drawing on her extensive background as a K-12 English teacher in Chile and a Spanish educator in Iowa, Dr. Olivares is a dedicated advocate for world language education across all academic levels.

Dr. Olivares received her PhD in Applied Linguistics from Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. Her research interests include second language acquisition and methodology, open educational resource (OER) pedagogy, individual differences, working memory and the use of technology-enhanced language learning tools among traditional and non-traditional students. She has published over 20 refereed articles, presented at over 35 conferences, has participated and secured funds for several grant projects, and has been the recipient of several awards, such as The Veridian Community Engagement Award (Iowa) in 2009 and the Iowa OER Open Education Award in 2025. Beyond her research and instruction, Dr. Olivares has held significant leadership roles at UNI, including serving as Interim Dean of the Graduate College and Vice President of Research and Innovation, while contributing her expertise as a site reviewer for state teacher education accreditation.