About
Dr. Ivannia Soto-Hinman, professor of education, passed away on April 23 at the age of 48 after an eight-year journey with cancer.
A beloved and renowned bilingual education scholar and mentor at Whittier College for 15 years, Ivannia’s relentless optimism and wide-reaching advocacy in education reform inspired colleagues and influenced countless aspiring and veteran educators across California.
The prolific author of 12 books, Ivannia’s groundbreaking language acquisition methods were published in her highly-regarded and oft-cited book “ELL Shadowing: A Catalyst for Change.” Her proven methods made Ivannia a sought-after expert on multilingual education, frequently delivering trainings and workshops to school districts, county offices, and education systems across the country.
Ivannia held leadership roles and maintained affiliations with the California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE), California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC), and the California Association of Bilingual Teacher Education (CABTE). As such, she was an influential figure in state legislation and education standards.
In 2011, Ivannia founded the Institute for Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Teaching (ICLRT) at Whittier College. Over the last decade, she led efforts to establish Whittier College as a leader in bilingual education pedagogy, launching the Bilingual Authorization Program (BILA) in 2018 and hosting the inaugural Bilingual Education Summit in September 2023.
Ivannia is survived by her husband, Ron Skamfer, her parents Ron and Estella Soto, her sister Arlene Soto ‘94, and her loyal furry companion Frida.
In lieu of flowers or other gifts, the family asks you to donate to the Institute for Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Teaching (ICLRT) or the Bilingual Authorization Program (BILA) scholarship in honor of Ivannia’s life and passion.