Maria Orozco is an Assistant Professor of Practice in the Department of Teaching, Learning, and Sociocultural Studies. Her work is grounded in her experience as a K–8 classroom teacher in Arizona and is deeply connected to the communities she serves.

She is the Co-Director of the Pathways to Teaching 'Grow Your Own' Teacher Preparation Program, where she collaborates closely with partner school districts to support and develop future educators from within their own communities. Her research focuses on how pre-service teachers draw upon their own K–12 educational experiences to shape their evolving teaching practices and transform learning for their students. She engages frameworks such as Funds of Knowledge (Moll et al., 1992) and Community Cultural Wealth (Yosso, 2005) to examine how teacher candidates' lived experiences inform and strengthen their pedagogical approaches.

She teaches undergraduate courses in the Pathways to Teaching Program, supporting teacher candidates in bridging educational theory and practice as they prepare to teach in K–8 classrooms across Arizona.

She is committed to fostering strong partnerships with school districts and communities, and to cultivating the next generation of educators who will create meaningful learning experiences for students that draw upon their lived experiences and linguistic repertoires.