Degrees
- B.A., Spanish and Art History, Washington University in Saint Louis, 1995
- M.A., Spanish, University of California, Irvine, 1998
- Ph.D., Spanish, University of California, Irvine, 2004
Areas of Interest
- Nineteenth and twentieth century Spanish Literature (Realism, Modernism)
- Spanish and Latin American Cinema (Neorealism, Postmodernism, Documentary)
- Intersections of Philosophy, Literature, and Cinema
- Spanish and Latin American Intellectual History
- Cultural Studies
- Immigration Studies
I am currently preparing a manuscript on the role of skepsis in the critical outlook of Miguel de Unamuno and his incorporation of it in his novelistic production around themes of personal or collective crisis.
Courses Taught
- Beginning Spanish
- Intermediate Spanish
- Readings in Spanish Peninsular Cultures
- Poetic Lives, Poetic Lines: An Introduction to Spanish Poetry
- Hispanic Film
- Cervantes and Don Quijote
- Don Juan in the Spanish Cultural Imaginary
- Fate, Freewill, and Entrapment in Modern Spanish Narrative
- Spanish Existentialist Writers and Filmmakers
- Diversity, Intersectionality, Otherness (FYS)
Teaching Philosophy
I design my courses to take students on a journey of sustained inquiry and discovery that challenges them to continue to grow as Spanish speakers and to practice critical thinking. My courses provide a structured path to their established learning goals, and I support my students by giving them the necessary tools, guidance, motivation, and encouragement to succeed. I believe that learning entails trial and error and that with the right balance of hard work, discipline, and planning everything is attainable.
Independent Study Advising
- 鈥淐iclo de la Historia Repetida: El Juego de Espera de los 鈥淒reamers,鈥 by Fernanda Ba帽uelos, spring 2024. (double major with Education)
- 鈥淛oder鈥 Aqu铆 vienen los delinquents. Una exploraci贸n de dos pel铆culas de Eloy de la Iglesia: Colegas y El pico,鈥 by Hannah Grosman, spring 2023. (double major with Education)
- 鈥淣ativism, another word for racism? A study of how anti-immigrant sentiments create animus towards the Latinx Community,鈥 by Elizabeth Su谩rez, spring 2021. (double major with Political Science)
- 鈥淢iguel de Cervantes, Plat贸n, y Francisco de Goya: La conexi贸n entre la fantas铆a y la realidad,鈥 by Dezmond Morrow, spring 2021.
- 鈥淟a libertad y sus acontecimientos: un enfoque en el existencialismo y el uso de la
libertad dentro de artefactos culturales,鈥 by Carlos Hern谩ndez, spring 2020. (double major with Education) - 鈥淢oral Obligations: Towards a Just System of Immigration,鈥 by Mayra L贸pez, spring 2019. (double major with Philosophy)
- 鈥淔ronteras entretejidas: texto, textil, y la formaci贸n de una narrativa mestiza en las obras de Sor Juana In茅s de la Cruz, Gloria Anzald煤a, y Sandra Cisneros,鈥 by Claire Billingsley, spring 2016.
- 鈥淒e monstruo a modelo: C贸mo el mito de La Llorona refleja los cambios en la Sociedad, la identidad, y la cultura en tres libros infantiles,鈥 by Charlotte Tierney, spring 2016.
- 鈥淐ervantes y Vel谩squez: Dos artistas revolucionarios y c贸mo exploraron los mismos conceptos en sus t茅cnicas diferentes,鈥 by Cathryn Rudawsky, spring 2015.
- 鈥淥axaca vive, 驴la lucha sigue?: Una cr贸nica de conflictividad social,鈥 by Lauren Hines, spring2009. (double major with English)
- 鈥淓spa帽a vista desde afuera: la evoluci贸n del turismo en Espa帽a desde los finales del siglo XIX hasta el nuevo milenio,鈥 by Rebecca Beyer, spring 2007.
- 鈥淓l concepto de la salvaci贸n en las obras de Miguel de Unamuno,鈥 by Emily Richardson, spring 2007.
- 鈥淓l problema del libre albedr铆o en Niebla,鈥 by Sean Hennessey, spring 2006.
Publications
- 鈥淭he Rebranding of Don Juan Tenorio as a Social Misfit in Tristana,鈥 in Approaches to Teaching Benito P茅rez Gald贸s. New York MLA: (forthcoming)
- 鈥淟as ra铆ces filos贸ficas de la actitud cr铆tica de Unamuno,鈥 in Actas del XXI Congreso de la Asociaci贸n Internacional de Hispanistas. Madrid: Iberoamericana / Vervuert. (forthcoming)
- 鈥San Manuel Bueno, m谩rtir as Literary Artifact,鈥 in Approaches to Teaching Miguel de Unamuno. New York: MLA, 2020. 143-152.
- 鈥淎tributos esc茅pticos y nietzscheanos de Pachico Zabalbilde de Paz en la guerra de Unamuno鈥 in Perspectivas actuales del hispanismo mundial. Christoph Strosetzki. Vol. II. Munster: Readbox Unipress, 2019. 173-184.
- 鈥淟a arquitectura epistemol贸gica de La forma del silencio de Mar铆a Luisa Puga,鈥 in Mar铆a Luisa Puga y la (re)construcci贸n del espacio. Mexico City: Editorial de la Universidad Aut贸noma Metropolitana de M茅xico, 2018. 91-116.
- 鈥淯namuno y Montaigne: una aproximaci贸n a Niebla desde la Apolog铆a a Raimundo Sabunde,鈥 in Hispanismos del mundo: di谩logos y debates en (y desde) el Sur. Leonardo Funes. Buenos Aires: Mi帽o y D谩vila, 2016. 99-107.
- 鈥淚ncongruent Visions: Documentary Incursions into the Debate Over Illegal Immigration.鈥 Vanderbilt e-Journal of Luso-Hispanic Studies 8 (Fall 2012): 13-22.
- 鈥淯苍补尘耻苍辞鈥檚 San Manuel Bueno, m谩rtir: Philosophical Skepticism in a Time of Political Upheaval.鈥 Revista de Estudios Hisp谩nicos 1 (Spring 2011): 177-199.
- 鈥淪ynchronicity in Julio Medem鈥檚 Los amantes del C铆rculo Polar: Poeticizing Coincidence in a Taoist Vernacular.鈥 Anales de la literatura Espa帽ola 颁辞苍迟别尘辫辞谤谩苍别补 36.1 (Winter 2011): 33-53.
- 鈥淭he Convergence of Mysticism and Psychosis in Almod贸var鈥檚 Hable con ella.鈥 翱箩谩苍肠补苍辞 37 (Spring 2010): 21-40.
- 鈥淭he Hellenic Origins of Unamuno鈥檚 Skepticism and Niebla鈥檚 Skeptical Parody of Cartesianism.鈥 Hispanic Review 77.4 (Autumn 2009): 471-493.
Professional Affiliations
- Asociaci贸n Internacional de Hispanistas (International Association of Hispanists)
- Modern Language Association
- American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese