2022 Department Newsletter
Message from the Chair
Happy Fall semester! As I am writing this in the middle of August, I am truly looking forward to it! Let me tell you why. Around the turn of this century, when I was still working in Europe, I used to envy US academics because of their long summer vacations. I often met American colleagues at conferences in May in Spain where they would pretend that the conference was the only scholarly activity they had pending until Labor Day. This would leave my European colleagues and myself less than amused and a little grumpy. We would still have lots of teaching and grading ahead of us before we would finally get those highly valued 4 weeks of summer vacation.
Now, after almost two decades in American academia, I know better. Yes, the American summer break, based on a 9-month contract, is long, but there is also so much to do! There are research projects to work on, papers to revise, galley proofs to check, book reviews to write, tenure and promotion files and article submissions to review… There is summer teaching, study abroad, the usual conference visit… We also need some rest and squeeze in a little family road-trip. And many of us are our kids’ designated drivers…
It’s therefore not that surprising that I am eagerly anticipating the Fall semester's return of classes and the regular workday. I love seeing my colleagues and work friends again. I enjoy the cooler days when I can walk my dog near the Lied Center while listening to KU band practice. And you will understand that I have completely changed my mind about the US academic summer “vacation”. American summers? They are just too busy!
- Margot Versteeg, Professor & Chair
Congratulations 2022 graduates!
Please give one more round of applause for all of our department's graduates in 2022!New Doctorates, New Opportunities
Last semester, two of our GTAs received their Doctorates from our department!
Ángel M. Rañales
Ángel successfully defended his dissertation, "Poética caballeresca: libro y propaganda en la imagen literaria y editorial de Isabel I de Castilla (1489-1511)", and is now an incoming Assistant Professor of Spanish at the University of South Carolina Aiken.
Juan Pablo Román-Alvarado
Juan Pablo received his doctorate for his dissertation, "Narrativas de tránsito: movilidades y colonialidad en novelas y filmes de los siglos XX y XXI en Colombia y Ecuador". He has since accepted a position as an instructor at Emporia State University's Dept. of English, Modern Languages, and Journalism beginning this Fall.
Department Spotlight
Introducing New Colleagues
Course Spotlight: PORT 177
Student Spotlight: Indira García Varela
New Publications
Stuart Day
Antônio R. M. Simões
2022 Faculty Presentations
Verónica Garibotto: Resident Fellow Speaker Series
Rafael Acosta: Meet KU's Authors
Araceli Masterson-Algar: Resident Fellow Speaker Series
Language Practice Tables
Study Abroad Winter Break
KU will offer Study Abroad opportunities in Mérida, Mexico, and Salvador, Brazil, during the winter break. These faculty-led programs will enable students to participate in cultural activities, tour local landmarks, and live with a host family.
View winter programs
Other Opportunities
Our department encourages all students to spend some time studying abroad, exploring different cultures, and immersing themselves in a language for proficiency and fluency. Alongside our winter programs, we offer summer programs in Barcelona, Spain, and Buenos Aires, Argentina. KU also offers a variety of programs in Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries during the fall and spring semesters.
View all Study Abroad programsGiving to the KU Department of Spanish & Portuguese
A donation of any size makes a big difference in the work we do. Our scholarship funds allow us to compete with other universities to attract a diverse group of students from around the world. Our general endowment fund provides for the activities that enrich the academic environment of our department, the University of Kansas, Lawrence, and beyond.
Funding makes it possible for our department to accomplish its mission of:
- Engaging in cutting edge research and instruction in the fields of Hispanic and Lusophone studies with the principal aims of preserving, increasing, and transmitting knowledge and understanding of these languages, literatures, and cultures.
- Serving as a regional and national resource for students, educators, and organizations seeking to increase their cultural and linguistic understanding within the transnational and regional contexts where Spanish and Portuguese are spoken, including within the United States.
- Expanding its national and international outreach, guided by a vibrant community of scholars, to educate new generations of scholar-educators, and instilling in our graduates an understanding of the increasingly complex multicultural society in which we live.
- Promoting diversity to provide a positive environment for teaching and learning while promoting the value of cultural understanding, equity, and inclusion at the University of Kansas and the broader world
To learn more about making a donation, please visit the “Giving” page on the University of Kansas Department of Spanish & Portuguese website. You will be redirected to the KU Endowment Association website (KUEA). KUEA is the nonprofit fundraising organization that supports the University of Kansas.