Category Archives: HISP faculty news

HISP Faculty Focus, August 2018: Dr. Silvia Rodríguez Sabater

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Dr. Silvia Rodríguez Sabater

Professor Rodríguez Sabater earned her Ph.D. in Hispanic Linguistics at Indiana University prior to starting her career in the College of Charleston’s Department of Hispanic Studies, where she is currently an Associate Professor.  Since joining the College’s faculty in 2000, she has taught at every level in the Spanish curriculum to include basic language through graduate courses for the M.Ed in Languages (Spanish) program, and she has taught for the Honors College.  In addition to her impressive teaching record and tireless dedication to students, she has an extensive and sustained record of successful leadership with curriculum management and development through her past roles as Basic Spanish Language Program Coordinator (2009-2011), Director of the M.Ed. in Languages Program (2015-2018), and her current assignment as Chair of the Hispanic Studies Distance Education Committee, which has been responsible for the department’s proactive response to the growing demands for online learning.

Of Dr. Rodríguez Sabater’s countless contributions at the College of Charleston during her 18 years to date, her initiative with curriculum development and pedagogical innovation has been especially noteworthy and impactful.  In 2015, for example, she co-founded the Hispanic Studies Teaching Discussion Series as a professional development platform for language teachers in the School of Languages, Cultures and World Affairs, and she has distinguished herself as one of the department’s foremost experts on distance education.  As a pioneer of second language teaching, Professor Rodríguez Sabater’s ongoing work is leading us all through the ever-changing academic landscape of the 21st century.  In her own words:

I am an advocate for learning languages and cultures at all levels. I enjoy teaching because of the close connection I develop with students and faculty in Hispanic Studies and other disciplines. But what I love the most is the creative process of teaching! I enjoy reflecting on my teaching, developing new curriculum, helping students in the learning process, and creating realistic assessments. I also have a passion for adapting the use of new technologies to the learning of languages and cultures.  I am also particularly proud of my time as Director of the M.Ed. in Languages. I have been fortunate to serve this program and its students during a period of growth and achievement when we implemented several changes and initiatives such as the digital portfolios, the new online ESOL program, the expansion of the curriculum, and more efficient communication with students.

The Department of Hispanic Studies congratulates Dr. Silvia Rodríguez Sabater for being selected for our August 2018 “Hispanic Studies Faculty Focus.”  Stay tuned for September 2018’s feature…

Dr. Del Mastro to Address North American Academy of the Spanish Language

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On Wednesday December 5, 2018 at 7:00pm at the Spanish Benevolent Society in New York City, Professor Mark P. Del Mastro will address the North American Academy of the Spanish Language as invited speaker for his formal admission as a “miembro numerario”/full member of the same academy.  Dr. Del Mastro’s presentation “Sigma Delta Pi y su historia en la vispera de su centenario (1919-2019)”/”Sigma Delta Pi and its history on the eve of its centennial (1919-2019)” will be based on his forthcoming book  Sigma Delta Pi: Rediscovering a Century (1919-2019) to be published by Juan de la Cuesta Hispanic Monographs in late spring 2020.

Dr. Viñas-de-Puig’s Article to Appear in the _Southern Journal of Linguistics_

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Professor Ricard Viñas-de-Puig’s article “Perception of expletive negation in Catalonian Spanish and Catalan: Evidence of language divergence between two otherwise converging varieties” has been accepted for publication in the Southern Journal of Linguistics.

Hispanic Studies’ Professors Participate in 100th AATSP Conference in Spain

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At the Centennial Conference of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP) in Salamanca, Spain on June 25-28, 2018, Professors Mark P. Del Mastro, Susan Divine and Devon Hanahan had active roles in various sessions:

On Monday, June 25, Professors Divine and Hanahan co-presented “High impact practices during study abroad: Portfolios of Trujillo, Spain” during a 75-minute session.  This presentation was based on Divine’s and Hanahan’s experiences co-directing CofC’s Maymester program in Trujillo for two consecutive summers in 2017 and 2018.

Dr. Del Mastro organized and chaired the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society’s Best Practices and Informative Session that featured the presentations of student leaders from four different universities from across the U.S.   He also hosted the reception for Sigma Delta Pi members and guests and directed the event’s presentation of various awards and recognitions, to include the initiation of Dr. Frank Nuessel of the University of Louisville into the Order of Don Quijote.  Del Mastro also presented reports to the AATSP’s Board of Directors in his role as AATSP Finance Committee Chair and Executive Director of Sigma Delta Pi, which is a partner of the AATSP.

Dr. Sarah Owens Gives Multiple Lectures in Spring 2018

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Professor Sarah Owens was invited to give three different lectures during the first half of the 2018 calendar year:

Plenary Lecture, “Religious Spaces in the Far East: Women’s Travel and Writing in Manila and Macao.” Attending to Early Modern Women. Milwaukee, WI. June 14-16.

Invited Lecture, “La boticas de los conventos peruanos coloniales.” Museo Nacional del Virreinato. El Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia. Tepotzotlán, Mexico, March 15.

Invited Lecture, “El mundo de las medicinas en los conventos femeninos de Arequipa, Perú.” Seminario: Los conventos de monjas, arquitectura y vida cotidiana del virreinato a la postmodernidad. El Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia. Coordinación Nacional de Monumentos Históricos. Museo Franz Mayer, Mexico City, March 14.

Dr. Avendaño Presents Research in Salamanca, Spain

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Professor Nadia Avendaño presented her study “Viet Nam and the Chicano/a Casualties of War in Names on a Map” at the XI International Conference on Chicano Literature and Latino Studies in Salamanca, Spain, May 28-30, 2018.

Drs. Carrillo Arciniega and Del Mastro Represent CofC at the 71st KFLC

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At the 71st Kentucky Foreign Language Conference held at the University of Kentucky on April 19-21, 2018, Professors Raúl Carrillo Arciniega and Mark P. Del Mastro collaborated in numerous venues:

Drs. Carrillo and Del Mastro were panelists in the session “Strategies for Academic Journal Publishing” that was hosted by  Hispanic Studies Review, the international refereed journal of the College of Charleston’s Department of Hispanic Studies. Professor Del Mastro organized and chaired the session.

Professor Del Mastro also organized and chaired two other sessions: the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society’s Graduate Research Symposium and Special Informative Session.

HISP Faculty Focus, May 2018: Professor Marianne Verlinden

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Dr. Marianne Verlinden

Before joining the College of Charleston in 1999, Professor Verlinden earned her Ph.D. in Latin American Studies at Tulane University, and her M.A. at Louisiana Tech University.  Currently a Senior Instructor in the Department of Hispanic Studies since 2009, Dr. Verlinden has taught at every level in the Spanish curriculum to include basic language through graduate courses, and almost everything in between to include Hispanic literature, culture, translation and Medical Spanish, among others.  Besides her work for the Department of Hispanic Studies, she has taught for the Honors College, the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program, the M.Ed. in Languages program and the past M.A. program in bilingual interpreting.

In addition to her vast teaching experience, she has served the department, the School of Languages, Cultures & World Affairs, and the College in countless ways through several departmental ad hoc committees on policy, co-direction of the study abroad program in Spain, the Latin American & Caribbean Studies Program Steering Committee, the Graduate Council, as Global Scholars Mentor, on the First Year Experience Committee, Faculty Senate, and Faculty Welfare Committee, among numerous other activities.   In her own words:

I feel fortunate to work closely with our students, and, through both teaching and advising, encourage them to communicate in another language, and open their eyes to other cultures. Whether they are at the beginning of the journey, like in SPAN 101, or eager to develop their language skills and cultural competencies in professional contexts, such as in SPAN 316, students keep me on my toes, challenging me to constantly reexamine my teaching practice, and that is how it should be! Likewise, I greatly value the opportunity my service work affords me to hear and learn from the diversity of views and approaches to teaching and learning represented among colleagues on campus.

The Department of Hispanic Studies is grateful for Dr. Marianne Verlinden’s many ongoing contributions to students, her academic unit, and the College of Charleston, and for being selected for our May 2018 “Hispanic Studies Faculty Focus.”

HISP Faculty Focus will resume in August 2018 following the summer break, so please stay tuned …

Dr. Pérez-Núñez’s Study to Appear in _Heritage Language Journal_

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Professor Antonio Pérez-Núñez’s article “The Acquisition of Spanish Gender Marking in the Writing of Heritage and Second Language Learners: Evidence from the Language Classroom” has been accepted for publication in Heritage Language Journal.