Author Archives: Mark Del Mastro

Hispanic Studies’ Student Focus, April 2018


Le’ah Griggs, a double major in Music Theory/Composition and Spanish ’18, is a member of the College of Charleston’s Concert Choir, the Latin American Ensemble Otro Sur, the Spanish Club, and she serves as Librarian-Student Team Leader for Addlestone Library.  She has also served as the Assistant Director of the Children’s Choir at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, and she is a private piano instructor.  Le’ah spent her spring 2017 semester studying abroad in the College of Charleston’s program in Trujillo, Spain, with support from the Jean and Tap Johnson Study Abroad Award courtesy of the School of the Arts.

In Le’ah’s own words:

The Spanish language and Hispanic studies department at the College of Charleston is a close-knit, engaging, and welcoming community that I am proud to be a part of. Thanks to the dedicated professors and rigorous course work offered by this department, I have drastically improved my Spanish language skills, broadened my knowledge of Hispanic culture on a global scale, and have grown immensely as a person. The most rewarding experience I have gained as a student of Hispanic studies comes from my time abroad in Trujillo, Spain. So much so in fact, that after graduation this Spring, I will be returning to Spain to pursue a Masters in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language at the University of Alcalá where I have received a full scholarship. I plan to be a music teacher in a Spanish language immersion school in the future.  

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

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.

HISP Faculty Focus, April 2018: Professor Lauren Hetrovicz

Professor Lauren Hetrovicz

 

An Adjunct Lecturer in the Department of Hispanic Studies since 2015, Professor Hetrovicz completed doctoral coursework at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she also earned her M.A. in Hispanic Linguistics and her B.A. in Spanish and Linguistics.  She is a faculty-favorite among students at the College of Charleston where she has taught all levels of basic Spanish language, Spanish Composition and Conversation for Spanish majors and minors, and curriculum in the Linguistics program.  Outside of the classroom, Professor Hetrovicz has also collaborated in various capacities at both the departmental and campus-wide levels, to include the Hispanic Studies Distance Education Committee and as faculty panel member for newly admitted students, among other activities.  In her own words:

Working at the College has been such a pleasure these past three years; I have been surrounded by exceptional students and colleagues who have inspired me to continue growing and learning. Campus involvement opportunities have also enriched my experience, such as being a member of the Linguistics Studies committee, Linguistics Club Advisor, Adjunct Senator and Global Scholar.  

The Department of Hispanic Studies congratulates Professor Lauren Hetrovicz for her admirable commitment to students, her academic unit, and the College of Charleston, and for being selected for our April 2018 “Hispanic Studies Faculty Focus.”

Stay tuned for May 2018’s feature…

Hispanic Studies’ Student Focus, March 2018

Katherine Murchison, double-major in Spanish and International Studies and a minor in Business Administration ’18, is a student of the Honors College, a Harry and Reba Huge Scholar, a William Aiken Fellow, and a CofC International Scholar.  She is currently a member of the S.C. Student Legislature, and she has also served as Student Ambassador for the Alumni Association and as an Ambassador of the Center for International Education, among other activities. She has also studied abroad in Argentina and India.  Currently she works as a Securities Fraud Assistant with Motley Rice LLC in Mt. Pleasant.

In Katherine’s own words:

I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to engage with the Spanish language and Hispanic culture so deeply as a student in the Hispanic Studies Department here at the College. One of my most enlightening experiences was a result of my SPAN 400 Service Learning course where I served as an administrative assistant at the Catholic Charities Office of Immigration Services for an entire semester. I loved my work so much that I continued volunteering throughout the summer. This past November, I was offered a fully-funded scholarship to Washington University School of Law where I hope to matriculate and serve as an immigration attorney committed to serving my Hispanic community.  

 

HISP Faculty Focus, March 2018: Dr. Lola Colomina-Garrigós

Dr. Lola Colomina

A faculty member in the Department of Hispanic Studies since 2003, and a full professor in the department since 2016, Dr. Colomina earned her B.A. in English from Spain’s University of Alicante, and both her M.A. and Ph.D. at Michigan State University.  Since 2015 she serves as the Director of Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LACS), a program that has enjoyed a resurgence under her tireless and creative leadership with the revision of the LACS curriculum, the overhaul of the study abroad program in Cuba, the addition of a post-doc faculty position, and extra-curricular event planning, among many other activities.

In addition to her impressive academic leadership, Dr. Colomina is an accomplished scholar whose research focuses on discourse, power, globalization and cultural mediatization in contemporary Spanish American narrative.   The results of her work appear in several internationally-esteemed, peer-reviewed journals in her field to include Revista Canadiense de Estudios Hispánicos, Bulletin of Spanish Studies, and Hispanófila, among others.  She has also presented her research in numerous scholarly venues across the globe to include Argentina, Austria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Spain.

Despite her impressive accomplishments with academic leadership and research, one of her primary loves is the classroom and her students.  In addition to directing student study-abroad programs in Chile and Spain, she has taught a countless variety of courses at all levels–both undergraduate and graduate–to include basic Spanish language and Spanish American literature, culture, history and film, and she has directed multiple student internships.   In her own words:

Whether in the classroom, by watching students lead intellectually stimulating discussions, or outside of it, when I hear my Hispanic Studies and Latin American & Caribbean Studies mentees speak about how a specific study abroad or an internship experience helped them shape their professional and personal focus in a positive way, being part of the students’ intellectual as well as their more personal journey continues to be the most fulfilling part of my profession.  

The Department of Hispanic Studies congratulates Dr. Lola Colomina for her broad work on so many levels for the benefit of her students, her academic unit, and the College of Charleston, and for being selected for our March 2018 “Hispanic Studies Faculty Focus.”

Stay tuned for April 2018’s feature…

Dr. Emily Beck’s Essay Published in Collection

Professor Emily Beck’s essay “Religious Medievalisms in RTVE’s Isabel,” has been published in a collection of essays entitled  Premodern Rulers and Postmodern Viewers: Gender, Sex, and Power in Popular Culture. Eds. Janice North, Karl C. Alvestad, and Elena Woodacre. Palgrave Macmillan, 2018.

Professor Daniel Delgado Díaz also collaborated with editing the published images.

Essay Co-Authored by Dr. Pérez-Núñez and Student Bethany Blamphin to Appear in _Southern Journal of Linguistics_

The article “Intercultural Competence in the Language Classroom: What Do Foreign Language Teachers Actually Do?” co-authored by Professor Antonio Pérez-Núñez and student Bethany Blamphin has been accepted for publication in the Southern Journal of Linguistics.

CofC and The Citadel Announce 14th Annual S.C. Spanish Teacher of the Year Contest

The College of Charleston’s and The Citadel’s chapters of Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society, are proud to announce their 14th annual South Carolina Spanish Teacher of the Year Award for 2018. The three finalists will be recognized and the awardee announced during a ceremony on Thursday, November 15, 2018 in Alumni Memorial Hall at the College of Charleston in Charleston, S.C. Click here for nomination details.

Inaugural Hispanic Studies Career Seminar Series, Spring 2018

Hispanic Studies Career Seminar Series
Spring 2018

 

“Highlighting the career advantages of language study and cultural proficiency” 

Thursday, February 22, 2018
4:00-5:00pm, Addlestone Library 227

“Language Studies: Critical Skills in Modern Industry”

Louis Richard Doelling
General Counsel, MDK Hospitality, LLC

A 2009 graduate of The Citadel where he earned his B.A. in Spanish, as an undergraduate Mr. Doelling studied abroad in Sucre, Bolivia and Valencia, Spain.  In 2008 he received The Citadel’s prestigious Star of the West Scholarship, which afforded him yet another study-abroad opportunity in Mérida, Venezuela where he examined Chávez-era literature, culture and politics. While at The Citadel, he served as the student body representative to the International Studies Committee, and as president of the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society. Mr. Doelling also earned a fellowship at the University of Colorado at Boulder  where he earned an M.A. in Spanish literature in 2011, and in 2015 he received his J.D. from the Washington and Lee School of Law.  In addition to his current role as an attorney, Mr. Doelling is the founding Chair of the College of Charleston’s Hispanic Studies Advisory Board.

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Thursday, April 12, 2018
3:30-4:30pm, Addlestone Library 227 

“Manager Advantage: Understanding Hispanics in the Workplace”

 

Meredith Ritz Shay
Co-owner and Chief Operations Officer, InCord, Ltd.

A 2011 graduate of the College of Charleston where she double majored in International Business and Spanish, Mrs. Ritz Shay applied her degree-skills to progress from an entry-level position to her current role as Chief Operations Officer.  Currently she co-owns InCord, a manufacturing business that employs over 125 people, 40% of whom are Hispanic.  Recognizing that resolving issues in such an environment requires effective communication with employees in their native language, Mrs. Ritz Shay has managed to gain workers’ trust while fostering their professional growth.  With numerous vendors in South America and Spain, she has developed strong working relationships through her language and cultural competencies.  In addition to her position with InCord, she is a Board Member of the Eastern Advanced Manufacturing Association.

For questions about the Hispanic Studies Career Seminar Series, contact Dr. Mark P. Del Mastro, Chair of Hispanic Studies at delmastromp@cofc.edu

 

Hispanic Studies’ Student Focus, February 2018

Jolie Hiers, Spanish and Foreign Language Education ’18, is a student of the Honors College, a William Aiken Fellow, a College of Charleston Presidential Scholarship recipient, and a member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi and the College of Charleston’s national-award-winning chapter of Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society.  In addition to her academic achievements at the College, she is currently a peer teacher for the Department of Hispanic Studies, and she served as a tutor for the Center for Student Learning, Co-Coordinator/Liaison for the Honors Engaged program, and College Ambassador, among other activities.  She has also studied abroad in Heredia, Costa Rica and Trujillo, Spain.

In Jolie’s own words:

My experience as a Spanish major here at CofC has been amazing. Through this major I was able to study abroad in Spain and Costa Rica, which were both experiences of a lifetime. The professors in the department have been amazing mentors and educators, and I feel well-prepared to for my future career as a Spanish teacher. After graduation, I have applied to teach English in Spain through a Fulbright grant, but I am still waiting on the final notification. The following year, I plan to teach high school Spanish in South Carolina.