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Hispanic Studies Graduate Students

Graduate students have the opportunity to gain valuable, practical teaching experience as a Teaching Assistant in a Spanish course. As the students teach from the very first day of the program, they interact with one another as part of the teaching team and develop "hands-on" teaching skills. For a two-year period, teaching and learning are entwined activities, as the student is able to see the academic world from both sides. Through shared experience, M.A. and PhD students develop strong ties with one another, and these help to make the graduate community a friendly place.

Our Current Students

Eduard Arriaga Arango
Andrea Avila
Ewelina Barski
Diana Botero
Jeremias Cabrera
Natalie Calderon
Ana Chiarelli Acosta
Laura Chamorro
Monica Nicte-ha Codina
Maria Eugenia de Luna Villalón
Adriana Diez Medieta
David Domínguez-Navarro
Suava Hastedt
Jennifer Anne Kozak
Raul Manuel Lopez Bojanero
Sharyn Melo
Miharu Miyasaka Chirino
Carlos Montiel Contreras
Liliana Montoya
Ricardo Montoya Descalzi
Maryluz Montoya Martinez
Ana Laura Muñoz
Ricardo Muñoz-Castiblanco
Diego Muñoz Escalante
Camelia Nuñez
Jaime Ontiveros
Elika Ortega Guzman
Marcela Otálora
Yolanda Pangtay Chang
Carlos Pardo
Miriam Peña Pimentel
Anaid Perez Mata Grajales
Randol Ricardo Pérez Salas
Felipe Quetzalcoatl Quintanilla
Alma P. Ramírez-Trujillo
Sonia Reis
James Restrepo
Mirian Rojas Ruiz
Juan Guillermo Sánchez Martínez
Manuel Efrén Sánchez López
Emily Signoretti
Edgar Yanez
Jimena Zambrano

Eduard Arriaga Arango
En UWO
I am from Bogotá, Colombia. I obtained a Masters degree in Latin American Literature granted by the Instituto Caro y Cuervo in 2002. Since my graduation, I have been working as a university professor, mainly at the Universidad Distrital (Bogota’s University). I designed and taught courses on Latin American and Colombian Literature as well as courses on semiotics and discourse analysis. In addition, I established a research group devoted to Literary and Cultural research, which is currently dealing with issues relating to the Colombian Literary Field. In 2007 I arrived to Canada, to the University of Western Ontario, where I found a great department characterized by its people and their community. Currently I’m doing a PhD project concerned with the analysis and evaluation of the so called Afro-Latin American cultural system in Colombia, Brazil and Spain from 1990 to 2007. My aim is to find out what we refer to when we use the term 'afro' as a metaphor which designates a cultural and complex reality.

Andrea Avila

Andrea Avila

En UWO

Nacida en el Distrito Federal, ha dividido su vida entre dos pasiones: el periodismo y el teatro. Su último trabajo periodístico fue en el diario mexicano El Universal. En teatro ha colaborado como actriz y ahora estudia la teatralidad desde el punto de vista teórico. Realizó una investigación sobre el director mexicano Héctor Mendoza y ha comenzado un estudio sobre el teatrólogo argentino Jorge Dubatti. Cuenta con una maestría en Humanidades por la universidad Anáhuac del Norte y una en Letras Modernas por la Iberoamericana, ambas en México. Desde septiembre cursa el doctorado en la Universidad de Western Ontario y en octubre participó en la Conferencia de Estudiantes e Investigadores Mexicanos en Canadá.

Ewelina Barski

En UWO

I am currently in second year in teh Hispanic Studies Ph.D program. I am studying Spanish Linguistics. Specifically I am focusing my work on attrition at the level of the Overt Pronoun Constraint in both Polish and Spanish Heritage speakers in Canada. As well, I am currently investigating attrition in nominal case in Polish Heritage speakers, and together with Camelia Nuñez we are investigating the acquisition of the plural in Spanish by L1 English speakers.

Jeremías Cabrera Ortíz

En Nawatl (Blog)

ōninomaxtih Instituto Tecnológico Iguala, Guerrero, Mexico, īpan 2006, ōnitlan Informatica, ninomaxtitikah kēn nokwih totlatōlwān pampa nitēiztlakaazizneki.

Estudié en el Instituto Tecnológico de Iguala, Guerrero, México. En el 2006 terminé la carrera en Informática. Actualmente curso la maestría en Estudios Hispanos
enfocándome en la Lingüística.

I studied in the Instituto Tecnológico de Iguala, Guerrero, México. In 2006 I finished my B.A. in Computer Sciences. Currently, I am studying a Masters in Hispanic Studies
focusing in linguistics.

Ana Chiarelli

Egresada de la Universidad Católica Andrés Bello de Caracas como licenciada en Comunicación Social, posteriormente realizó estudios de postgrado en el área de Desarrollo Organizacional en Gerencia de Empresas en la también venezolana Universidad Simón Bolívar. Actualmente, cursa estudios de PhD en Estudios Hispánicos en Western y sus principales intereses de investigación son la literatura hispanoamericana contemporánea, el manejo de la información en la época colonial y la influencia del transnacionalismo en la literatura.

Monica Nicte-ha Codina

I was born in Guadalajara, México. Currently, I am a second year PhD student in Hispanic Studies at the University of Western Ontario in the department of linguistics. I also hold a MA degree from this university, which I obtained in 2007. My master’s thesis focused on language attrition and incomplete acquisition of Spanish by bilingual speakers. My main research interests include second language acquisition, classroom teaching and learning, educational linguistics and computer-assisted instruction focused on the pedagogical grammar of teaching Spanish. Before coming to UWO I lived in Kitchener-Waterloo where I did my undergraduate studies in Spanish language and literature at Wilfrid Laurier University and Spanish/English translation at University of Waterloo. I also have Bachelor of Education degree from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at University of Toronto.

Maria Eugenia de Luna Villalon

Maria Eugenia de Luna Villalón

En Selected Works

I am from Mexico City, where I lived until three years ago when I moved to Canada. I obtained a “Licenciatura” in Communication Sciences with a specialization in Educational Radio and TV from the Universidad de las Américas Puebla (UDLAP). Many years later, after being and entrepreneur and a mom of two boys, I decided to go back to the UDLAP to study an MA in Applied Linguistics and within the program I came to the University of Manitoba as an international student where I did my thesis research about Home-literacy practices of Mexican Immigrant families.

Currently I am a PhD student in Hispanic Studies-Spanish Linguistics at Western. My research area is Sociolinguistics and migration with a main interest in Mexican Agricultural Temporary Workers in the Ontario and Quebec regions.

My academic interests are Spanish linguistics, Second Language Acquisition, Sociolinguistics, Literacy practices, Language in Minority Populations, Sign Languages, and Language and the Mind (just to mention some!).

Adriana Diez Medieta Adriana Diez Mediata

En UWO

Mi background es en psicología. Mi experiencia laboral, se ha centrado en psicología clínica e investigación de mercados. Actualmente estoy en mi primer año de maestría en lingüística hispánica y mis intereses se centran en adquisición de primera y segunda lengua, neurolingüística, psicolingüística, morfología, sintaxis y adquisición de la lengua Vasca - euskera.

David Domínguez-Navarro

David Domínguez-Navarro

En UWO

David completed his B.A in English and Italian Studies from Valladolid University, Spain and U.C.D. Dublin, Ireland in 2001. He is currently pursuing a PhD. in Hispanic Studies at Western Ontario. He is also a Graduate Teaching Assistant - SPAN1030, SPAN 2200, SPAN2202F and SPAN2218G -. His fields of interest are Spanish Medieval Literature, Jewish Literature, Ladino (Judeo-Spanish) Literature, and Sephardic Diaspora. David is member of the Canadian Association of Hispanists, The Institute of Marrano-Anusim Studies of Israel, and colaborates as editor in the journal magazine Tarbut Sefarad. He loves Italian cuisine and Argentinean cinema.

Mariana Hosking
En UWO

Soy de México, D.F. y actualmente estudio la Maestría de Lingüística en The University Western Ontario. Estudié la Licenciatura de Terapeuta en Comunicación Humana en el Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación, en la Ciudad de México. He trabajado en esta área por más de cuatro años específicamente en el campo de la Discapacidad Intelectual, Trastornos de Lenguaje, Articulación, Voz, Habla y Aprendizaje. Me interesa la investigación en la adquisición, desarrollo y emisión del Lenguaje, así como el estudio de la Lengua Tarahumara.

Jennifer Anne Kozak

En UWO

My name is Jennifer Anne Kozak and I completed my BA in Spanish and Latin American Studies with a Specialization in Translation from the University of Waterloo in 2004. Several credits towards my degree were obtained while participating in exchange programs at the Universidad de Holguin in Cuba and the Universidad de Nebrija in Spain. I completed my MA in Hispanic Studies at the University of Western Ontario in 2010. During my degree I received recognition for my teaching abilities as a Spanish 1030 Teaching Assistant and was the On Site Coordinator for an exchange group to Holguín, Cuba. I am now working on a PhD in Hispanic Literature at the University of Western Ontario. Currently, I am a Coordinator for a new program in the department called Community Outreach which is designed to involve the first year Spanish language students in the University’s Hispanic community. I still make time to teach Salsa and Latin Dance so my dance students can participate in the Department’s annual variety show, Noche Heretica. I am obsessed not only with Latin Dance but also with traveling through Latin America every chance I get and experiencing Hispanic Culture first hand.

Carlos Urani Contreras

Carlos Montiel Contreras

En UWO
En Hispanicbaroque.ca
En Academia.edu

Egresado de la Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana en la Ciudad de México en la carrera de Letras Hispánicas. Escribió su tesis de licenciatura sobre el arte escénico de Lope de Rueda bajo la dirección del Dr. Gustavo Illades. Actualmente está en el tercer año del programa de doctorado en la Universidad de Western Ontario. Ha participado en varios congresos académicos. Pertenece al proyecto Hispanic Baroque y su tema de estudio son la ontologías culturales y el sistema barroco de cultura.

Ricardo Montoya Descalzi
Ricardo-Montoya.com

Intervalo de vida que aglutina emociones, piel y calva reluciente. Hijo de Leticia y Juan.

Intereses varios: El cine, en especial el latinoamericano y su relación con la literatura, la escritura breve, la poesía hecha canción.

“Lo que importa es la Isla no el tesoro”

Maryluz Montoya Martinez
En UWO

MARYLUZ MONTOYA MARTINEZ: After obtaining a BA Honours Arts with Specialization in Spanish from the University of Ottawa, I am currently undertaking a MA in Hispanic Studies at the University of Western Ontario. I am also a Spanish language intructor at the same University. My areas of interest include 20th century, children, and Latino Canadian literature.

Ricardo Muñoz-Castiblanco
En UWO

Canadiense de origen colombiano, aspirante a la Maestría en Estudios Hispánicos, Coordinador de “La Tertulia” del Programa de Español de UWO desde el 2005, representante del Multiculturalismo en el Comité de Creatividad de la ciudad de London desde el 2007. Desde hace más de 30 años forma parte del equipo de Investigación del grupo de investigación del arte rupestre GIPRI, del cual es Co-fundador.

Fue Co-fundador y miembro de la Junta Directiva de la CCPA, Asociación de Profesionales Colombo-Canadienses en London, del 2002 al 2008, Profesor Asistente Voluntario del Programa de Arterapia del LIHC, London Intercommunity Health Centre, entre el 2004 y el 2006 y Trabajador Comunitario Voluntario en el Proyecto de Desarrollo de las Comunidades del Noreste de London, en LUSO Community Services, del 2003 al 2005.

Arquitecto Urbanista y “Bogotanólogo”, fue Profesor Universitario, Investigador y Consultor en Urbanismo y Medio Ambiente en Bogotá, por más de 25 años.

Actualización: Ricardo finalizó su Maestría en diciembre de 2009 y actualmente es estudiante del doctorado en Estudios Hispánicos.

Camelia Nuñez

En UWO

I am currently enrolled in the Hispanic Linguistics Program at the University of Western Ontario. I first discovered the Spanish language through the ever popular Latin American “Telenovelas” that had become very popular in post communist Romania, my country of origin. Upon moving to Canada, in high school, I had the opportunity to formally pursue the Spanish language. I went on to complete a BA degree in Spanish and Latin American Studies at the University of Waterloo and continued pursuing Spanish at a Graduate level.

Just like myself, many Romanians, especially women, have first come in contact with the Spanish language through “Telenovelas”. Merely by watching Latin American Soap Operas in Spanish and with Romanian subtitles, a significant number of Romanians have become fluent in the language. It is an intriguing phenomenon to me and it is why I will be dedicating my thesis research to better understanding it. I will conduct my research in Romania where I will be applying tests to volunteer Romanians that have had no formal instruction in Spanish, yet can speak and understand the language strictly from watching “telenovelas”. This will allow me to determine their level of Spanish and compare it to bilinguals that have studied Spanish in a formal setting.

Marcela Otálora
En UWO
Nací en Bogotá Colombia. Hace aproximadamente un año y medio estoy en Canadá. Soy estudiante de Maestría en este departamento. El proyecto que estoy desarrollando actualmente tiene como objetivo fundamental la creación de un modelo terapéutico para optimizar el tratamiento de enfermedades. Este modelo se basa en el poder de la palabra como elemento fundamental para la constitución simbólica de los sujetos. De acuerdo con ello, trabajaré en dos frentes fundamentales: la narrativa y la programación neurolingüística.

Yolanda Pangtay

Born and raised in Mexico, from a family of Chinese origins, and having studied English as a second language in a non-immersed environment, it was natural for me to develop a curiosity on the diversity of languages.

I hold a BA in Education with a specialty in the English Language from the Escuela Normal Superior del Sur de Tamaulipas, an MA in Education with a specialty in Applied Linguistics, from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM), and an MA in Hispanic Studies from the University of Western Ontario (UWO). My research thesis: Misunderstandings in Instant Messaging Conversations in Spanish.

Currently, I am in my first year of PhD in Hispanic Studies, studying Spanish Linguistics and Language Acquisition. My areas of interest include Pragmatics and Discourse Analysis.

Carlos Pardo

I am from Bogota, Colombia. I did a B.A. in Economics at The Andes University of Bogota and a Masters in Studies of Developing Countries at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium. Most of my professional time has been devoted to working on social projects and regional studies but Hispanic literature and culture have always been my preferred subjects. Now I can deal with them from an academic perspective, and I am pleased to do it. At present, I am in the second year of a Ph.D program in Hispanic Studies. My main research interests are: Spanish and Latin American detective novel; Latin American historical novel, and Latin American social and cultural history.

Miriam Peña Pimentel

En UWO

Estudio el 3er. año del PhD en Hispanic Studies en The University of Western Ontario. Mi línea de investigación se orienta al periodo Barroco, de hecho, el tema de mi tesis es sobre Bibliotecas Hispánicas en los siglos XVI y XVII. Sin embargo, el Teatro de los Siglos de Oro es otra de las líneas de investigación que me interesan y gustan mucho, así como la Gestión del Conocimiento y la Gestión Cultural.

Anaid Perez Mata Grajales

En UWO

Soy una estudiante internacional en la Universidad de Western Ontario. Actualmente estudio una Maestría en Estudios Hispánicos. Mi área de interés es el feminismo en la Literatura Latinoamericana.

Randol Ricardo Pérez Salas

Nací en Cuba y me gradué de Historia del Arte y Periodismo en la Universidad de La Habana. He trabajado como especialista del Instituto Cubano de Arte e Industria Cinematográficos y como redactor y reportero del diario nacional “Juventud Rebelde”. Mi pasión es la crítica y la investigación. Actualmente curso la maestría de Estudios Hispánicos en la Universidad de Western Ontario. La literatura, las artes plásticas, el cine y la danza son mis campos preferidos.

Felipe Quetzalcoatl Quintanilla

Felipe Quetzalcoatl Quintanilla

En Felipe-Quetzalcoatl.com
En UWO
En Academia.edu

Born in 1981 Mexico City and emigrated to Canada in 1991. After dabling about in a seminary and med-school, he has given himself completely to literature and film. Currently enjoying year two of the doctorate degree at Western, Quintanilla's interests span through Chicano-global studies, film, Canadian Studies, "Latino-Canadian" literature, Internet communication technologies, and creative writting. He is main editor for various online publications, and his work is published in both digital and print formats; his latest publication being an inclusion in the short-story anthology entitled Retratos de una nube; Antología del cuento Hispano-Canadiense (2008).

Alma P. Ramírez-Trujillo

Alma P. Ramírez-Trujillo
En UWO

I am a 4th year Ph. D Student interested in the Languages in Contact area focused on the Acquisition of Spanish as a Second Language and Early Bilingualism. My research concentrates in the Acquisition of Spanish by Nahuatl speakers, an indigenous language spoken in Mexico. I am currently working on my thesis titled "Acquisition of Agreement in Nahuatl by Spanish and English speakers: a bidirectional study".

Sonia Reis

- My academic interests are:

First and Second Language Acquisition (Spanish, Portuguese, English and French)
Bilingualism
Sociolinguistics
Psycholinguistics
Curriculum Studies and Curriculum Development (Second Language Acquisition)
Globalization of education
Foreign language teaching

- Personal interests:

to travel around the world

- My university degrees:

Bachelor of Arts (Honors specialization - 4 yrs) - UWO
Bachelor of Education - UWO
Masters in Education - UWO
PhD candidate - Linguistics - UWO

James Restrepo
En UWO

I am a PhD student and language instructor at the University of Western Ontario in London. My research interests are migration and exile studies, as well as contemporary Latin American literature. For my dissertation, I am investigating the impact that contemporary transnational migration is having on the Bolivian diaspora, particularly on aspects such as culture, identity, and endogenous forms of governance. I am also working as a research assistant at the International Migration Research Centre at Wilfrid Laurier University on various projects related to transnationalism and temporary migration in Canada and Spain. Previously, I completed my M.A. in Global Governance at the University of Waterloo in 2008, and my B.A. in International Studies and Modern Languages at the University of Ottawa in 2007.

Juan Guillermo Sánchez Martínez

Juan Sánchez Martínez

En publish.uwo.ca/~jsanch/

Profesional en Estudios Literarios y Magíster en Literatura de la Universidad Javeriana de Bogotá (Colombia). Publicaciones: Sueños e Historias de los Jóvenes Wayuu en Bogotá, proyecto ganador de la convocatoria Bogotá un libro abierto (Secretaría Distrital de Cultura, Recreación y Deporte, Bogotá, 2007); Letras del Sur, antología de jóvenes escritores del barrio Paraíso (Fundación Bellaflor, Ciudad Bolívar, Bogotá, 2009); Memoria e invención en la poesía de Humberto Ak’abal (Editorial Abya-Yala, Quito, 2010); y el libro de poesía Río (Edición de autor, Bogotá, 2010). En el año 2007, Diarios de Nada fue finalista en el Concurso Nacional de Cuento Ciudad de Bogotá. Actualmente, PhD en Western. Mi investigación: poesía indígena contemporánea.

Manuel Efrén Sánchez López

Manuel Efrén Sánchez López

En UWO

Manuel Sánchez forma parte del programa doctoral de estudios Hispánicos en la Universidad de Western Ontario. Egresado de la carrera de contaduría y finanzas, ha trabajado para distintas empresas y firmas de auditoría en las áreas de contabilidad y finanzas. Estudió la maestría en estudios humanísticos con especialidad en literatura e impartió clases a nivel licenciatura. Se desempeño como consejero académico y profesor tutor durante los últimos dos años. Actualmente cursa el primer año del programa doctoral. Sus intereses de investigación están enfocados en estudiar las relaciones entre neurociencia y escritura creativa. Ha publicado algunos trabajos de narrativa breve en revistas y antologías.

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