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Current Graduate Students |
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<< back to People The Department of Romance Languages and Literatures at MU attracts an enthusiastic group of graduate students from both the US and several foreign countries. Recent graduates have found employment at excellent colleges and universities, including Purdue University, Ohio State University, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, Notre Dame University, and the University of Jordan. In addition, students pursuing the Ph.D. in French have the opportunity to work in France as maître de langues at l'Université Robert Schuman - Strasbourg III. |
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Michelle Anderson (Spanish, MALT) |
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| Virginie Bleneau (French, MALT) | ||
David is brand new to Columbia and is just beginning course work for a Master’s Degree in Spanish Literature. He is interested in peninsular literature, especially Miguel de Unamuno and Cervantes. He is also interested in occidental history, the makeup and history of worldwide religions, Spanish grammar and philosophy, in particular 19th century German philosophy. When David is not studying, he enjoys metal music, chess, tennis, and loves to travel – he lived in northwest Spain for almost three years and understands Gallego language. He has also travelled extensively in Western Europe, the Caribbean and Mexico. David has also served in Iraq for a year and has a second degree black belt in United Rukyu-Kempo Alliance Karate. |
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José is currently in his the fourth semester and preparing for his comprehensive exams for the Master’s degree in Spanish. He is interested in Latin American literature, in particular the twentieth century. When he graduates, he hopes to teach Latin American literature, including courses in Mexican Civilization. When he’s not studying José plays soccer, he enjoys movies and having fun with his friends. José’s favorite phrase is: "Lo que para el mundo es locura, para mi es la vida." |
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A native of Lisbon, Luis Manuel Cavaco de Oliveira Cruz is working towards his Master’s Degree in Spanish literature. He is especially interested in Caribbean literature. When he graduates, he hopes to continue his education for a PhD in Comparative Literature, Spanish and Portuguese. Luis is also a professional photographer with stills and motion pictures. His photography has been widely published in Europe – in advertising, fashion editorials, educational materials, and travel brochures for Portuguese tourism. Luis is also a certified scuba diver. Through his work in photography, Luis has traveled all over the world, including South Africa, Morocco and all over Europe. |
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Tomaz Cunningham (French, PhD) Currently, I am working on coursework towards a PhD in Romance Languages. My professional goal is to teach French language and literature and Black American history. I really enjoy teaching French language, and I am fascinated by Black American history, specifically the Civil Rights era. My academic and research interests include: Images of “otherness” in French literature, Orientalism and Francophone literature, seventeenth century French Literature, the epistolary novel and foreign language teaching methodology. My research topic for my MA specifically targeted the history of French Jewry from the French Revolution to World War II. When I’m not studying, I enjoy playing my keyboards, my saxophone and guitar, staying involved with my church, reading novels, discussing issues of social justice and trying my hand at cooking . . . I love Italian cooking, Mexican cooking and then there’s my favorite . . . . soul food! |
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| Viviane Ducret (French, PhD) | ||
| Matthew Dye (French, MALT) | ||
| Catherine Estrada López (Spanish, MA) | ||
| Hilda Fennel (Spanish-MALT) | ||
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I am currently writing my dissertation with Flore Zephir as my advisor. As the first student to go through the Spanish doctoral program with a concentration in linguistics, my dissertation deals with the language contact phenomena of the Garífuna of Central America. The Garífuna is a large community of blacks, most of who live along the Caribbean coast of Belize, Guatemala and Honduras. They are descendants of Africans but speak a Native American language along with Spanish. This Carib/Arawak language was acquired when their African ancestors lived in the Lesser Antilles, shipwrecked there while en route to the Americas to work as slaves. My dissertation will investigate the linguistic categorization of Garífuna language, the African influence in their language and cultural traditions, find out to what extent the Garífuna language is being consumed by Spanish, and explore efforts being made to maintain this moribund language. When I graduate, I’d love to teach Afro-Hispanic history as a general education requirement course, as well as Afro-Hispanic and Spanish linguistics. When I’m not studying I’m traveling. I’ve lived in Mexico and Guatemala at different times for a total of about two years, and I’ve visited (for more than six weeks in each country) El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. I’ve spent time in Cuba and Jamaica (where I still have family) as well as Puerto Rico. I’ve also visited England, France, Holland and Belgium. I think people would be surprised to know that I’m a licensed manicurist and that I’m about 10 credits short of a Bachelors of Arts in Classical Piano Performance. Publications: Works in Progress: De película: curso intermedio de español a través del cine. Written by Michael Sawyer, Ph.D. Transcriptions for the movies “Hombres Armados” and “Diarios de motocicleta” by Michelle Forbes. Thomson Higher Learning (Heinle) Inc. Fall 2008. Papers Presented: |
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| Kaye King (French, MALT) | ||
| Aaron Koehnemann (French, PhD) | ||
| Danilo León (Spanish, MALT) | ||
| Janet Long (Spanish, MALT) | ||
| Antoine Matondo (French, PhD) | ||
| Wendy McBurney (Spanish, PhD) | ||
| Lorena Medrano (Spanish, MA) | ||
Carlos Mendez arrived in the United States in 1989 from the tiny rural community of Totolmajac, Mexico, just outside of Mexico City. After obtaining his degree from CSU, he worked as a bank manager in Utah for a few years before arriving here to Columbia to teach Spanish 1 in August 2007. Carlos has a passion and a talent for Spanish instruction and is interested in teaching at the high school level or higher, or working in administration. Besides his love of visiting small villages like his own in Mexico, Carlos has also traveled to England, Germany, France, Switzerland and Holland. He loves horror movies, singing Karaoke (especially boleros, baladas and rancheros), but don’t ask him to merengue – Carlos does not like to dance. He can make many traditional Mexican dishes from scratch such as tamales, galletas and mole – even pulque. |
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| Chad Montuori (Spanish, PhD) | ||
| Rosa Morales (Spanish, MALT) | ||
Victoria Pine (French, PhD) Currently I’m preparing to take the comprehensive exams in the fall semester and researching my dissertation topic. I’m interested in 18th century literature, especially the epistolary novel written by women. I’m working with my advisor, Dr. Lazzaro-Weis, to finalize my dissertation subject. I enjoy teaching elementary French and this semester I’m teaching French 1200 at MU. I’d like to pursue teaching language and literature courses once I’ve completed the PhD. And more excitingly, this January, my husband and I are expecting our first baby, a boy. Presentations: “La Boue: The Image of Mud in 19th-century French Novel and Its Parallels in the 21st-century”, 46th Annual Convention of the Midwest Modern Language Association, Hyatt Regency St Louis, November 4-7, 2004. “The World is a Dirt-Pile”, 10th Annual Graduate Research Symposium, Saint Louis University, March 26, 2004. "Les Femmes Fatales de l'Occupation : Le Corbeau et Les Enfants du Paradis", 16th Annual Southeast Conference on Foreign Languages & Literatures, Rollins College, Winter Park, FL. March 4-6, 2004. |
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| Matthew Plank (Spanish, MALT) | ||
| José Saenz (Spanish, MA) | ||
| Cecilia Saenz-Roby (Spanish, PhD) | ||
| María Taub (Spanish, PhD) | ||
| Jason Wilki (French, MA) | ||
Non-Resident PhD candidates |
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Currently, I am preparing for comps and researching in New England. I am employed at Worcester Academy as an Upper-School Spanish Teacher, in Worcester, Massachusetts. My area of expertise is in Golden-Age literature, specifically its poetry. With Charles Presberg as my adviser, I will complete a dissertation that treats the major poems of Saint John of the Cross through both a literary and theological perspective. The title of my dissertation is The Journey of the Mystic-Hero: The Poetics of Saint John of the Cross in which I examine how the author recasts himself as the Christian and literary hero of the Western Tradition in the modern era. In this study, I depend on the artistic, social and ecclesiastical developments leading up to the Saint's mystic experience and writing. Overall, I am interested in teaching Spanish language and literatures in an independent school, small college or university. I endeavor to learn as much as I can about antiquity, the Western Tradition and literature's influence on the mind and how society contours the arts to extend religious, philosophical, social or personal beliefs in light of the human condition, both collective and individual. When I'm not studying, I enjoy reading, travel, selling used cars, watching the Red Sox, and spending time with my Doralis. I've studied in Spain, and have traveled to Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and some parts of Europe. I think people would be surprised to know that before meeting my loved one, I wanted to be a Jesuit. Perhaps that's not too surprising. Presentations: Fifteenth Annual Graduate and Professional Symposium on Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian Literature, Language and Culture at The University of Arizona (February, 2005): “La vida por ojos matizados: el caso verdadero en el Licenciado Vidriera” 9th Annual Symposium on Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian Literatures and Cultures, “Agencialidades/Agencias” at Ohio State University (April, 2006): “Parece Blanca: El repaso de una leyenda ya contemporánea –el ser y parecer de una nación, sus razas y su lector” Mid-America Conference on Hispanic Literatures at The University of Missouri-Columbia (November, 2006): “Journey of the Mystic: El cántico espiritual” The Department of Romance Languages and Literatures Faculty and Graduate-Student Seminar Series (March, 2007): “The Journey of the Mystic Hero: El Cántco espiritual de San Juan de la Cruz. |
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| Kathleen Fueger | ||
| Ann Menshouse-Samarasekera | ||
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copyright © 2004 Curators of the University of Missouri last update: 15-August-2008 Department of Romance Languages & Literatures . College of Arts & Science . University of Missouri
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Carlos Mendez