Education

University of California, Irvine, 1997. Ph.D. in Spanish Literature. Areas of specialization: Latin American narrative and Gender Studies. Dissertation title: "Masculinidad en la narrativa hispanoamericana: Hegemonía, transgresión y deconstrucción." Directed by Lucía Guerra.

University of California, San Diego, 1991. M.A. in Spanish Literature.

University of California, San Diego, 1989.  B.A. in English and American Literature.

Work Experience

Illinois Wesleyan University; 2005–present. Associate Professor.

Illinois Wesleyan University; 2002-2005.  Assistant Professor.

Illinois Wesleyan University; 2001–2002.  Visiting Assistant Professor.

Universidad de Costa Rica; 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011. Visiting Professor.

University of Redlands; 1999–2001. Assistant Professor.

The College of Wooster; 1998–1999. Assistant Professor.

University of Iowa; 1997–1998. Visiting Assistant Professor.

Research Interests

Latin American novel and short story; gender studies; masculinity in Latin American literature and culture; race and gender in nation building discourses; American Modernism.

Courses Taught

At Illinois Wesleyan University: 2nd Year Spanish; Spanish Conversation; Advanced Spanish Grammar and Composition; Introduction to Hispanic Literature; Latin American Culture and Civilization; Costa Rican and Peruvian National Identity (travel course); Latin American Drama and Short Story; Race, Class and Gender in the U.S., and Yankee go Home! (Freshman Seminars); Latin American Revolutionaries; and Latin American Women Writers (Senior Seminar).

At the Universidad de Costa Rica: Masculinity and Literary Analysis; Masculinity and Nation Building in Latin American Literature (graduate course); Love and Death in the American Novel (graduate course); and Gender, Violence and Nation in Vargas Llosa (graduate course).

At the University of Redlands: 2nd and 3rd year Spanish; Writing on Hispanic Culture; Spanish American Civilization; Latin American Theater; Travel Course: The Costa Rican Nation; and First Year Seminar.

At The College of Wooster: 1st year Spanish; The Latin American Short Story; and The Latin American Boom Writers.

At the University of Iowa: 2nd year Spanish; Latin American Narrative in Translation; and Latin American Civilization.

Publications in Refereed Journals

"Sacrificio, violencia y nación en Lituma en los Andes de Mario Vargas Llosa." Cuaderno Internacional de Estudios Humanísticos y Literatura 17 (2012): 88-98.

"Modelos masculinos y violencia en Sanctuary y Crónica de una muerte anunciada." Káñina: Revista de Artes y Letras de la Universidad de Costa Rica 35.2 (2011): 89-100.

"Failed Manhood, Failed History: Masculinity and Agency in Herman Melville's Benito Cereno and Alejo Carpentier's The Kingdom of This World."  Phoebe: Journal of Feminist Scholarship, Theory, and Aesthetics  16.2 (2004): 10-22.

"Pasado soterrado y ánima reprimida en La muñeca reina y Chac Mool."  Hispanic Journal  23.2 (2004): 65-76.

"Conquista con compasión: La nueva masculinidad en Naufragios." Tinta: Journal of Hispanic and Lusophone Studies 6 (2002): 1-15.

"Del relato a la pantalla: La alteridad en Cabeza de Vaca." Káñina: Revista de Artes y Letras de la Universidad de Costa Rica  23.2 (1999): 160-166.

"Bakhtin y Azuela: La Revolución como carnaval en Los de abajo."  In Visión de la narrativa hispánica: Ensayos. Indiana: Publications of the Department of Spanish and Classical Languages, IUP, 1999.  243-252.

"Masculinidad natural y masculinidad autoconsciente en Don Segundo Sombra y El reino de este mundo."  Cincinnati Romance Review 18 (1999): 178-188.

"Modelos masculinos en El cautiverio feliz: El ideal medieval y el presente degradado." Alpha: Revista de Artes, Letras y Filosofía 14 (1998): 61-76.

"Nación y masculinidad en la narrativa decimonónica: El caso de Sab y Aves sin nido." Torre de Papel  8.2 (1998): 39-72.

"Deconstrucción histórica y posmodernismo en Los enemigos y Las ruinas circulares." Osamayor 5.11 (1998): 17-26.

"Ana Goutman.  Estudios para una semiótica del espectáculo."  Gestos: Teoría y Práctica del teatro hispánico 22 (1996): 191-195.

"Grupo Ubú: El edificio de la identidad en Barriendo Sombras." Gestos: Teoría y Práctica del teatro hispánico 19 (1995): 224-229.

"Luis T. González del Valle.  El canon. Reflexiones sobre la recepción literaria teatral." Gestos: Teoría y Práctica del teatro hispánico  20 (1995): 179-180.

Other publications

"The Latin American Novel," "Carmen Naranjo" and "Mariano Azuela." Forthcoming in World Literature in Spanish: An Encyclopedia.

"Cosas que caen y preguntas bobas." Áncora: Suplemento Cultural de La Nación. 17 July 2011: An 7. Print.

"Buenos, malos y llanura." Áncora: Suplemento Cultural de La Nación. 2 July 2006: An 3. Print.

"Capote, Borges y Escazu."  Áncora: Suplemento Cultural de La Nación. 15 April 2006: An 6. Print.

"Introduction to Carlos Fuentes' Terra Nostra," by Jorge Volpi. Normal: Dalkey Archive Press, 2003.  XI-XV.

"El extraño en el espejo: yo frente al desnudo masculino." Áncora: Suplemento Cultural de La Nación. 10 February 2002: An 1-2. Print.

"Rosario Ferré." In Who's Who in Contemporary Women's Writing, Jane Eldridge Miller (ed).  London: Routledge, 2001. 232.

"Don Constantino y la defensa de la habladera." Graphiti 5.35 (1997): 12-13.

Presentations

"Nostalgia and Truncated Development in Truman Capote's Miriam and Carlos Fuentes's La muñeca reina." To be presented at III Modern Languages Conference, Universidad de Costa Rica; 2012.

"Philip Roth y Juan Gabriel Vásquez." Presented at the Escuela de Filología, Lingüística y Literatura (Universidad de Costa Rica); 2011.

"Masculinity, Violence and Redemption in Sanctuary and Chronicle of a Death Foretold." II Modern Languages Conference, Universidad de Costa Rica; 2010.

"Masculinidad, homosexualidad y revolución en Puig y Vargas Llosa." Kentucky Foreign Language Conference, University of Kentucky; 2009.

"Género, palimpsesto y conocimiento en Azuela y Mastretta." Congreso Internacional de Hispanistas, Puntarenas, Costa Rica; 2009.

"Masculinity, Violence and Criminality in Truman Capote and Garcia Marquez." Modern Languages Conference, Universidad de Costa Rica; 2008.

"Regionalismo, Boom y Ruptura de masculinidades." Kentucky Foreign Language Conference, University of Kentucky; 2007.

"Mario Vargas Llosa: literatura y política neoliberal." Guest participation in the round table discussion Literatura y política en América Latina (Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica); 2006.

"Teaching Race, Class and Gender Through Literature." Guest Lecture at the Escuela de Filología, Lingüística y Literatura (Universidad de Costa Rica); 2005.

"Failed Manhood, Failed History: Masculinity and Agency in Herman Melville's Benito Cereno and Alejo Carpentier's The Kingdom of this World." Kentucky Foreign Language Conference, University of Kentucky; 2004.

"Género y masculinidad en los estudios literarios."  Guest speaker on the radio program Cátedra Universitaria (Radio Sideral, Universidad de Costa Rica); March 2004.

"The state of masculinity studies today."  Guest lecture at the Programa de Estudios de Género (Universidad de Costa Rica); 2003.

"Masculinidad y sociedad."  Panel discussion on the television program Perspectivas (Channel 15, Universidad de Costa Rica); 2002.

"From Professional Wrestling to Marilyn Manson: Hypermasculinity, Androginy and Male Crisis." Non-Org Talk, Illinois Wesleyan University; 2002.

"Power, Knowledge and Masculinity in The Underdogs." 20th Century Literature Conference, University of Louisville; 2002.

"El desnudo masculino: ansiedad y temor." Mesa redonda sobre la masculinidad, Museo de San Ramón, Costa Rica; 2001.

"Masculinidades en conflicto y su proyección en el campo literario." Celebración del 45 aniversario de la Facultad de Letras, Universidad de Costa Rica;  2001.

"La búsqueda del ánima en La muñeca reina de Carlos Fuentes." Kentucky Foreign Language Conference, University of Kentucky; 2001.

"El leitmotiv del sacrificio en Lituma en los Andes." Kentucky Foreign Language Conference, University of Kentucky; 2000.

"Race, Nation and the Male Body in Two Latin American Novels." Figuring the Body Conference, University of Southern California; 2000.

"Altered Greats: The Conquistador's Transformation in Cabeza de Vaca." Cine-Lit., Portland State University; 2000.

"Inversión, transgresión y degradación: Carnaval y muerte en Los de abajo." XXIV Congreso Anual de Literaturas Hispánicas, Indiana University of Pennsylvania;  1998.

"Masculinidad natural y masculinidad autoconsciente en Don Segundo Sombra y El reino de  este mundo."  Cincinnati Conference on Romance Languages and Literatures, University of Cincinnati; 1998.

"Masculinity, Race and Nationhood in Sab and Aves sin nido." Intersections: An Interdisciplinary Conference, University of California, San Diego; 1997.

"Masculinidades alternativas en la narrativa colonial hispanoamericana." Latin American Literatures and Cultures Conference, University of Southern Colorado; 1997.

Professional Activities and Service

Promotion and Tenure Committee, Illinois Wesleyan University; 2011-13.

Fulbright interview committee, Illinois Wesleyan University; Spring 2010 and Fall 2011.

Outside evaluator for a proposed Spanish major at Westfield State College; 2010.

Admissions Advisory Board for Latino Recruitment, Illinois Wesleyan University; 2010-11.

Committee on Diversity, Illinois Wesleyan University; 2008-10.

Endowed Professorship Committee, Illinois Wesleyan University; 2010.

Faculty Development Committee, Illinois Wesleyan University; 2008–10.

Vice-Chair, Faculty Development Committee, Illinois Wesleyan University; 2009.

Curriculum Council, Illinois Wesleyan University; 2005–2007.

Fulbright Faculty Advisor, Illinois Wesleyan University; Fall 2004.

Translator, Dalkey Archive Press; 2003–04.

Reader, A Night of Cuban Poetry with Caridad Atencio, Illinois State University; 2003.

Team Leader, Latin American Studies, Illinois Wesleyan University; 2003–04.

First Year Advisor, Illinois Wesleyan University; 2002–2009.

International Film Series presenter, Illinois Wesleyan University; 2001–2003.

Travel course director to Costa Rica, University of Redlands; 2001.

First Year Seminar instructor and advisor, University of Redlands; Fall 2000.

Director of the Latin American Studies Program, University of Redlands; Spring 2000.

Spanish Adjunct Professors' Coordinator, University of Redlands; Fall 1999.

Latin American Studies Program Coordinating Committee, University of Redlands; 1999–2000.

Advisory Committee member, Great Lakes Colleges Association's Borders Program, El Paso-Ciudad Juárez; 1998.

Co-editor, Torre de Papel, University of Iowa; 1998.

Editorial Advisor, Torre de Papel, University of Iowa; 1997–98.

Assistant Organizer, Noche de poesía y noche de prosa, a colloquium of the University of Iowa's International Writing Program; 1997.

Conference Organizer, México en las artes y la crítica, a conference at the University of California, Irvine.  Moderator for the Acts of Gender panel; 1997.

Reader, Chicano/Latino Literary Contest, University of California, Irvine; 1996.

Conference Organizer, Theatricality of Rituals and Celebration in Latin American, Luso-Brazilian, Spanish and U.S. Latino Cultures, University of California, Irvine; 1996.

Conference Organizer, Posmodernidad y teatralidad: Teatro chicano, latinoamericano, luso-brasileño, español y U.S. latino, University of California, Irvine; 1995.

Languages

Native: Spanish

Native-like fluency: English

Read: Portuguese, French and Italian

Grants and Awards

Curriculum Development Grant (Spanish 470: Latin American Theatre). Illinois Wesleyan University; 2012.

Artistic and Scholarly Development Grant ("Palimpsest, Revolution and Masculinity in Angeles Mastretta's Arráncame la vida"). Illinois Wesleyan University; 2011.

Artistic and Scholarly Development Grant ("Masculinity, Sacrifice and Nation in Mario Vargas Llosa's Death in the Andes"). Illinois Wesleyan University; 2010.

Curriculum Development Grant (Female Authority: Latin American Women Writers and the Power of Words).  Illinois Wesleyan University; 2004.

Travel Grant: Midwest Faculty Seminar (Richard Wright's Native Son), University of Chicago; 2003.

Curriculum Development Grant (Latin American Revolutionaries: From El Che to  Subcomandante Marcos).  Illinois Wesleyan University; 2003.

Curriculum Development Grant (What Are You? Group Identity and Minority Representation in the U.S.).  Illinois Wesleyan University; 2003.

Curriculum Development Grant (Travel Course: Costa Rican Myths and Realities). Illinois Wesleyan University; 2002.

Regent's Dissertation Fellowship.  School of Humanities, University of California, Irvine; 1997.

Service Award.  Graduate Student Ambassador Program, University of California, Irvine; 1996.

Graduate Fellowship Award for Continuing Ph.D. Students. University of California, Irvine; 1993, 1995.

Graduate Fellowship Award.  University of California, Irvine; 1992.

Professional Affiliations

Modern Languages Association

Sigma Delta Pi

Latin American Studies Association

References

Dr. Gilda Pacheco, Professor, Universidad de Costa Rica. Director of the Escuela de Lenguas Modernas.

Dr. Carolyn Nadeau, Professor, Illinois Wesleyan University.

Dr. Frank Bright, Associate Professor, University of Redlands.

Dr. John Gabriele, Professor, The College of Wooster.

Dr. Seymour Menton, Professor, University of California, Irvine.

Dr. Lucía Guerra-Cunningham, Professor, University of California, Irvine.

Dr. Juan Villegas, Professor, University of California, Irvine.

Dr. Armin Schwegler, Professor, University of California, Irvine.