Samantha Khamphilanouvong, a fourth-year Spanish major from Ottumwa, Iowa, will study in Chile through the IES Abroad Santiago Health Studies program. To read more, click on the title above!

International Programs, in partnership with the Graduate College, Graduate and Professional Student Government, and the Tippie College of Business, held an award ceremony on Friday, May 1, to celebrate the achievements of international students at the University of Iowa, including Spanish PhD Camila Núñez-Bergsneider. Click the title above to read more.

In this stand-alone podcast interview, Professor Ana Fernández Bravo sits down with the University of Iowa Hawkeyes basketball standout, Álvaro Folguerias, who captured the hearts of Hawkeye fans everywhere this past March. A native of Málaga, Spain, Álvaro speaks candidly about his beach-side upbringing, tight-knit family, and how he fell in love with basketball at age four. He traces his path from Unicaja's youth academy in Málaga to crossing the Atlantic at 16, arriving in the United States with little English and an unwavering dream of playing at the highest collegiate level.

Lucia Rongerude (BA linguistics and Spanish ’26) is the recipient of a 2026–27 Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Award to Colombia. To ready more about her achievement, click the title above.

The inaugural Aquí y Allá film festival is scheduled for May 1-3, and includes six new works from Latin American filmmakers plus in-person guests, conversations, parties, and more! Click the title for more information!

We’re excited to announce our pop-up online store for students and faculty! You can now purchase t-shirts, crewnecks, and hoodies with our department logo. Available now through Sunday, March 22nd for pick-up at Phillips Hall or direct shipping. Check it out by clicking the title above!

The Department of Spanish and Portuguese is proud to celebrate Pilar Marcé, Associate Professor of Instruction, who has been recognized by the Pomerantz Career Center as a Career Connector. This distinction honors campus partners who invest in their professional growth to better support students and who demonstrate leadership and dedication to student career success. We are grateful for Pilar's commitment to helping our students connect their studies in Spanish with meaningful professional pathways. Click the title above to read more!

Congratulations to the students in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese who received merit-based scholarships from UI Study Abroad! Click the title above to read more!

University of Iowa (UI) honors student Sean Keene, a triple major in political science, broadcast journalism, and Spanish, has studied abroad three times as an undergraduate. Now a third-year student at Iowa, Keene launched a podcast in September—Around the World in 80 Stays—dedicated to helping other Hawkeyes do the same. Click the title above to read more!

The Iowa OER Awards recognize individuals and teams across the state who have done impactful and noteworthy open education work. The recipients of the 2025 Open Educator Award include Dr. Giovanni Zimotti, Dr. Alexis Jiménez, Dr. Rachel Klevar, Dr. Pilar Marcé, and Luke Whitaker.