Judith Liskin-Gasparro is Associate Professor Emerita in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, where she taught for 22 years (1993–2015). During that time she served as Director of the General Education Program in Spanish (1993–2006) and co-directed FLARE, the UI’s interdisciplinary doctoral program in Second Language Acquisition (2000–2015). She taught courses in second language acquisition, applied linguistics, and Spanish language. Her research interests include the development of second language speaking skills in classroom and study abroad contexts, oral proficiency assessment, and program evaluation and the assessment of student learning outcomes. Her publications include articles and edited volumes on these topics, as well as co-authorship of three college-level Spanish textbooks.

Rommel Paul Manosalvas is a graduate student at the University of Iowa.

Dr. Pilar Marcé is an Associate Professor of Instruction, who specializes in Spanish for Specific Purposes (SSP).

Luis Martín-Estudillo is Professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Iowa, specializing in modern and contemporary Spanish cultural and intellectual history and criticism.

A professor in the Department of Spanish & Portuguese at the University of Iowa, Adriana Méndez Rodenas specializes in nineteenth and twentieth century Latin American literature.

Ana Merino is an Adjunct Professor of Hispanic Studies and 2016 Collegiate Scholar. In 2009, Merino left her position at Dartmouth College to create the Spanish MFA program at the University of Iowa. She was its director since her foundation in March 2011 until December 2018. Between 2001-2011 she was a Member of the ICAF (International Comic Arts Forum) Executive Committee; and between 2004 and 2014 Directors Board Member at The Center for Cartoon Studies.

Dr. Kristine Muñoz's research and theory are centered in the ethnography of speaking based on fieldwork in Colombia. She works on topics related to peace education and health humanities, specifically the use of health narratives in teaching and publicly engaged scholarship of health care and caregiving.

Luis Muñoz was born in Granada, Spain. In his hometown, he directed the University of Granada’s Aula de Literatura (1992-2000), as well as the poetry magazine Hélice, from its founding until its closure (1992-2002). Between 2001 and 2012, he worked in Madrid as an advisor to the Residencia de Estudiantes.

Professor Newman’s research and teaching focuses on Latin American, Chicano, and Spanish cinemas as well as on theoretical questions regarding the relation between fictional narrative and politics and the relation between cinema and globalization.

Mercedes Niño-Murcia, Professor in the Department of Spanish & Portuguese at the University of Iowa, is a sociocultural linguist. Her work focuses on the consequences of linguistic contact and nationalist language ideologies upon bilingual communities in Latin America and the United States. She has done research on inequalities of language policy and how sociolinguistic inequalities affect indigenous and/or immigrant groups in both rural and urban settings.  She has also written about vernacular literacies. Her current research contributes to forensic linguistics (the study of interactions between language and legal institutions) and focuses especially on contexts that shape class and race hierarchies around Latino immigrants in the USA.

Sue was the Director of the Language Media Center (now Center for Language and Culture Learning) and Co-Director of the FLARE doctoral program in Second Language Acquisition at the University of Iowa.

Maricelle was born and raised in San José, Costa Rica. She joined the University of Iowa after receiving her PhD. She also works as a French and Spanish interpreter for the Iowa City Community School District. Her teaching responsibilities include Portuguese and Spanish languages, literatures, and cultures.

Claudia Pozzobon Potratz has a MSc in Teaching/Learning Foreign Languages from la Universidad de los Andes in Mérida, Venezuela, and a PhD in Language, Literacy, and Culture from the University of Iowa. She is an experienced instructor and researcher in higher education and teacher education in both Venezuela and the US. She is skilled in biliteracy, multilingual literacy, and teaching Spanish as a heritage language (HL).

Mónica Quintero Restrepo is a cultural journalist with a Master's degree in Literary Hermeneutics. Her primary interests include poetry, fiction, cultural journalism, and pastry.

Learn more about Jenny Ritchie, University Shared Services Accountant at the University of Iowa.

Stephani Rodriguez is a graduate student at the University of Iowa.

Ana M. Rodríguez-Rodríguez is an Associate Professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Iowa, specializing in Early Modern Spanish Literature.

Abraham Salas is a PhD student and teaching assistant at the University of Iowa.

Judith Santopietro is a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Iowa.

Christine Shea is interested in how age, experience and the native language sound system interact with the perception and production of a second language.

Allison Stickley is a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Iowa.

Ciara Tapanes is a graduate student at the University of Iowa.

Diana Vélez is Associate Professor Emeritus in the Department of Spanish & Portuguese at the University of Iowa, specializing in contemporary Spanish American narrative, Caribbean literature, Chicano literature & culture, translation studies, and women's studies.

She goes back and forth between Mexico and the United States so she's fluent in Spanglish although she writes mostly in Spanish. Currently a Spanish Creative Writing, MFA candidate.

Rachel Wagle is a graduate student in the field of Spanish at the University of Iowa.

Suzanne has lived, worked, and studied abroad extensively. In addition to Iowa, she has lived in South America, Africa and Europe and speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French, with a considerable background in Arabic as well. She is associated with the Union des Français à l’Étranger and leads a weekly French conversation group through the organization. Her passion for her UI teaching is inextricably tied to her countless international experiences and linguistic endeavors. She deeply believes in the power of language and cross-cultural experiences and brings that frame of reference to the classroom each day, while inspiring students to follow a unique path of their own.

Ruth Westfall is a lecturer in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese. Her areas of academic interest include linguistics, applied linguistics, pedagogy and course development. At Iowa, she teaches a variety of courses, including Spanish Language Skills: Writing, Spanish Language Skills: Speaking, Spanish in the U.S., and Spanish Pronunciation. She currently developing a new online version of Advanced Spanish Grammar.

Irene Wherritt is Associate Professor Emertius in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Iowa, specializing in Portuguese and Spanish Sociolinguistics and in Applied Linguistics.

Luke has an MA in Linguistics from the University of Iowa. Through his work as a researcher and instructor, Luke has gained valuable experience in designing and conducting experiments, analyzing data, presenting findings, and using empirically tested methods to guide language instruction in the classroom. He speaks English, Spanish, and French, and loves to find new ways of taking the language learning experience out of the classroom and into daily life.

Giovanni Zimotti is the Director of Spanish Language Instruction at the University of Iowa. His research interests include second language acquisition, technology for language acquisition, and pragmatics.