• Literature from the South Cone
  • Central American Literature
  • Literary and Cultural Theory
  • Hispanic and Amerindian Poetry
  • Language Teaching Pedagogies

ABD/Ph.D. Candidate.  University of California, Berkeley.
Hispanic Languages and Literatures with collateral fields in Literary and Cultural Theory and Colonial Spanish American Literature.  
Dissertation:  “Clases de terror: Gótico y literatura argentina” 

M.A.  University of California, Berkeley, 1996.  Hispanic Languages and Literatures. 

B.A.  California State University, Stanislaus, 1994.
Spanish, Summa Cum Laude.

Teaching Appointments

All courses self-designed and taught multiple times

At Stanislaus State:

Hispanic Theater
Spanish American Literature I
La literatura femenina hispánica
La novela hispánica
Gramática española: Morfología y sintaxis
Advanced Spanish II: Intro to reading and analysis of literary texts
Advanced Spanish I: Grammar, reading, and composition
Spanish for Native Speakers I and II
Intermediate Spanish I and II
Spanish for Beginners I and II

At UC Santa Cruz:

Intermediate Spanish I
Spanish for Beginners II
Spanish for Beginners I

At UC Berkeley:

Introduction to Spanish American Literatures
  Self-designed Discussion Sessions; Appointed Assistant to Prof. Francine Masiello
Introduction to Reading and Analysis of Literary Texts
Advanced Conversation
Advanced Spanish for Bilingual Students
Translation Course for Graduate Students
  Course taught in English
Advanced Intermediate Spanish
Intermediate Spanish
  Appointed Course Leader for Intermediate Spanish Courses for three consecutive semesters under the direction of Ms. Herminia Kerr, Director of Language Instruction

--Recipient of the UC Berkeley Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award

Presentation. "Alfonsina Storni: Dissidence, Ethics, and Aesthetics". Talk will be given at The National League of American Pen Women, Modesto Chapter. Spring 2018.

Paper Presentation. "Viajes de ida y vuelta: la apropiación de la naturaleza centroamericana en el Siglo XIX". Congreso Centroamericano de Estudios Culturales. Managua, Nicaragua. July 11-13, 2017.

Conference Proceedings Publication. "Race, Resistance, and Human Rights:  Agenda and Practices of a Multi-Ethnic Afro Community". Universität Bielefeld (Germany)
http://www.uni-bielefeld.de/ias/blackamericas/resources.html http://www.unibielefeld.de/ias/blackamericas/pdf/sandragarcia2016.pdf

Paper Presentation. "Race, Resistance, and Human Rights: Agenda and Practices of a Multi-Ethnic Afro Community". Fourth Biennial Conference of the International Association of Inter-American Studies (IAS). Fall 2016. UC Santa Barbara

Book Review, in English. Espectros: Ghostly Hauntings in Contemporary Transhispanic Narratives. eds. Ribas-Casasayas, Alberto, and Amanda L. Petersen. Hispania 100.1 (2017): 309-310.

Presentation at Teaching Conference. "Visual Thinking Strategies in the Foreign Language Classroom". Language Workshops Co-Sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese, Northern California Chapter. University of the Pacific. Spring 2016.

Facilitator. Latin American Studies Reading Group. Marcha--play by Alberto Adellach, Fall of 2015 and  And we sold the rain--short story by Carmen Naranjo, Spring 2016.

Paper Presentation. "Exploring the Concept of Afro-Pan-Americanism through the Arts in Contemporary Buenos Aires". CALACS & FLACSO Congress--Canadian Association of Latin American and Caribbean Studies & Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales. Summer 2015. San José, Costa Rica.

Paper Presentation. "Género y mitología helénica en la obra de Mía Gallegos Domínguez y D'lia McDonald Woolery". V Congreso Centroamericano de Estudios Culturales. Summer 2015. San Salvador, El Salvador.

Panel Moderator. "Visiones panamericanas de resistencia regional y solidaridad local en América Latinar en el Siglo XX". CALACS & FLACSO Congress --Canadian Association of Latin American and Caribbean Studies & Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales Summer 2015. San José, Costa Rica.

Paper Presentation. "Afro-Descendant Women and Activism in Argentina". National Women's Studies Association Annual Conference. Fall 2014. San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Commentary, in English. "Masterfully Bridging the Local and the Global". A Century of Stories: Turlock's Carnegie Remembered. Carnegie Arts Center Foundation. Turlock, CA (Spring 2016) 97.

Translation--With Julie Fox. Prologue to Araucanía. Manos de la tierra by María Adriana García Picasso. Pehuén Editores. Santiago de Chile. (Fall 2013) 11.

Paper Presentation. "La flor del Espíritu Santo' o 'La flor de Coleridge' en clave de ciencia ficción". IV Congreso Centroamericano de Estudios Culturales. Summer 2013. San José, Costa Rica.

Presentation. "Gabriela Mistral: Poet, Educator, and Nobel Prize in Literature". Talk given at The National League of American Pen Women, Modesto Chapter. Fall 2012.

Book Review, in Spanish. Marín Guzmán, Roberto. Un viaje poco conocido: la visita de Elías al-Mawsili, sacerdote caldeo iraquí, a la America Colonial (1669-1680). Brújula. Vol. 9 (Spring 2012) 234-239.
http://brujula.ucdeavis.edu/files/2012/05/234-39TravesiaCriticaGarcia-Sa...

Paper Presentation. "Rousseau, Picabia y Magritte en los cuentos de Jacinta Escudos". III Congreso Centroamericano de Estudios Culturales. Summer 2011. CSU, Northridge.

Article, in English. "Visual Prompts and Writing in Second Language Learning". Connections. Journal of the Southwest Conference on Language Teaching. Vol. 5 (Spring 2011) 59-68.

Poster Presentation. "A escribir un cuento: estrategias narrativas"/"Let's write a short story: Narrative strategies". Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity Week. Stanislaus State. Fall 2011.

Paper Presentation. "Jacinta Escudos y la seducción del surrealismo". CALACS Congress--Canadian Association of Latin American and Caribbean Studies. Summer 2010. Montreal.

Poster Presentation. "Thinking About Theatre, Class, and (Un)Employment Through Two Plays: El delantal blanco and Historia del hombre que se transformó en perro". Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity Week. Stanislaus State. Fall 2010.

Paper Presentation. “La mímesis de lo inconcebible en El Diablo sabe mi nombre de Jacinta Escudos”.  II Congreso Centroamericano de Estudios Culturales. Summer 2009.  San José, Costa Rica/Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Presentation at Teaching Conference. “Collage in the Classroom: Stimulating writing, creativity and collaborative learning”. Foreign Language Association of Northern California Conference, Fall 2008, San Francisco.

Participated in Workshops. VI Jornadas de Historia de las Mujeres y I Congreso Iberoamericano de Estudios de las Mujeres y de Género.  Fall 2004, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Presentation at Teaching Conference. “Creative Writing in the Foreign Language Classroom”.  California Language Teachers’ Association, Spring 2000, Oakland.

Presentation at Teaching Conference. “Reading Short Stories: How to incorporate music and the cultural context”.  Foreign Language Association of Northern California Conference, Fall 1999, Berkeley.

Book review, in Spanish. Rascón Banda, Victor Hugo. Volver a Santa Rosa.  In Lucero: A Journal of Iberian and Latin American Studies, Vol. 8 (Spring 1997) 103-4.

Academic Collaborations at CSU, Stanislaus

World Language Symposium. Lead forum on "Ideas y recursos para organizar un CV (o Résumé) eficaz y actualizado". Prepared handout (in file) for participating students. Spring 2018.

New Student Orientation. Represented the Modern Languages Department. Summer of 2018, 2017, 2016, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010.

Simposio de Español. "Spanish 4230: Los YouTubers de La Novela Hispánica". Presented project developed with students participating in La Novela Hispánica's book review series in YouTube. Spring 2017.

Preview Day. Represented the Modern Languages Department with Dr. Teresa Bargetto and Dr. Renato Alvim. Fall 2018, Fall 2016, Fall 2015, Fall 2013, Fall 2010.

Freshman Convocation Fair. Represented the Modern Languages Department. Fall 2016.

Quantitative Reasoning, Sub-Committee on "Water". Project in progress under the direction of Dr. Melanie Martin. Fall 2015 to present.

Latin American Studies Reading Group--Sponsored by the FCETL. Coordinator from Fall 2015 to present. Facilitated specific readings in Fall 2015 and Spring 2016.

Simposio de Español. Lead forum on "Estrategias para prepararse para el GRE/Graduate Records Examination". Prepared handout (in file) for participating students. Spring 2016.

Language Workshops Co-Sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese, Northern California Chapter. Coordinated the organization of the workshops at the University of the Pacific. Spring 2016.

Language Workshops Co-Sponosored by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese, Northern California Chapter. Coordinated the organization of the workshops at CSU Stanislaus. Fall 2018, Spring 2015, Spring 2014.

Legacy of Hope -- Office of Service Learning. Fundraising volunteer.  Fall 2017,  Fall 2016 and Fall 2015.

César E. Chávez Essay Contest. Coordinated and participated in the process of essay judging for the Division IV (Grades 9-12) under the direction of Ms. Paula Barrington-Schmidt, Director of the Writing Center. Spring 2015.

Simposio de Español. Lead forum on "¿Lo sabías? Información clave sobre becas y programas". Prepared handout (in file) for participating students. Spring 2015

One Purpose Academic Scholarship. Fundraising volunteer for Team Kahlo. Fall 2014, 2015, and 2016.

Simposio de Española. Lead forum on "Pasos y requisitos para postularse al Programa de Credencial". Prepared handout (in file) for participating students. Spring 2014

Chicano Commencement Ceremony. Presented diplomas and awards with other faculty members. Spring 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016. Participated Spring 2017, 2018.

Clinical Investigation Consent Form, Translation (in file) on behalf of Dr. Taylor Marcell, Department of Kinesiology. Fall 2013.

Residence New Student Orientation. Represented the Modern Language Department, Summer 2013.

Simposio de Español. Lead forum on "Sitios en la Red con actividades para las clases de español y de italiano". Prepared handout (in file) for participating students. Spring 2013.

Simposio de Español. Concerted and co-organized presentation on "The Graduate School Experience" with Raúl Murillo, M.A. in Spanish, former student and recipient of the Student Acievers Award at Stanislaus State. Spring 2012

Poetry Contest: Ode to Turlock. Delivered introduction related to poetry and the ode. Presented prizes with other Spanish Program colleagues. Fall 2011

RSCA Week Committee. Participated in the organization of the event and presented a poster. Facilitated RSCA Workshop for faculty with Dr. Marina Gerson. Fall 2011.

Simposio de Español. Lead forum on preparation for graduate school and on "Pasos hacia la academia: cómo pedir una carta de recomendación". Prepared handout (in file) for participating students. Spring 2011.

Simposio de Español. Organized and presented information and 5 different handouts (in file) on graduate studies. Lead forum on preparation for graduate school on a variety of topics: Graduate Programs in Spanish, Translation Schools, Academic Associations & Graduate Student Journals in Spanish, Pre-Requisites for Graduate School, Key books for consultation in preparation for Graduate School. Spring 2008, 2009, 2010.

STARTALK Summer Camp Grant. Pending. Collaborated and contributed to the writing of the proposal for ORSP.

RSCA Week Committee. Participated in the organization of the event and presented a poster. Fall 2010.

Club de Español "Interlatin@s". Invited by student committee of the Spanish Club to give talk on Feminist theories. Spring 2010.

First Annual Poetry Contest: Ode to Turlock. Presented prizes with other Spanish Program colleagues. Fall 2010.

Spanish Program's Academic Program Review Committee. Collaborated in the writing of the following sections: Introduction and Trends in the Discipline and Changes in the Spanish Program since the last APR. Wrote 15 page report on Enrollment Trends and Statistics. Fall 2008-Spring 2009.

Subject Matter Proficiency Program in Spanish Committee. Collaborated and contributed to the writing and appendices of the text reviewed by the California Commission of Teacher Credentialing. Fall 2008-Spring 2009.

Spanish Program Assessment Plan. Prepared and gave challenge exams for the following language courses: Spanish 2010, 2020, 3010, and 3020. Fall 2006-Spring 2009.

  • Medieval Spanish Literature
  • Colonial Spanish American Literature
  • Golden Age Poetry
  • Late Medieval Narrative and Literary Theory
  • Modern Spanish American Poetry
  • Medieval Spanish Narrative
  • Oppositional Theories
  • US/Latina and Lat. American Women's Writings
  • Spanish American Novel
  • Literary Theory and Criticism
  • US/Latino/a Literature
  • History of the Spanish Language
  • XIX Century Spanish Literature
  • Lorca's Theater in European Context
  • XIX Century Chilean and Argentine Literature
  • Contemporary Spanish American Novel
  • Intermediate French & Advanced Portuguese
  • Teaching Methodologies

California State University, Stanislaus. Lecturer in Spanish (Fall 2006 to present)

University of California, Santa Cruz. Lecturer in Spanish (2003-2004)

University of California, Berkeley. Spanish Instructor (1995-2001)

  • Spanish, Native Proficiency
  • English, Native Proficiency
  • Portuguese, Advanced Level, reading
  • French, Intermediate Level, reading

MLA: Modern Language Association
CALACS: Canadian Association of Latin American and Caribbean Studies
IAS: International Association of Inter-American Studies
FLANC: Foreign Language Association of Northern California
AATSP: American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese
MOST: Modesto-Stanislaus Poetry Center
IARPIDI: Instituto Argentino para la Igualdad, Diversidad e Integración
CFCP: Poets of the San Joaquin, Chapter of the CA Federation of Chaparral Poets