Department of Spanish and Portuguese*
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Department of Spanish and Portuguese*

Room 618, Sproul Hall
UC Davis
One Shields Avenue
Davis, CA 95616

(530) 752-0835 Undergrad phone
(530) 752-5799 Grad phone
(530) 752-8630 fax

 
Personal tools

SPA 1 Instructors


Supervisor


Norma Lopez-Burton
 Norma López-Burton
I am from Bayamón, Puerto Rico. I am the supervisor in charge of first year Spanish program at UC Davis.I enjoy teaching Spanish at every level and I feel teaching is one of the most important contributions I can make. I highly regard the students here at Davis and find it personally satisfying to see them learn Spanish and learn to appreciate new cultures. I believe that a relaxed and fun atmosphere in the classroom sets the stage for the best way to learn. I look forward to continuing doing my best as a teacher and supervisor. Hope to see you in class!

Senior Teaching Assistant for 2009-2010


Brad Langer
¡Hola! My name is Brad Langer and I am from San Luis Obispo, CA. I am a PhD student focusing on Second Language Acquisition. I have been teaching Spanish here at Davis for 5 years and there is nothing more fun, challenging and rewarding to me. I have lived in Spain and Argentina, where I fell in love with the Spanish language. When I’m not teaching, I enjoy playing and watching a variety of sports, going to the beach and spending time with my friends and family. I look forward to seeing you in class!

Instructors



 Jonathan Alcantar
Oi! My name is Jonathan Alcántar and I am from Mexicali, Mexico. I completed my B.A. and M.A. in Spanish at San Jose State University. I am currently working on a Ph.D. in Latin American Literature. I have studied abroad in Mexico, Cuba and Brazil. My research interest is in contemporary Latin American literature and culture. I enjoy drawing cartoon characters for my son, spending time with my wife and listening to underground hip-hop.
David Beard
¡Hola y muy buenas a todos! My name is David Beard, a first year graduate student in the Spanish and Portuguese Department. I study Spanish Linguistics and my research interests include language, learning, and the mind. I hope to apply this to the learning of new languages in general, but specifically with native English speakers learning Spanish as a second language. I am a second language learning of Spanish myself and understand many of the frustrations we have learning a new language. I only began studying Spanish seriously late in my undergrad work, after a trip to Spain left me enamordo with Spanish and Language in general. Since then I have had great opportunities to live and travel throughout the Spanish speaking world from Valparaiso to Sucre and Salamanca. Of course I’m always open for discussion, feel free to ask any questions you might have. Some of my other interests, and in general just fun things to do, are study and discuss: philosophy, history, political science, psychology, and cognitive science. Oh, and Visca Barça!
Kristy Carlsen
 Kristy Carlsen
¡Hola! My name is Kristy Carlsen, and I am a first-year graduate student focusing on Latin American literature. I am from Chico, CA and graduated from Chico State as a double major in Spanish and Latin American Studies. For the last two years, I had the pleasure of working with little English language learners at an elementary school in Chico. Studying abroad in Santiago, Chile for a year gave me an obsession with all things Chilean and a severe case of the travel bug. I enjoy watching movies, spending time with my family, being outdoors, and attempting to salsa dance. I look forward to passing on my love for the Spanish language because it is a door to meeting new people and learning more about our world!
Mary Curtis
My name is Mary Curtis, and I am originally from Oklahoma. I’ve always enjoyed literature, but my love for Spanish really started during the year I lived in General Roca, Argentina. I am currently working on my Ph.D. in Golden Age Spanish literature, and my dissertation is focused on a 16th-century treatise about fencing. I spent the last year in Spain on a Fulbright grant doing research, and I’m looking forward to being back in the classroom with you. One of my hobbies is historical fencing—primarily working with Italian and Spanish systems, and I have an affectionate, bilingual Great Dane.

Sergio Díaz-Luna
My name is Sergio Díaz-Luna. I come from Bogotá, Colombia to complete my PhD program in Latin American Literature and to ride my brand new bike. I have been a teacher of literature at Universidad Javeriana for three years, and I really enjoy it. I am particularly interested in Latin American poetry, urban art, and art books, what I hope to use as a tool to teach Spanish. I am looking forward to share the experience of learning with you.
Ben Ho
¡Hola! My name is Ben Ho, and I come from Modesto, CA, where I was born and raised. This is my first year at UC Davis, and I am pursuing a Master’s degree with an emphasis in Hispanic Linguistics. My interest in Spanish extends from my passion for different languages and cultures, and I hope to share this passion in the classroom.


Tania Lizarazo
I am a Colombian historian looking forward to start a PhD in Latin American Literature. After spending five years teaching World History in high schools, I am sure it will be an adventure to spread the magic of Latin American reality through the sounds of Spanish. I love Mexican food, cats and traveling. Hopefully, I will be able to tell you more about my trips to Salamanca, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, and Sao Paulo. See you soon!
Jorge Morejon
(More to come...)

Moisés Park
I was born in Bolivia but I lived my whole life in Santiago, Chile in a Palestinian-Korean neighborhood. I have Korean parents who still live in Chile. I speak Korean with them and I speak Spanish with my sisters. I graduated High School in Chile. I studied biology and literature in the University of Michigan. I am a PhD student in Latin American literature and critical theory. I love reading, writing, teaching, playing instruments, play soccer, filmmaking and photography.
Alex Porter
¡Hola! Me llamo Alex y vengo de Atlanta, pero hice mis estudios en Toronto, Canadá. Soy estudiante de doctorado en lingüística hispánica y estudio la adquisición de segunda lengua.

¡Hola! My name is Alex and I'm from Atlanta, but I did most of my studies in Toronto, Canada. I'm a new Ph.D student in Hispanic linguistics and I study second language acquisition.