Masters and PhD Graduates

Diana’s research interest is Latin American Contemporary Literature.  While at UB she had a Teaching Assistantship at RLL. Her paper entitled "Los mártires como construcciones narrativas y políticas en Estaba la pájara pinta sentada en el verde limón de Alba Lucía Ángel" will be published shortly in the SUNY Romance Studies Journal. In the near-term, she will work on writing her dissertation for the next academic year, and hopes to finish her doctoral studies within a year to become a professor at a university.

Diana reports that all the classes that she has taken at RLL have had a special and unforgettable moment. They were intimate spaces in which students felt comfortable sharing their ideas, doubts and uncertainties. Very interesting and thought-provoking 'tertulias' have shaped her, and she is very thankful for her professors.  As a student, she notes that some of her colleagues have become close friends. She believes the relationships between graduate students serve as support when you are away from home, and when your social life becomes very restricted due to the nature of being a graduate student. As a teacher, she notes that her students have made her feel appreciated and how gratifying it is to see them grow in the language and as young adults.

Felipe’s research interest is Latin American cultural studies.  Felipe won a Mark Diamond Research Fund to carry out research in Santiago Chile. The highlight was being able to work with first edition books and manuscripts by one of the authors included in his thesis. He is currently Assistant Professor of Hispanic Studies at Virginia Wesleyan University, Virginia Beach and for the time being he is concentrating on publishing articles and becoming a better scholar. Felipe counts the faculty as providing some of the best moments of his experience as a graduate student, noting that many of them are very thought-provoking and how much he appreciated that for helping him think differently and grow as a scholar.

Dijana’s research interests are Spanish language and Latin American Literature.  While at UB, she won an Excellence in Teaching Award (Spring 2016), as well as an award for Excellence in Research and Creativity (April 2019). She is currently working on an article entitled "El silencio (no) es salud." She organized sessions for various RLL GSA Conferences: in 2017, “Urban Barriers: Intersections in the City"; in 2016, “Welcome to the Desert of the Real”, and in 2015, “Re-formation of Latin America”. As Dijana looks back over her years in RLL classrooms, her most unforgettable memory was the months of studying in her office for days and nights before her Masters qualifying exam. The best moments as a graduate student include meeting lifelong friends, and as a teacher, making her classes fun and enjoyable for students.

Nicole’s research interests include Spanish Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, Second Language Acquisition, Language Assessment, and Teacher Education.  While at UB, she was the 2019-2020 RLL Graduate Student Association President, and a NeMLA Award Fellow.  She also awarded a Dean’s Scholarship. Her publications include “Los éxitos y desafíos de la lengua española globalizada,” presented at the RLL 2018-2019 GSA Conference, and “An Exploratory Case Study of Integrated Performance Assessment (IPA) Implementation in First Semester,” soon to be published in the SUNY Buffalo Romance Studies Journal.  Near-term plans include securing a full-time (visiting) assistant professor position, and publishing her dissertation in a series of articles and manuals; long-term, she hopes to become an associate or tenured professor and make impacts on the fields of Applied Linguistics and Language Education through her future research.

Looking back at her years in RLL classrooms as a graduate student, Nicole particularly remembers the way that Dr. Ávila-Shah presented sociolinguistic principles through concrete language samples, leading her to specialize in applied linguistics to research practical language use. She counts collaboration and gathering, whether to accomplish a goal or to celebrate a goal that was accomplished, with faculty, staff, and fellow graduate students among her best moments as a graduate student. As a teacher, she reports that seeing students’ Spanish abilities improve by the end of the semester by fostering their use of the language to communicate has been extremely rewarding.

Maria’s research interests include Francophone, African, and Gender/Women Studies.  While at UB Maria was treasurer of the French Conversation Table. Earlier this Spring semester (in March 2020), she was a part of a round table panel at the neMLA annual conference in Boston, MA. Currently she is working on revising an article she submitted to the Research in African Literatures journal.  Looking back at her years at RLL, Maria most values the interactions and collegiality she shared with colleagues and fellow classmates.

Wendy’s research interests include Latin America Studies, Space /Oppression, The subaltern, Marginalization and Exclusion, and Eco-criticism. While at UB, Wendy was the 2017 RLL Graduate Student Association President; 2016 RLL Graduate Student Secretary; RLL - Spanish Conversation Table – President; and RLL - Spanish Conversation Table – Secretary. She was lead organizer of the RLL Graduate Student Conference - Intersections: Collage of Urban Networks, April 2017; and was organizer/chair for the Roundtable “Borders as a Symbol of Exclusion” at NeMLA in 2018. Near-term goals include searching for college/university jobs, working with a colleague to publish an article; and continuing to participate in conferences such as NeMLA and LASA. Long term plans include writing a short story book, and setting goals to publish articles. Another goal is writing a book with a series of poems.

Wendy says that the most unforgettable aspect of her years in RLL classrooms was the dynamic between the students and professors. She has learned so much in RLL and has had such an amazing experience with everyone she met. At the end of the semester, they normally had an amazing gathering in the classroom where they discussed the most enjoyable aspects of the class. Best experiences as a graduate student include making amazing friends and having such a good relationship with her professors. In addition, having such a great support from everyone, Dr. Ávila -Shah (taught her so much about teaching), and Sue and Gail (always there for support). The highlight of teaching for Wendy was seeing her students engaged and motivated!