Department of Modern Languages and Literatures

End of Semester Newsletter

Summer and Fall 2025

As we reflect on the Fall 2025 semester, I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to all members of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures for your remarkable achievements and continued dedication to teaching, research, and service. Your collective work strengthens our department’s intellectual community and enhances its visibility both nationally and internationally.


The fall semester’s publications and conference presentations, the new books that are already accepted for publication, and all other accomplishments exemplify the breadth, rigor, and impact of the work carried out in our department. I am deeply grateful for the commitment you all show to advancing knowledge while supporting our students and one another.


I would also like to extend special thanks to Barbara Mann for her extraordinary leadership and dedication while serving as Interim Chair during the Fall 2025 semester. Her work, generosity, and steady guidance were invaluable to the department.


As we move forward, I would also like to emphasize the importance of sustaining a collegial and respectful working environment. Our department thrives when we engage with one another in a spirit of mutual respect, generosity, and shared responsibility. Each of us plays a role in fostering a culture where collaboration, professionalism, and care for our colleagues are central values.


I would also like to express special thanks to our golden team - our administrative assistants, Daisuke and Desiree - for their outstanding work and constant support. We are truly grateful for all that you do. And we also want to congratulate Daisuke, once again, for the well-deserved award he received!!


Thank you again for a productive Fall semester, and best wishes for a successful Spring semester.


Warmest regards,

Damaris

BOOKS

Nadav Linial, Instructor of Hebrew

Eruv (Eruv), Ramat Gan: Catharsis Publishing House, Argo Series, 2025.


ARTICLES

Gabriela Copertari, Associate Professor of Spanish

“El escarabajo de oro y las posibilidades del arte combinatoria.” Studies in Latin American Popular Culture, vol. 43, 2025. 

https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/15/article/966257

Cristián Gómez Olivares, Associate Professor of Spanish

In LALT, a book review on Lecturas de equilibrista by Professor Marcelo Pellegrini has appeared. LALT is a leading journal on the field of Latin American Literature.

Damaris Puñales-Alpízar, Professor of Hispanic Studies and Department Chair

“Dos patrias tengo yo: la escritura como catarsis en cuatro escritoras cubano-rusas” (“I’ve Got Two Homelands: Writing as Catharsis in Four Cuban-Russian Women Writers.”) Breve panorama crítico de las prácticas literarias de las narradoras cubanas en el siglo XXI. Brenda Morales and Ivonne Sánchez Becerril (Eds.) The National Autonomous University of Mexico, UNAM, 2025, 77-97.

https://ru.atheneadigital.filos.unam.mx/jspui/handle/FFYL_UNAM/11221

Ching-Hsuan Wu, Eirik Børve Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics

“Administering Hybrid Language Education: Building Virtual Teacher Communities in a STARTALK Mandarin Initiative.” Quarterly Review of Distance Education, vol. 26 (1-2), November 2025.

https://www.emerald.com/qrde/article/26/1-2/50/1309081/Administering-hybrid-language-education-building

Jane Battisson, Visiting Assistant Professor of French

"An Ecosophical Reading of Pierre-Albert Jourdan." Pacific Ancient and Modern Language Association (PAMLA) Conference, InterContinental, San Francisco. November 21, 2025.

Jacqueline Nanfito, Associate Professor of Spanish

“Marjorie Agosîn: Cartographies of Memory and Identity.” XL Congreso Internacional de Literatura y Estudios Hispánicos (online). October 24, 2025.

Ching-Hsuan Wu, Eirik Børve Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics

“Pedagogical Strategies for Workplace Intelligibility: a Case Study.” Pronunciation in Second Language Learning and Teaching (PSLLT) Conference, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, Canada. October 17, 2025.

Cristián Gómez Olivares, Associate Professor of Spanish

"En el corazón de todo: Poesía bilingüe en Ohio/In the Heart of It All: Bilingual Anthology of Ohio Spanish-Language Poets." Panel presentation with undergraduate student Lauren Iagnemma. Ohio Latin Americanist Conference (OLAC), Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio. September 25-26, 2025.

Jacqueline Nanfito, Associate Professor of Spanish

Moderator and presenter of the paper, ”Simbología, naturaleza y memoria en la novela Hispanoamericana." XL Congreso Internacional de Literatura y Estudios Hispánicos (online) October 24, 2025.

Nohora Viviana Cardona Núñez, Adjunct Lecturer of Spanish

"Pigmalión entre rejas: Exilio y búsquedas identitarias en Smiling Lombana.” Ohio Latin Americanist Conference (OLAC), at Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, Ohio. September 25-26, 2025.


“Santos-Febres y Arroyo Pizarro: contra el tuntún de pasa y grifería.” Caribbean Studies Association Conference (CSA), St. Martin. June 1-7, 2025.

Susanne Vees-Gulani, Associate Professor of German and Comparative Literature

"Postmigrant Placemaking in Dresden’s Cityscape: Possibilities and Limits of Artistic Interventions." Panel Culture and Community in Postmigrant Germany. German Studies Association (GSA), Arlington, Virginia. September 25-28, 2025.


Moderator of the panel "Zoned In and Out: New Perspectives on Jonathan Glazer's German-language Holocaust Film The Zone of Interest (2024)." German Studies Association (GSA), Arlington, Virginia. September 25-28, 2025.

Cristián Gómez Olivares, Associate Professor of Spanish

On October 29, 2025, Dr. Cristián Gómez Olivares gave a lecture at Hollins University on Pablo de Rokha in China: Cultural Cold War.


On October 17, 2025, Dr. Cristián Gómez Olivares gave the lecture "Afro-American Poetry; The challenges & pleasures of Translating Afroamerican Poetry" at the University of Salamanca.


Invited speaker to the 2nd Latino Book Fair and Writer's Conference in Indianapolis. Dr. Cristián Gómez Olivares read his poetry and took part in a round table on Contemporary Poetics. October 4, 2025.

Damaris Puñales-Alpízar, Professor of Hispanic Studies and Department Chair

Invited Speaker: “Comunidad cultural y heroica del socialismo: el rol de la traducción literaria en la creación de alianzas afectivas” (“Cultural and Heroic Community of Socialism: The Role of Literary Translation in the Creation of Affective Alliances),” Instituto de Investigaciones Filológicas, National Autonomous University of Mexico, November 11, 2025.

Book Presentation: Dr. Damaris Puñales-Alpízar presented her book Códigos rojos: geopolíticas de la traducción durante la Guerra Fría. Cuba y el bloque del Este (Red Codes: Geopolitics of Translation during the Cold War. Cuba and the Eastern Bloc), -published by UNAM in 2025- with Dr. Ivonne Sánchez Becerril and Dr. Mabel Cuesta. National Autonomous University of Mexico, November 11, 2025.

On November 10, 2025, Dr. Damaris Puñales-Alpízar presented, with Mabel Cuesta and José Ramón Ruisánchez, their project Trasatlántica. Poetry and Scholarship, at the El último encuentro bookstore, in Mexico City. The presentation ended with a poetry reading by the members of Trasatlantica board of directors present in the event. 

On September 30, 2025, Dr. Damaris Puñales-Alpízar presented the book "Otro necio - Memorias subversivas," by Ecuatorian journalist and writer Orlando Pérez. The book was published in August 2025 by Grado Cero Editores (Quito, Ecuador). The presentation, in which also participated Margarita Guerrero Calderón, General Director of the Youth Institute in Spain, took place at Casa de México in Madrid. Students from the CWRU in Madrid cohort attended the event. 


The book is a work that combines autobiography, testimony, and literature to recover the memory of the 1980s in Ecuador. It was named as one of the best books of Ecuador in 2025.

Dr. Damaris Puñales-Alpízar was invited as a keynote speaker to offer the closing remarks at the International Colloquium of Americanists (pre-event of the 58th International Congress of Americanists (ICA), Szeged, Hungary, June 26-28, 2025.

Margaretmary Daley, Professor of German and Comparative Literature

Dr. Margaretmary Daley participated in a workshop organized by the Goethe Lexicon of Philosophical Concepts (GLPC), at the annual German Studies Association Conference (GSA) in Arlington, Virginia, from September 25-28, 2025, to create new scholarly entries on the writings of Johann Wolfgang Goethe (1749-1832).

Denise Caterinacci, Senior Instructor of Italian

DMLL Senior Instructor of Italian, Denise Caterinacci, represented CWRU as a delegate to Terra Madre Americas in Sacramento, CA, September 26-28, 2025. She spoke to delegates representing Slow Food International from around the world, which included legendary Slow Food school gardens pioneer Alice Waters. The focus of Professor Caterinacci's talk was the development of a university-level modern language curriculum and collaborations surrounding the worldwide Slow Food movement and the sustained success of the CWRU model, which began with a special topics course in Italian in 2012.

  

Plans for greater expansion, especially in collaboration with the CA university system, have now begun. The first edition of Terra Madre Americas in Sacramento was tested as a trial in 2024 and will now continue in alternate years that do not compete with Terra Madre held in Italy. This year's attendance was over 165,000, an increase over the 2024 debut.

Alessandra Parry, Lecturer of Spanish

On October 11, 2025, Professor Parry attended a teaching symposium hosted by Instituto Cervantes in Manhattan, New York, focused on social justice and equitable access for bilingual education for underrepresented minorities in higher education. New pedagogical practices, evaluation methods and methodologies were explored, highlighting the use of AI in the classroom as well as critical approaches to teaching Spanish. Professor Parry is looking forward to providing students with high quality, engaging, meaningful and technologically skilled language teaching that is informed by principles of social justice in education.

Margaretmary Daley, Professor of German and Comparative Literature

Dr. Margaretmary Daley is the recipient of an EHI 2026 - Finish Line Fund for the translation of her book: "Great Books by German Women in the Age of Emotion" into Russian.

Nadav Linial, Lecturer of Hebrew

In collaboration with the Congregation Mishkan Or, Jewish Federation of Cleveland, and Literary Cleveland, on November 9, 2025, Dr. Nadav Linial led a writing workshop to explore themes of grief and loss in poetry.


The late Israeli artist Moshe Gershuni’s extraordinary artist book Kaddish was created to respond to Allen Ginsberg's poem of the same title written on the death of his mother, Naomi. The artist book presents the original English poem, its Hebrew translation by the Israeli poet Natan Zach, and Gershuni's illustrations in screen print.


The artist book is on view at Congregation Mishkan Or Museum and the Jewish Federation of Cleveland now through February 2026 as part of the joint exhibition "MEMORY: Moshe Gershuni."

Alessandra Parry, Lecturer of Spanish

Professor Parry is the recipient of an UCITE Course Innovation Grant (UCIGs) for AI Driven Spanish Conversation. Professor Parry utilized the grant to purchase MyConversationTrainer from Vista Higher Learning for her Intermediate SPAN 201 and SPAN 202 courses. 

Damaris Puñales-Alpízar, Professor of Hispanic Studies and Department Chair

Trasatlántica Poetry and Scholarship -led by Damaris Puñales-Alpízar- received two grants from the Ohio Arts Council to organize different cultural events until June 30, 2026. Among many other activities, Trasatlántica will organize a Hispanic Poetry Festival next April 2026.

Damaris Puñales-Alpízar, Professor of Hispanic Studies and Department Chair and Ching-Hsuan Wu, Eirik Børve Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics

Drs. Damaris Puñales-Alpízar and Ching-Hsuan Wu received a Børve grant to support the launch of the Børve Multilingual Writing and Speaking Center. Both will serve as Center Directors.


The Center aims to promote writing and speaking proficiency across the 11 languages offered in DMLL.

Ching-Hsuan Wu, Eirik Børve Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics

Dr. Ching-Hsuan Wu's proposal, "Delegate, Not Abdicate: Reclaiming Human Agency in an AI-Mediated World Language and Culture Education," to the 2026 Mellon Higher Learning Program limited submissions competition has been selected to represent the university for this opportunity. 

Dr. Ching-Hsuan Wu was awarded a three-year grant from the Eirik Børve Fund for Foreign Language Instruction to advance language assessment initiatives across the 11 languages offered by DMLL. Through Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) at the conclusion of each semester - a proficiency-based assessment tool developed by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages- the goal is to raise awareness of the critical role assessment plays in language education and to integrate proficiency-based assessment into the department’s pedagogical practices.


During the first year of the project (Spring and Fall 2025), key implementation outcomes included: a scholarly talk on the ACTFL OPI hosted and funded by the Baker-Nord Institute, two information and recruitment sessions for faculty and students, one Faculty Pedagogy Forum, and two rounds of OPI testing.

Gabriela Copertari, Associate Professor of Spanish

Drs. Gabriela Copertari and Adriana Johnson's Interview with Filmmaker Alejo Moguillansky, "Back to the Origins Of Cinema: Cinema and Its Relationship With Other Arts," conducted on May 17, 2024, has been accepted for publication by FORMA: A Journal of Latin American Criticism & Theory.

Jacqueline Nanfito, Associate Professor of Spanish

Dr. Jacqueline Nanfito's translation of the narrative, "Sarajevo Underground," by Chilean Jewish author Andrea Jeftanovic, will appear in the work entitled "Fragmented Geographies: A Short Critical Anthology of Jewish Women’s Writing in the Balkans and Latin America," edited by Oana Hergenröther (University of Graz). It will be published by Solis Press in the UK and should be coming out early in 2026.

Daisuke Fujimoto, Department Assistant

CAS Staff Award

Daisuke Fujimoto was one of four recipients of the 2025 CAS Outstanding Staff Awards. Daisuke was nominated for his outstanding contribution to the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures. Nominator Dr. Damaris Puñales–Alpízar wrote "Daisuke is a model of excellence and integrity, and his contributions have had a profound and lasting impact on all of us." Daisuke was honored at the CAS end-of-year party on December 9, 2025.

New Mexican Student Association

CWRU student, Diego Baca and friends are excited to announce they have officially founded the Mexican Students Association (MEXSA) at Case Western Reserve University. The mission is to create a welcoming community for Mexican and Mexican American students, celebrate and preserve Mexican culture and traditions, and promote cultural awareness across campus. They look forward to hosting events and collaborations that help Mexican students feel represented and connected at CWRU. Dr. Jacqueline Nanfito will serve as faculty advisor.

Slow Food, DMLL, and Our Sustainable Future

The US representative to Slow Food International, Bilal Sarwari, visited CWRU on November 21, 2025, hosted by DMLL's program in Italian, CWRU’s recognized student organization Slow Food on Campus, and the university’s Squire Valleevue Farm. His talk in Thwing Center described the worldwide Slow Food organization and its many activities, then focused on Slow Food Farms, a key part of the global network that uses agroecological principles to produce food that is good, clean, and fair. It aims to build a more sustainable and equitable food future through working with nature rather than against it, based on social, environmental, and economic justice.


The role of world languages and cultures in this immense tapestry was strongly emphasized. Slow Food values and appreciates the pioneering work of CWRU’s DMLL, led by the Italian program due to Slow Food’s Italian origins, to create courses that invite collaboration and interdisciplinary content, focusing on Slow Food to support the study of world languages and culture. Plans are underway for greater expansion of these activities, and Squire Valleevue Farm at CWRU is also anticipated to become much more involved.


Sarwari visited the university’s farm with students and other interested attendees later that day. The afternoon at the farm included delicious refreshments featuring items produced there, and screening of a film selected by Slow Food on Campus to highlight themes of gathering around the table to share gratitude for good, seeking innovation that may challenge barriers, making the most of resources, and overcoming hindrances to achieving goals, aspects also captured in this visit! It was an exceptionally inspiring and enriching event for everyone who participated.

DMLL Faculty Pedagogical Forum for Foreign Language Instruction 

DMLL held its first Pedagogical Forum on October 28, 2025, with the support of the Eirik Børve Endowment for Foreign Language Instruction. Ten faculty members from seven languages took part of the event, in which it was discussed the summer student OPI results; feedback on the DMLL student learning experience and its pedagogical relevance; and teaching techniques for developing speaking skills in the classroom. 

Ethnic Studies Talk with Laura Tartakoff

On October 8, 2025, Professor Laura Tartakoff (Political Science) gave a talk entitled "At Home & Abroad, Sadness & Joy as an Exiled Cuban in the U.S." This Ethnic Studies talk was also an Explore Event, and attracted several first year students.

Fall Career Fair & KAAGC Meeting

The Korean Program collaborated with LSP USA, LLC, the primary partner of LG Energy Solutions and Ultium Cells, to recruit individuals for positions at EV battery plants and construction sites across the U.S. Following the large-scale raid at the Hyundai–LG battery plant construction site in Georgia, the industry is urgently seeking individuals to fill the gap left by the return of many Korean technicians and engineers to Korea.


LSP USA participated in the CWRU Fall Career Fair on September 25, 2025, where not only students from the Korean Program, Korean Student Association (KSA), and Korean American Student Association (KASA), but also many students without a Korean background visited their booth and learned about these opportunities, as the industry is now actively opening positions to individuals from diverse linguistic and ethnic backgrounds.


After the career fair, instructor Dr. Hyun Kyung Kim arranged a meeting between LSP USA representatives and executives of the Korean American Association of Greater Cleveland (KAAGC). Together, they discussed the sites' current status, ongoing staff recruitment efforts, and strategies to better connect CWRU and Cleveland-based students with these opportunities.

First Trasatlántica International Poetry Festival

On June 13-15, 2025, the nonprofit organization Trasatlántica, Poetry and Scholarship - led by Dr. Damaris Puñales-Alpízar, organized the first Transatlantic Poetry Festival in Spain, with the participation of more than 20 poets from Latin America, the United States, and Spain. 

Pop up Letterpress at the West Side Market

On September 14, 2025, The New Gutenberg Annex participated in the Rust Belt Humanities Lab and Literary Cleveland Books for All event at the West Side Market. Free books and comics were distributed, and market-goers made prints, greeting cards and book plates. This event will be repeated in the Spring semester.

Experience Chinese Popular Culture through Sound and Vision

On October 2, 2025, just a few days before the Mid-Autumn Festival, students in Professor Xin Zhang's CHIN 320: Chinese Popular Culture class enjoyed two special learning opportunities.


In the morning, the class welcomed guest speaker, Peng Han, who delivered an engaging lecture titled “A Brief Introduction to Chinese Pop Music in Taiwan and Its Influence on Pop Music in Mainland China.” The talk provided valuable historical and cultural perspectives on the development of Chinese popular music.


In the afternoon, the class had the honor of hosting Ms. Barbara Tannenbaum, the Cleveland Museum of Art Curator of Photography and Chair of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs. Ms. Tannenbaum shared her expertise on the exhibition Refocusing Photography: China at the Millennium, offering students new insights into contemporary Chinese art and photography.

Lunar Mid-Autumn Festival

The Chinese section, in collaboration with the Mandarin Club, co-hosted a vibrant Lunar Mid-Autumn Festival celebration on October 2, 2025. This partnership provided Drs. Yawei Li and Ching-Hsuan Wu with meaningful opportunities to work closely with our Mandarin Club officers, strengthening faculty-student connections beyond the classroom.


More than 60 students came together to create a memorable evening filled with friendship, delicious Chinese food, and traditional mooncakes. The atmosphere was warm and festive, and everyone had a wonderful time. Faculty members also enjoyed the experience of engaging with students in a social setting, making the event a truly enriching occasion for all involved.

Alison Stine Visits Cli Fi Class Reading Her Novel "TrashLands"

On November 17, 2025, Dr. Jane Battisson's FRCH 377: Special Topics - Climate-Fiction class welcomed Philip K. Dick Award winning local author, Alison Stine, to our class meeting. As we finished the semester with her novel "TrashLands," it was an honor to welcome Alison to answer student questions about the novel, the climate fiction genre, and the writing craft.

FRCH 377 Visits the CMA

On October 8, 2025, students in Dr. Jane Battisson’s FRCH 377: Special Topics - Climate-Fiction class visited the Cleveland Museum of Art for a docent-guided visit curated to inspire reflection on negotiating the uncertainty we face at the frontier of new existential conditions that will change both the climate in the world and humans’ relations to the world.

German Club Hosts Film Night

On November 8, 2025, the German Club hosted a film screening of Im Juli in the Guilford Lounge. The film had English language subtitles and pizza was served.

Students of German 312 Welcome Goslar Visitors!

Through an ongoing collaboration between Shaker Heights High School's German teachers (Herr Dr. Szalay and Frau Bradd) and DMLL's own Frau Dr. Margaretmary Daley, exchange students from Goslar were treated to a student-led walking tour of the campus on October 15, 2025. The German students were fascinated by our large campus and diverse buildings, and CWRU students loved the opportunity to practice their spontaneous speaking skills. The Cleveland weather was at its finest!

New Wood Type in Guilford Exchange

We have acquired two fonts of beautiful new wood types from McKellier letterpress design in England. The Monpassie type includes accented vowels in two sizes for foreign language work. Pictured here is our new Hebrew fellow, Nerya Freidenreich, a first year student getting inky.

Cultural Exchange

On Friday, October 24, 2025, we had a wonderful exchange meeting between Japanese students from Kindai University and Chukyo University, and CWRU students enrolled in JAPN201, JAPN301, and JAPN350. A total of 55 students participated in the event and enjoyed cheerful and lively conversations. Thanks to the great cooperation of volunteer students who helped Instructors manage the event. It was a great success!


The student groups used question cards written in both English and Japanese and helped each other practice their language skills while enjoying pizza, snacks, and drinks. We were also delighted to see them making new friends! We hope to have another cultural exchange between Japanese students and Case students in the spring!

Explore Event - Korean Hangout

The Korean Program held its second Korean Hangout Explore event on Thursday, November 20, 2025. Students enjoyed various activities, including vibrant conversation tables and chances to experience Korean games, e-sports, music, dance, and food. Winners of the traditional Korean games took home prizes, and all students enjoyed the fun and strengthened connections with peers interested in Korean language and culture.

Pocha Night 

On November 15, 2025, the Korean American Student Association (KASA) and the Korean Program held a Pocha Night. The event was inspired by the Korean 포장마차 (pojangmacha) - outdoor carts that sell street food and drinks late at night, a place known for its bright lights and lively conversations. This event offered students a vibrant experience of Korean street culture just before finals. Participants enjoyed an evening filled with delicious Korean street food, lively performances, and engaging games and raffles, all set in a festive atmosphere reminiscent of a traditional Korean pocha. All funds raised from the event will be donated to the Korean American Scholarship Foundation (KASF) at the end of the school year. 

Explore Event - Korean Hangout

On October 2, 2025, the Korean program hosted the Korean Hangout Explore event. This event offered students a chance to enhance their Korean language skills and immerse themselves in Korean culture. It featured tutoring and conversation tables, along with opportunities to enjoy Korean games, music, and food. Many students joined and enjoyed a fun, engaging atmosphere while connecting with peers who share an interest in the Korean language and culture.

Folk Music of Eastern Europe

In the Fall 2025 semester, the students enrolled in the course RUSN/MUGN 305: Folk Music of Eastern Europe, explored vocal and instrumental music and dance from Russia and the countries of Eastern Europe. Students studied folk music, folk instruments, and singing styles of many ethnic groups of the region. Each musical piece was placed in context, with an eye towards culture, symbolism, history, poetry/lyrics, and customs. Here is the final performance video consisting of folk dance, song, and playing musical instruments.

Amistad Spanish Conversation Club Visits Centrovilla 25 - Cleveland Latino Market and Food Hall

On Sunday, November 9, 2025, the students of Amistad (Spanish Conversation Club) took a trip to Cleveland's West Side to visit the newly established Latino cultural and business district known as Centro Villa 25. Situated in the heart of the Clark-Fulton neighborhood in Cleveland, Centro Villa 25 is a premier Latino market and food hall, designed to cultivate community, celebrate heritage and foster substantial economic growth. With a vibrant array of kiosks offering diverse Hispanic culinary delights and cultural events, it serves as a hub for empowering minority-owned business, providing affordable spaces for shops and driving initiatives that will enhance Latino culture and tourism in the city of Cleveland. Our students enjoyed immersing themselves in a culturally rich environment where they can practice their Spanish as well as enjoy different foods from vendors from different Spanish speaking countries. 

Cultures in Context: Global Citizens - Spain

Students from the CWRU first year cohort in Madrid participated in the production of handmade books as part of their experiential learning for the class WLIT 388/INTL 388: Cultures in Context: Global Citizens - Spain. Dr. Damaris Puñales-Alpízar was appointed as the inaugural faculty fellow for Fall 2025 CWRU in Madrid - First Semester Abroad. The workshop was offered by poet and cultural promoter Iván Vergara. 

Sophia Peterson, Spanish Major

Eva L. Pancoast Memorial Fellowship

Jacqueline Nanfito, Advisor

During her six-week fellowship, Sophia spent much of her time in Santiago, Chile, where she took intensive Spanish courses and volunteered at a local cat shelter. Sophia also had the opportunity to explore several other parts of the country, including Viña del Mar, Valparaíso, San Pedro de Atacama, and the Lake District, and even took a brief trip to Buenos Aires.


Before travelling to South America, Sophia was fairly comfortable reading, writing, and understanding others speaking Spanish, but often hesitated to contribute verbally in language classes due to a lack of confidence in her conversational abilities. Being immersed in an environment where she had to use Spanish daily pushed Sophia out of her comfort zone and accelerated her growth.


Since returning from her trip, Sophia has been studying for the LSAT in preparation to apply to law school, and is volunteering with a local network that patrols the northwest suburbs of Chicago monitoring ICE activity and alerting the community in real time. Sophia commented "the language skills and cultural sensitivities that I developed during my time abroad have been a tremendous asset to me when documenting arrests, providing “Know Your Rights” information, and connecting families whose loved ones have been detained to possible avenues of support."

Douglas Gurdak, Spanish Minor

Fulbright U.S. Student Program - Research/Open Study

Jacqueline Nanfito, Advisor

As a recipient of a Fulbright U.S. Student Program Research/Open Study Award in Bolivia & Perú, Douglas Gurdak had the extraordinary opportunity to travel to both Sucre, Bolivia, the nation's judicial capital, as well as the capital city of Lima, Perú for 6 months. In Bolivia, he worked with faculty at the Instituto Chuquisaqueño de Oncología, one of only three total public cancer institutions which serves the southern third of the country.


During his time in the CWRU Spanish program through the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at CWRU, Douglas began studying Spanish in the SPAN 102 course, learning basic grammar and linguistic foundations, and worked his way up to 300 level advanced literature and culture courses that included advanced conversation and writing, Hispanic feminist literature, and healthcare Spanish. He also pursued an interdisciplinary study to explore literary works from transgender Chilean scholars. The Spanish faculty and advisors at CWRU boast a tremendous range of backgrounds and accomplishments and are immensely supportive of students of all language levels and academic interests. Studying in the department not only allowed Douglas Gurdak to live and work abroad, immersed completely in the Spanish language, but provided him with a nuanced cultural and linguistic knowledge that permitted him to engage with the community on a personal level. It enabled Douglas to build both strong professional collaborations in the area of cancer care and public health as well as form strong, meaningful friendships that he will carry with him as he continue to build a life and career focused on global health and affairs.

Lauren Menke, Spanish Minor

Eva L. Pancoast Memorial Fellowship

Jacqueline Nanfito, Advisor

Lauren Menke, now a first-year medical student at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, graduated in the Spring of 2024 with a minor in Spanish. She spent the summer after graduation working as a volunteer trip leader in the Dominican Republic and then spent 8 months in Madrid, Spain where she taught English to 11- and 12-year-olds. Reflecting on her time at

Case, Lauren commented, "Continuing to improve my Spanish during my college career enabled me to fully take advantage of my gap year abroad. I was better able to integrate myself into the communities I was in and continue strengthening my skills through full immersion." While in Spain, Lauren also volunteered at a local hospital to begin connecting her passion for Spanish with her passion for medicine. Now, she hopes to utilize her Spanish skills to help a broader patient population. Lauren is grateful to have received the Eva L. Pancoast Memorial Fellowship to support her in this experiential learning and for the encouragement of the DMLL in helping her to pursue her broad range of interests. 

© 2025 College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures

Case Western Reserve University | 10900 Euclid Avenue | Cleveland | OH | 44106-7017

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