On Dec. 3rd, the Spanish in the Community course debuted “Raíces en movimiento | Roots in Motion,” an oral history project created by Fall 2025 students. Over the semester, they recorded interviews with second- and third-generation Hispanic community members in Gainesville, who shared cultural, linguistic and civic experiences in thoughtful first-person narratives. Produced in collaboration […]
Comunidad HOPE, the Gainesville chapter of Healing on Practice Education (HOPE), is a vibrant, student-led organization dedicated to serving vulnerable communities in Latin America and Gainesville through healthcare, education, and outreach. While open to all students, the group offers unique opportunities for those pursuing careers in medicine, dentistry and healthcare—as well as for anyone interested […]
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More than 500 students filled the Rion Ballroom in the Reitz Union this October for the SPS Major Event, transforming the space into a vibrant celebration of Spanish and Portuguese at UF. Under the leadership of Jennifer Wooten, a large team of faculty representing diverse research areas, courses and academic initiatives designed an engaging day […]
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The Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies joined the national-wide celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month with a vibrant day at the Plaza de las Américas, featuring a lively salsa lesson, cultural displays, and the simple joy of watching students reconnect with their current and former Spanish instructors. The event was a true collaborative effort, powered […]
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We are pleased to welcome two new faculty members whose teaching and research will strengthen our language programs and student experience. María Laura Mecías holds a Ph.D. in Hispanic Linguistics and specializes in second-language and heritage-language acquisition. Her research centers on Spanish pedagogy and vocabulary development for multilingual learners, with a focus on learner-centered methods […]
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The Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies welcomed alumna Heather Jordan back to campus this week for a series of conversations linking language learning with global health work. Invited by M. Elizabeth Ginway, Jordan—who earned her B.A. in Spanish at UF and studied abroad with UF in Rio—is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish and later […]
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The Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies is proud to announce the extraordinary success of Professor Paola Uparela’s first book, “Colonial Invaginations” (Iberoamericana Vervuert), which has garnered five international distinctions for its originality and impact: the Klaus D. Vervuert Hispanic Essay Award from Iberoamericana Vervuert and the Cervantes Institute (2023); the Alfred B. Thomas Book Award from SECOLAS (2025); the LASA Visual Culture Studies Book Prize (2025); the Victoria Urbano Critical Monograph Award from the Association of Gender and Sexualities Studies (2025); and an Honorable Mention for Best Women’s Issues Book at the International Latino Book Awards (2025).
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This past Summer A, 2025, Antonio Sajid López—with support from graduate researcher Hannah Treadway—launched a new service-learning program in San José, Costa Rica. Twelve Spanish students split their weeks between morning service placements and afternoon language classes, living with host families and exploring the country on weekends. Students served at a range of community partners: […]
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At this fall’s Study Abroad Fair (2025), professors Paola Uparela, Antonio Sajid López, John Flanagan, Greg Moreland and Mariana Olivera—with support from several teaching assistants—presented a strong slate of international opportunities for students across proficiency levels.
Joanne Britland delivered a keynote lecture at the University of South Florida’s film festival, “Música, Sound, Espacios: A Latin American and Spanish Film Series.”