Diana P. Valencia, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Spanish
Contact
Phone: 860.231.5595
E-mail:
dvalencia@sjc.edu
For Dr. Diana Valencia, language and culture go hand-in-hand. "I expose my students to Latin American issues by bringing in distinguished speakers, taking them to conferences, films and plays. It's important to keep them in direct contact with the culture. Doing so brings them an awareness of the Spanish world and their own culture too. This lets them experience the diversity of our global world in a personal way."
In the classroom, Dr. Valencia stresses a dialogue among students - an exchange of ideas that allows them to develop their own unique points of view. She also changes her textbook every two years. "It's important to keep up to date," Dr. Valencia says, "and it shows students that you have to be constantly learning new things."
When Dr. Valencia was a young student in Mexico, she knew that she wanted to become a Spanish professor. "Teaching is my life and it makes me happy. I do what I love to do. I am always looking for fresh ideas, handcrafted products, and graphics to bring to classes." She travels to Argentina, Chile, Perú, Spain, and México. "The College and my students are my family in America," she said.
In addition to her teaching duties, Dr. Valencia believes that research is an extremely important component to her contributions. Among her efforts are her recently published "Poética y Diáspora: Enrique Lihn, Oscar Hann y Pedro Lastra"' in Revista de Literatura Hispánica. She also presented "La Cuidad Desencantada y el Cine Mexicano Contemporáneo" at the 10th American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese Biennial Northeast Regional Meeting at Yale University.
Degrees
Ph.D., State University of New York at Stony Brook
M.A., State University of New York at Stony Brook
B.A., Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, México
Recent Research/Publications/ Presentations
"Poética y Diáspora: Enrique Lihn, Oscar Hahn y Pedro Lastra," INTI, Revista de Literatura Hispánica, 55-56, (primavera 2002-otoño 2002), 149-159. Published in spring, 2004. (Referee Journal).
"La primera Poniatowska: Revisitando Lilus Kikus," Ensayos sobre escritoras hispanoamericanas contemporáneas, T. II. Ed. Priscilla Gac-Artigas, New Jersey: Ediciones Nuevo Espacio, Colección Academia, 223-232, 2002.
"Alabanza a Martha: Encuentro con la magnolia," preface by Diana Valencia, Los recuentos de Martha. Ed. Chaurand-Sorzano Family. Guadalajara, México, Ediciones T&S.P, 2001: 9-12, 2001.
Hiding in Other People's Houses /Escondiéndose en casa de otros, by Dori Katz, translated into Spanish by Diana Valencia, preface by Diana Valencia: "Dori Katz: En torno a una poética surrealista," Guadalajara, México, La Luciérnaga Editores, 1999.
"La literatura de mujeres en Jalisco: Martha Cerda," De la Catedral al Rascacielos: Actas de la XVII Asamblea general de ALDEU, Nueva York, The City University of New York/ALDEU, 1999: 41-49 Awarded as the Best Book of Essays in 1999 by the International Writers and Artist Association.
"Sor Juana: entre el dogma y la modernidad," http://www.pitt.edu/~/lasa/elecpapers.htm
"El carnaval como recurso democratizador en la película "Todo el poder" de Fernando Sariñana," presentation at the XXVI Conference on Latin American and Spanish Literature, Montclair State University, New Jersey, April 15, 2005.
Bilingual Poetry Reading at Yale Bookstore of her Spanish translations of Hiding in Other People's Houses by Dory Katz, September 11, 2004.
"La ciudad desencantada y el cine mexicano contemporáneo," presentation at the 10th American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese Biennial Northeast Regional Meeting, Yale University, September 10, 2004.
"El espacio citadino en el poema extenso Nocturno de San Ildefonso de Octavio Paz," presentation at the XXV Conference on Latin American and Spanish Literature, Montclair State University, New Jersey, April 16, 2004.
Grants
"Critical Approaches to Hispanic Poetry," Summer Grant funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, directed by Andrew P. Debicki and Jill Kuhnheim, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, June 16 to July 25, 2003.
