Graduate Teaching Assistants
2012-2013
| Naqaa Abbas Comparative Literature PhD |
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Karim Abuawad |
I earned a BA in English literature from the University of Illinois at Chicago. After completing my undergraduate degree, I recognized that comparative literature is my natural home because it would allow me to work on English and Arabic literatures. After earning an MA in comparative literature from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, I went back to Palestine and taught English literature for one year at the English Department of Al-Quds University in the West Bank. After that instructive and pleasant experience, I decided to come to Western to work on a PhD in comparative literature. My broad research interests include twentieth-century British and Arabic novels, specifically those written by Egyptian and Lebanese novelists. |
Mohammed Afana |
I am a 2nd year Ph.D. student originally from Palestine. I have completed both my BA in Architecture at the University of Seville “Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura”, Spain. I decided to study at Western because I wanted to work within the CulturePlex Lab. One of the things that I like most about UWO is how multicultural it is and one of the things that I dislike on this campus is the coffee. My general research interests are in architecture, specifically digital architecture. One thing you should know about me is that I am a very open-minded kind of guy. Academics: Conferences Attended: THATCamp at the University of Western Ontario, 2011. Words of Wisdom for the new CulturePlex Members: For fun (and everything else): go downtown. School wise: you should have a clear idea about what you want and you should respect the others. |
| Nazia Akhtar Comparative Literature PhD 4 |
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Reza Ashouri Talooki |
I am a first-year PhD student of Comparative Literature at the Western University. Back home at the University of Tehran, Iran, where I focused my research on Postcolonial Studies/Theories, Orientalism, Film Studies, and Psychoanalysis, I pursued English Literature for both my undergraduate and Master's studies. But I believe a Comparative Literature program will broaden my mind in several respects; First of all, we get ourselves immersed in the literatures of several countries. Secondly, we study literary theories in depth. This will, eventually, help us understand the literatures coming from a number of cultures and societies--both Western and Eastern. Now I am getting even more interested in Literature of Migration, Diaspora Studies, and Mythology! (Persian mythology and Western mythology). I came to the Western University because I knew that Comp. Lit. is offered in a large department where there is a great sense of community among other programs. Knowledgeable and very supportive of the students, the professors here at the Western praise us for each and every word we learn! |
| Aviva Atlani Comparative Literature PhD |
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| Ndeye Ba Comparative Literature |
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Sarbani Banerjee |
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Ewelina Barski |
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Yolanda Bernal |
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Diana Botero |
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Jaime Brenes Reyes |
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David Brown |
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Dagoberto Caceres Aguilar |
My name is D. C. Aguilar and I am a second year PhD student in Hispanic Studies. Currently, I am a T.A. at Modern Language and Literatures in Western University Canada. My dissertation project is on literature and ideological constructions. I completed two Masters Program: at Universidad del Valle (Colombia) in 2008; in Europe Union at Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (Spain), Université de Perpignan via-Domitia (France), and Universidade Nova de Lisboa (Portugal) in 2010. |
Natalia Caldas |
I am a first year MA in Hispanic Studies. I did my BA in French and Spanish literature at Western, and spent my last year at the Université Fraçois-Rabelais in Tours, France through the exchange program. Continuing with my study of literature, I also earned a BA with specialization in English literature. Western has given me the opportunity to grow and receive an outstanding education in my undergraduate years, as well as allowing me to continue my study and research as a master’s student. |
 Roberta Cauchi SantoroComparative Literature PhD 4 |
Roberta Cauchi-Santoro is a near-completion doctoral candidate in Comparative Literature at Western University. Her doctoral dissertation explores Samuel Beckett’s reading of Giacomo Leopardi’s oeuvre. Her publications include: “Marinetti and Beckett: A Theatrical Continuum” in The Tragic Comedy of Samuel Beckett, published by Laterza in 2009 (pp.103-112); “Beyond the Suffering of Being: Desire of the Other in Leopardi and Beckett” in Back to the Beckett Text, published by Gdansk UP in 2012 (pp.139-50); “Gruppo 63: the Futurist legacy in the Italian Neoavanguardia” in Poets of the Present. Poets of the Past, also published by Gdansk UP in 2012 (pp.58-71). Her latest publications are: “The Paradoxical in-Between Space for Desire: Leopardi’s and Beckett’s Humour” in the official journal of the Canadian Society for Italian Studies, Quaderni d’Italianistica XXXIII.2 (2012): 1-13, and “Apuleius’ The Golden Ass in Ferrara,” in the official literary journal of the Universita’ degli studi di Ferrara entitled Annali (Lettere).VII.1 (2012).157-66. http://annali.unife.it/lettere/. |
Ana Chiarelli Acosta |
I am currently in my third year of the doctoral program in Hispanic Studies. I also participate in the Collaborative Graduate Program in Migrations and Ethnic Relations at Western. I am originally from Venezuela where I pursued studies of Journalism. I am interested in the literature of immigration of the 21st century, particularly the Hispanic Canadian literature from this period. I am also have special interest in literature and film as history and identity depiction media |
Nancy Cuellar |
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Javier de la Rosa |
I am a 2nd year Hispanic Studies PhD student at Western University, where is also a member of the CulturePlex Lab for Cultural Complexity and Digital Humanities. He has completed both his Master in Logic and Artificial Intelligence and his Engineering in Computer Science at the University of Seville in Spain. Western gave me an opportunity to combine the fields of Humanities and Computer Science. My general research interests are in graphs, graph databases, query languages, complex networks and temporal ontologies and my thesis topic is in Network Theory and Cultural Borders. |
Dorismel Diaz-Perez |
Dorismel is a second year Ph D student in Hispanic Studies. He earned a B.A. in Modern Languages from Universidad del Atlantico as well as an M.A. in Education from Universidad del Norte. He also completed a Masters in Hispanic Literature at the University of Arkansas. His research interests include: Travel Writing, Migration and Ethnic Relations, Spanish Golden Age Literature, Film Studies, Diaspora and Orientalism / PostColonial Studies.For his dissertation,he is interested in exploring the depictions of Afro Latinos through visual arts and literature in XIX century travel accounts. Other interests are Ruben Darío´s poetry, learning languages, mythology, train travel and hiking. He can be easily distracted by a cup of a well made hot chocolate, but that’s about it. |
David Dominguez Navarro |
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Nandita Dutta |
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Mehraneh Ebrahimi Eshratabadi |
I am a second year PhD student in Comparative Literature. My current research focuses on the Paranoid Subject of North American cultural imagination; A Comparative Analysis of the Construction of the Other during the Cold War and that of the “War on Terror”. I am also interested in the questions of Human Rights and the lip service it pays to empty signifiers of democracy, women liberation and political emancipation. I chose to study Comparative Literature due to its marginal, interdisciplinary position in humanities, giving me the fluidity to peek through cement walls which have been erected between faculties that interest me; faculties as diverse as Social Science, Information and Media Studies, Women Studies and of course Literature and Humanities. Also, since I have grown up in several countries across the world, I am privileged enough to speak several languages (including Italian, Persian, French and English) aiding me in my interdisciplinary endeavors. Feel free to contact me with questions regarding the program or my research interests. Email: mberhai8@uwo.ca |
Kevin Godbout |
I was born and raised in the Canadian province of New Brunswick, and I come to Comparative Literature by way of degrees in English at l'Université de Moncton (BA) and York University (MA). I came to the department to take advantage of my knowledge of French and English and slowly expand my German. I'm interested in nineteenth and twentieth century poetry, short prose and aphorisms alongside literary theory of various colours and stripes. |
Cenaida Gomez |
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Suava Hastedt |
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Agnieszka Herra |
Originally from Poland, Agnieszka completed her BA in English at Queen's University and her MA in English and Film at Wilfrid Laurier University. She chose Western's Comparative Literature program in order to be able to work with a non-English literature. Her dissertation work analyzes how novels look back on social movements and examines the effect of rhetoric and collective memory on individual participants. Her analysis focuses on novels written after the American Civil Rights Movement and the Polish Solidarity movement. |
Katarzyna Jasinski |
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Antonio Jimenez-Mavillard |
My name is Antonio Jiménez Mavillard. I'm a 2nd year Ph.D. candidate in Hispanic Studies. I come from Seville (Spain), where I completed my undergraduate degree as well as my Masters in Computer Science at the University of Seville. I decided to come to Western because it gave me the opportunity to combine my knowledge in Computer Science with Humanities. |
Santiago Kalinowski |
Santiago Kalinowski is a fourth year PhD student in Hispanic Studies, from Argentina. He chose Western after meeting in Buenos Aires his current advisor, Laurence de Looze, and deciding that it was the perfect place to further his project of becoming a Medievalist. His dissertation is on Medieval Castilian Historiography, specifically the model of authorization of the written word in Alphonsine Chronicles. He completed his BA in Literature and Linguistics at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. His research interests include Spanish Baroque Literature, Spanish Medieval Literature, Christian Philosophy, Medieval History, and Semantics. |
| Tamara Kowalski Comparative Literature MA 2 |
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Jen Kozak |
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Maria Lopez |
I am a second year MA student in within the area of culture and literature as well as this academic years Community Outreach Coordinator. I am from Mexico City, but fortunately enough I have had the chance to travel and study abroad. I graduated from the States and studied in Australia as well. The interest, and later the reason why I came to Western, was that I worked for someone who was doing her PhD here. While I was in Texas doing my undergrad I worked as a translator for Belinda Roman (from 2008 to 2010), and it was thanks to her and her engaging personality that, after I graduated ,I applied to Western. I really have a passion for intertwining different disciplines, particularly literature and film. Therefore, I would say my area of research has to do with the dialogue between literature and film studies. Another passion is teaching, and Western and the department have really given me the chance to indulge in it. |
Raul Manuel Lopez Bajonero |
Hola! Me llamo Raul Lopez vengo de la UNAM de Mexico. I'm PHD student and I'm interested in the History of Writing Culture, I love the travel's literature especially maritime stories. I like Western because it's cool and the people are very nice.
My personal web page is:
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Miharu Miyasaka Chirino |
I’m a PhD candidate in the Hispanic Studies program of The University of Western Ontario. I’m currently writing my dissertation thesis on the subject of Latin American contemporary cinema and history. Other topics of interest are Japanese immigration and cinema, Latin–American new historical novel, and film adaptation. In addition to my academic endeavors I also have experience in film production as a member of the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Arts and Industry (ICAIC). |
Itziri Moreno Villamar |
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| Ricardo Munoz Castiblanco Hispanic Studies PhD |
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Camelia Nunez |
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Driton Nushaj |
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Jaime Ontiveros |
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Elika Ortega Guzman |
I am a 4th year Ph.D. student originally from Mexico City. I have completed my BA at UNAM Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, UNAM and my MA at UNAM and University of Toronto. My research focuses on narrative and reading in the context of new media and its interaction with print. You can read about it on my blog Readers of Fiction http://lectoresdeficcion.blogs.cultureplex.ca/ |
Marcela Otalora Prieto |
I am from Colombia and received my master's degree in Hispanic Studies from the University of Western Ontario. I started my PhD in Hispanic Linguistics few years ago. I am currently in my second year and I am interested in sociolinguistics, Spanish variation, varieties of Spanish language globally, and the teaching of Spanish as a second language. |
Yolanda Pangtay Chang |
Born and raised in Mexico, from a family of Chinese origins, and having studied English as a second language in a non-immersed environment, it was natural for me to develop a curiosity on the diversity of languages. |
Carlos Pardo |
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| Yaoci Pardo-Dominguez Comparative Literature PhD |
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| Anaid Perez Mata Grajales Hispanic Studies PhD 2 |
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Randol Perez Salas |
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Leah Persaud |
I am a second year Master's student in the Comparative Literature program, and for my thesis I am focusing on instances of beauty
and the grotesque in German and Italian fairy tales from the 17th and 19th centuries. I also did my undergrad here at Western and
decided to stay here for graduate school because of the amazing faculty and beautiful campus. |
Andrea Privitera |
Andrea Privitera is a PhD student in Comparative Literature. he received both his BA in Humanities and his MA in Literary theory from the University of Padua (Italy), and completed part of his Master's studies at Charles University in Prague (Czech Republic). His research interests include literature in Italian and English, literary theory, film and media theory, the relationship between textual and audiovisual media, and transmedia storytelling. |
| Alma Ramirez-Trujillo Hispanic Studies PhD |
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Juan Rios Campillo |
My name is Juan Rios Campillo. I am a first year Master student in Hispanic Studies. My background is in Acting. I did my undergraduate in the High Drama School from Seville (Spain), where I was born. My interests lay in Arts and Literatures, especially anthropological theatre, dance and music. Western offers me the opportunity to develop my research in a multicultural environment where exchanging point of views and knowledges with people from everywhere. |
Juan Carlos Rocha Osornio |
A native ofQuerétaro, México, Juan-Carlos is concluding his doctoral dissertation on the Contemporary Mexican Novel that deals with male homosexuality at UWO. Before coming to Western in 2009, he received his B.A (Spanish & English) and M.A (Spanish and Latin American Literature) at Texas A&M University-Commerce. He is a strong LGBT rights advocate and with his academic research he aims to draw attention to the gay literature produced in the Spanish speaking world as a way to educate society on the topic of homosexuality. Over the years he has traveled extensively throughout Latin America where he has attended numerous conferences and met wonderful people. Before the age of 35 he hopes to have his first novel published and become a famous writer, participate actively in politics towards the benefit of the Latin American gay community and, last but not least, find true love. On a last note he is profoundly grateful to the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at UWO where he has been led by wonderful professors, as well as to the country of Canada where he's felt welcome at all times ever since arriving at Toronto's Pearson International Airport.
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Esperanza Ruiz-Pena |
My name is Esperanza Ruiz-Peña Sánchez de Ibargüen. I am from Spain (Seville). I am in my second year in Spanish Linguistics. My research focus is in phonetics and phonology, however, my backgroud is in Childhood Education, Special Education and in Expression Tecquiques Pycomotor and Psychomotor Rehabilitation. I chose Western to do my Master in Linguistics because the academy and the quality of the program is excellent. The professors are recognized in their field of study. Also, they offer you the opportunity to find what you love in the program and they help you to realize it. |
Juan Sanchez |
Bacat?-Turtle Island, fiction, poetry, running, indigenous literatures from Abya-Yala. I have published articles about contemporary writers from different native nations as the Maya, Wayuu, Cam?nts? and Mapuche people. My last book is a journey through Guatemala?s highland with Humberto Ak?abal?s poetry: Memoria e invenci?n en la poes?a de Humberto Ak?abal. In 2010, I also edited in Colombia a book of short poems, R?o (http://www.letrassueltas.com/?p=672), which is still flowing. I have been working in independent models of publication: Diarios de nada (http://diariosdenada.wordpress.com) is a book of short stories (crowdfunding experiment), and Balada / Track (https://payhip.com/b/7UFg) is a kind of short novel with soundtrack, an ebook from the non-existence. Cheers! |
Manuel Sanchez Lopez |
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Javier Sepulveda |
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Elkin Sierra Rios |
My name is Elkin Sierra. I am a Colombian who loves linguistics, literature and learning languages. I am in my first year of the P.h.D in Hispanic studies in the Modern Languages and Literatures department in The University of Western Ontario. Here in Western I have found amazing teachers who have guided me through the path of knowledge, teaching me how to think in a critical way and how to be an academic with soul and discipline. I chose the UWO because of its commitment to humanities and its wonderful campus which is a marvelous combination of nature, architecture and technology. In the department, more specifically in linguistics, I feel I am not a human resource but instead a human talent that is ready to share his ideas and the most important and my favourite part: exploit imagination in an endless way. |
Amberle Tannahill |
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Roberto Ulloa |
I am a 2nd year Ph.D. student of Hispanic Studies. I am from Costa Rica where I completed my undergraduate and M.Sc. degree in Computer Sciences in the University of Costa Rica. I chose to come to Western because it offered the opportunity to explore a completely different academic field. I am also part of the Cultureplex Lab, a laboratory for studying cultural complexity. This gives me the opportunity of applying my knowledge in computer sciences to cultural problems that are related to the hispanic community. Some of my research interests are in the area of multi-agent systems, complex systems and, more recently, cultural complexity. The site of my research work: http://roberto.blogs.cultureplex.ca/ |
Mary Carmen Vera |
Mary Carmen Vera es una estudiante de literatura en el primer año de maestría en Estudios Hispánicos. |
Yanxiang Wu |
I am a second year PhD student in Comparative Literature. My thesis project is a comparative study of the ideas / concepts of the New World(s) in Montaigne's Essais and Milton's Paradise Lost, with special focuses on how and to what extent the two authors cosmologies weigh on their art. Before coming to Western, I did my MA in English in Peking University, China. I started with the MA program in Comparative Literature at Western and was then transferred to the PhD program. |
Edgar Yanez |
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Jimena Zambrano |
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Janice Zehentbauer |
I am a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in Comparative Literature. My dissertation focuses upon the intersections of perception, neurological illness, and modes of technology in nineteenth-century European novels and medical treatises. I am from the Niagara region, and divide my time between Virgil and London, Ontario. I have a BA Honours in English and an MA in Studies in Comparative Literature and Arts, both from Brock University. I also have an MA in English from the University of Waterloo, where I took the “co-op” option, working at the Toronto Police Museum. In 2009 I chose to study at Western for its collegial atmosphere, its dynamic Modern Languages and Literatures department, and its extensive library holdings. In 2011, my studies were funded by an OGS; in 2012, I received a SSHRC scholarship as well as a Graduate Research Scholarship. Studying at Western has allowed me to pursue my own areas of interest, while continuing my studies of French and Spanish, and expanding my knowledge of the discipline of Comparative Literature. The faculty, staff, and fellow students in the MLL department and those in the departments of English and Film make it a joy to do my graduate work at Western. |
Aurie Zeran |
After completing a double major in Comparative Literature and French at Western, Aurie is currently in the second year of the M.A. program in Comparative Literature. Her thesis focuses on 19th-century European culture and the evolution of the figure of the dandy. She hopes to continue with academics by pursuing her interests in translation, modern Italian literature, and magical realism. Aurie chose Western because of the great number of opportunities available to her there, including co-organizing the 15th Annual Graduate Student conference. |
| Miroslav Zovko Comparative Literature PhD |
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Pablo Zuniga |
Received his bachelor´s degree in economy from the University of San Buenaventura in Cali, Colombia. He is enrolled in a master’s program in Hispanic Studies at Western. His research interest includes Intertextuality and the blurred boundaries between literature and films. His main topics are related to narratives, memories, cities and images as a way to rebuild and recreate the stories and the perception of history. He finished his first novel called Peces de ojos rojos and is currently working on a book of short stories entitled La piel suave/el vals. He regularlyposts on his blog El cuaderno bajo el agua: http://pablozu.blogspot.ca/ |
| Hynek Zykmund Comparative Literature PhD |
