Juan Gabaldon-Vielma, Ph.D.

About me

I am a visiting assistant professor of Spanish specialized in Spanish medieval literature and focused on the social relations among Christians, Jews and Muslims during the “Convivencia” era. Additionally, I have taught Spanish for the health care profession and issues in social justice depicted in contemporary Latin American literature. I work as a volunteer with Amigos Latinos Center, an organization oriented to help the Hispanic population living in Wayne County. Also, I work as a Spanish interpreter in health care centers when patients cannot speak English. I ride a bicycle, read and listen to Afro-Caribbean music, jazz and classic rock in my free time. 

Earlham College is a fantastic place to teach because its values match perfectly with mine, and its openness and inclusivity leave a door open for sharing Hispanic culture.

Education

• Ph.D., University of Oklahoma
• M.A., University of New Orleans

Professional memberships

• Modern Languages Association (MLA)
• South Central Modern Language Association (SCMLA) 
• American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) 
• Linguistic Association of the Southwest (LASSO)
• Tierra Tinta Conference; Treasurer 2015, President 2016 

Scholarly interest

• Convivencia and its influences in Spanish literature from XI to XVI centuries. 
• XVI and XVII centuries Sephardic literature. 
• Social Issues in Latin America depicted in Latino literature. 
• Voices of the Venezuelan diaspora. 
• History and evolution of the Spanish language. 
• Colonial Latin American history through its literature. 

Published works

“La poesía hispano andalusí y su impacto en la lírica española.” Lemir 24 (2020) 431-440. 

Book reviews

The myth of the Andalusian paradise: Muslims, Christians, and Jews under Islamic rule in medieval Spain by Darío Fernández-Morera, Intercollegiate Studies Institute Books, Wilmington, 2016. Reviewed in Anaquel de estudios árabes 28 (2017) 219-221. 

Professional presentations

“Venezuelan crisis: how a rich country became poor.” Center of Social Justice of Earlham College. Richmond, Indiana. March 7th, 2019. 

“Huellas de la convivencia fuera de la Penísula Ibérica.” Tierra Tinta 14th Annual Conference. Norman, Oklahoma. October 25-26th, 2018. 

“La mujer en la poesía colonial hispanoamericana, ¿hay algo más allá de Sor Juana?” SCMLA 76th Annual Conference. San Antonio, Texas. October 11-13th, 2018. 

“Visos de convivencia en el episodio de los mártires de Córdoba.” SCMLA 75^th Annual Conference. Tulsa, Oklahoma. October 5-7^th, 2017.   

“Caribbean Musical Expression in Mexico” Norman, Oklahoma. September 19^th, 2017. 

 “La polifonía de voces en La fila india de Antonio Ortuño.” SCMLA 74^th Annual Conference. Dallas, Texas. November 3-5^th, 2016. 

“Autoritarismo y trauma en La fiesta del chivo de Mario Vargas Llosa.” 17^th Annual Céfiro Conference on Latin American and Iberian Languages, Literatures, and Cultures “Identidad, frontera y exilio” Lubbock, Texas. Apr 1-2^nd. 2016. 

“The Arabic influence in the Spanish Language.” 9^th Annual KGE Research Day. Norman, Oklahoma. March 10^th, 2015. 

“Attitudes toward Spanish usage among students of Hispanic descent at the University of New Orleans.” With Joke Mondada. LASSO XLIII annual meeting. San Diego, California. September 18-20^th, 2014. 

“Intergenerational Spanish language loyalty among Hondurans in the New Orleans area.” With Joke Mondada. LASSO XLII annual meeting. New Brunswick, New Jersey. September 26-28^th, 2013. 

“Social factors that influence Spanish maintenance and shift among Hondurans in metropolitan New Orleans.” With Joke Mondada. 24^th Conference on Spanish in the United States and 9^th Conference on Spanish in Contact with Other Languages. McAllen, Texas. March 6-9^th, 2013.