Martine Fernandes Ph.D.

Ph.D. in French, University of California, Berkeley
Doctorat in French, Universite de Paris IV-Sorbonne
D.E.A. (M.A.) in French, Universite de Paris IV-Sorbonne
Licence (B.A.) in French, Universite de Paris IV-Sorbonne
Licence (B.A.) In Portuguese, Universite de Paris IV-Sorbonne

Dr. Martine Fernandes is originally from France, near Paris. She is a native speaker of French and Portuguese, and also speaks Spanish. She received a PhD in French Literature & Language from the University of Paris IV-Sorbonne and the University of California, Berkeley in 2002. In 1994, she received the Agrégation in French Modern Literature. Her research interests include: Francophone literatures, immigrant literatures, Portuguese immigration in France (Literature and Film), transnationalism, postcolonialism, cognitive linguistics, and women writers. Recent publications include a book entitled Les écrivaines francophones en liberté: Farida Belghoul, Maryse Condé, Assia Djebar, Calixthe Beyala. Hybridité identitaire et métaphores cognitives (Preface by Michel Laronde, Paris: L’Harmattan, 2007).

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Elizabeth Lovelady-Alfonso M.A.

B.A., M.A. in French, University of South Florida, Tampa

Madame Lovelady’s real life learning as a French Instructor began in September 1999 as an English Conversation teacher (http://www.ambafrance-us.org/culture/education/support/assistant/) for the Ministère de l’Education in Aix/Marseille, France. She was responsible for creating, implementing, and evaluating her own English conversation lessons at the Lycée Pierre Mendès (grades 10,11,12) for two years, and at three different écoles élémentaires  (grades 4-5) for one year. Upon returning to the states in the summer of 2001, she immediately began her Master’s of Arts degree in French Language and Literature, and was posted as a graduate assistant to teach French levels I-IV at USF Tampa.  Her interactive and conversation-based lessons and activities come from a variety of resources, some she creates, others are from wherever she sees a great idea (internet, other teachers, etc…), and still others are inspired by music, French radio & TV, films, and field trips to museums, restaurants and other Francophone events. 

In 2002, she was responsible for the Academic Advising in the World Language Department, Tampa (for 2 years) and taught the telecourse version of French (French in Action I, II) for two semesters.  After the completion of her M.A. she was hired in August of 2003 at Freedom High School, (Tampa) to teach French, all levels (1-4, & AP.)  It was during this first year at the high school that she decided to broaden her student’s horizons and made the goal to expose them to the joys of overseas studies using EF tours for two years traveling with students throughout France and Switzerland. After taking maternity leave from the high school in 2003 she again began teaching French courses part-time at USF St. Pete, as well as the occasional 5-7 week conversation class and Business conversation class through USF Continuing Education.

She hopes to one day begin her doctoral studies focusing on the political effects of immigration in France and its cultural and political influences with an emphasis on rap music. Her areas of interest and study include: secondary language acquisition, francophone culture (art, film, music), as well as the evolution of the French language and phonetics/ linguistics.

Lovelady’s Links for Rap en France:

www.diams-lesite.com
www.mcm.net/musique/ficheartiste/1450/
www2.abdalmalik.fr/
www.mcm.net/musique/ficheartiste/3748
www.113online.com
www.rap2france.com
http://www.sefyu.fr/

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Narciso J. Hidalgo Ph.D.

Ph.D. in Latin American Studies and Caribbean Culture Indiana University, Indiana
M.A. in Hispanic Literature, Washington University, St. Louis, MO

Narciso J. Hidalgo is an Assistant Professor in Spanish in the Division of World Languages Education at the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg.

Dr. Hidalgo is a Latin Americanist with expertise in the 19th and 20th centuries Hispanic Caribbean studies. He recently published a book entitled Under the Sunrise: Latinos in Japan in collaboration with Rafael Reyes-Ruiz, Ph.D., a Professor in Anthropology,(Editorial Fridaura Jun. 2007). Dr. Hidalgo was also a guest editor in the Afro-Hispanic Review (Vol. 26, No. 1 Spring 2007) where he published a monograph regarding the African religion in the New World.
In 2002, he was awarded a Post Doctoral Mellon Fellowship and taught for two years in Oberlin College, where he organized and participated in several activities related to his area of expertise. His essays focus on Latin American and Caribbean literature cultural studies, as well as Cuban popular culture. His articles have been published in the Monographic Review, Cuadernos del Lazarillo(Spain), Revista CARIBE, ENCUENTRO de la Cultura Cubana(Spain), and Afro-Hispanic Review, where he served as one of the members of the editorial board.
Currently, Dr. Hidalgo is working on a research project entitled Nation and Discourses: The Voice of the Subaltern that embraces the social and economic development of Cuban negros and mestizos in the 18th and 19th centuries.

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Eric Alvarez Ph.D.

Ph.D. in Spanish, Florida State University

M.A. in Spanish, University of South Florida, Tampa

B.S. in Business Administration, University of Puerto Rico

Dr. Eric V. Alvarez was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He graduated from the University of Puerto Rico where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. He then received a Master's degree in Spanish from the University of South Florida in 1987 while teaching Spanish courses for USF – Tampa.

In that same year, Dr. Alvarez founded the Spanish Language Institute in Tampa, Florida. This private school specialized in various levels of Spanish education focusing mainly on career professionals who were interested in learning a second language.

In 1998, he was conferred the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Spanish from The Florida State University specializing in Spanish Golden Age Literature.  Dr.Alvarez is the author of  the article "Cosmetics in Medieval and Renaissance Spain" in the  Feminist Encyclopedia of Spanish Literature.

Paulina Leyton M.A.

M.A. in Spanish, University of South Florida, Tampa

B.A. in Spanish at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte

Paulina Leyton came to the USA as an exchange student in High School from Santiago, Chile.  She successfully completed the program.  Later on, she came back to North Carolina to study at Queens College in Charlotte (College of Business).  This experience led her to work for Multinational Corporations in the field of International Business (Exports/Imports) in Latin America and Spain.  After many years in the Corporate world, she fulfilled her true passion-studying the Spanish Language, Culture, and Literature, and obtained her B.A. in Spanish at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.  Subsequently, at UNCC, she was appointed to teach Spanish II.

In 2002 Ms. Leyton came to USF in Tampa and finished her Master degree in Spanish in 2004.  During these years she was a Graduate Spanish Instructor.

As an adjunct professor, she has taught Beginners Spanish I and II, Intermediate Spanish III and IV and Spanish for Business and International Trade I. at USF Tampa, Hillsborough Community College, Schiller International University and currently at USF St. Petersburg.
 
In the Summer of 2006 she was appointed to assist the Director of the USF Study Abroad Program in Costa Rica.

Related achievements:
Obtained diploma as a Certify Translator from UNCC in June of 1997
Member of The International Language Honor Society Phi Sigma Iota (2005).
Participated in World Language Education Research Colloquium at the University of South Florida on March 25, 2005.  Research presented: "Análisis intertextual entre La Araucana de Alonso de Ercilla y Zuñiga y Arauco domado de Félix Lope de Vega y Carpio."
Participated and earned 3 graduated credit hours in a Symposium in Cádiz, Spain. “Cuban Culture in Diaspora” (USF Study Abroad Program – May 2003)
Completed six graduated credit hours in Madrid, Spain with USF Study Abroad Program.  (July 2003)

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