KU Department of Spanish and Portuguese

The Woodyard Lecture returns April 3, 2026, featuring Elena Cueto Asín! Please join us in Marvin Hall at 4:30 p.m. for the presentation "The Dead Author Lives, Where is His Body? Searching for Cervantes and Calderón." https://spanport.ku.edu/woodyard-lecture-2026

The Woodyard Lecture is an annual event that brings guest lecturers to campus to discuss the latest topics in Latin American theater. This series is made possible with funds endowed by the late George Woodyard, Professor of Spanish & the first Dean of International Studies, and his wife, Eleanor. The KU Department of Spanish and Portuguese hosts this lecture in their honor.

Prof. Patricia Manning will present on Wednesday, March 25 as part of the Hall Center for the Humanities Resident Fellows Speaker Series: https://calendar.ku.edu/event/patricia-manning-temporal-shifts-in-twenty-first-century-hispanic-historical-fiction-of-spains-imperial-age

Event Details:

Temporal Shifts in Twenty-First Century Hispanic Historical Fiction of Spain’s Imperial Age

Patricia Manning (Professor, Spanish & Portuguese)
WED, MAR 25, 12:00 - 1:30 PM
Hall Center Conference Hall
https://hallcenter.ku.edu/resident-fellows-speaker-series

The University of Kansas will host the Brazilian Studies Association for a six-year term starting in July 2026, with Luciano Tosta, associate professor of Spanish & Portuguese, serving as executive director! More about the event is covered in a KU News article: https://news.ku.edu/news/article/ku-to-host-brazilian-studies-association-starting-july-2026

Dr. Tosta was also interviewed for an article in Lawrence Journal-World! https://www2.ljworld.com/news/ku/2026/feb/07/ku-to-host-brazilian-studies-association-starting-this-summer-the-director-hopes-it-can-expand-kus-international-reach/

KU to host Brazilian Studies Association starting July 2026 The University of Kansas has been selected to host the Brazilian Studies Association, an international scholarly organization dedicated to advancing Brazilian studies, for a six-year term beginning this summer under the leadership of University of Kansas faculty member Luciano Tosta.

Our Spanish and Portuguese language practice tables have announced their schedules for Spring 2026! These sessions are open to the public and provide an informal setting for anyone to practice conversing in their target language. Please follow the pages linked below for announcements on meeting times and locations:

Spanish: https://spanport.ku.edu/hablemos

Portuguese: https://spanport.ku.edu/portuguese-language-practice-table

Professor Patricia Manning was featured in KU News for her contribution to the new book "The Cambridge Companion to the Spanish Inquisition" https://spanport.ku.edu/news/article/scholar-says-censorship-was-constant-struggle-during-spanish-inquisition

In her chapter, Professor Manning stresses the limits of the Spanish Inquisition’s ability to control literature and free thought. “The key takeaway is still valid today — that when you prohibit things, it makes them more attractive.”

Scholar stresses ultimate failure of Spanish Inquisition censorship regime Attempts to enforce religious orthodoxy extended to every sphere, including literature

Four of our department's First Year Seminar courses presented during the university-wide FYS Showcase on December 3-4, 2025!
https://experience.ku.edu/first-year-student-showcase

This semester's SPAN/PORT FYS offerings included:
SPAN 176: How Languages are Learned
Prof. Amy Rossomondo

SPAN 177: The World In, Of, and Through Videogames
Prof. Sean Gullickson

SPAN 177: Latin American Sci-Fi
Prof. Miguel Ángel Albújar Escuredo

PORT/GIST 177: The Amazon: Environmental Issues through Literature and Film
Prof. Luciano Tosta

Ana Laura Marques and Ph.D. student Caio de Castro led a presentation at the 2025 World Languages Fair on October 18, 2025! Organized by the OLRC, the WLF provides an opportunity for middle- and high-school students to attend mini-lessons in a range of languages and cultures.

Learn more about Portuguese and the Brazilian Studies minor at KU: https://spanport.ku.edu/brazilian-studies

With enrollment appointments about to begin, Spring 2026 Course Descriptions have been added to our website! Learn more about our upcoming literature & special topic courses here: https://spanport.ku.edu/course-descriptions

On Thursday, our graduate students had the opportunity to share lunch and conversation with Dr. Jill Kuhnheim (Visiting Professor, Brown University; Professor Emeriti, University of Kansas). Her visit also included a guest lecture for SPAN 940: Seminar on Latin American, Latinx, and Spanish Theater and Performance.

We thank Dr. Kuhnheim for joining us and sharing her expertise and experience with our students!

Jonathan Mayhew, professor in the Department of Spanish & Portuguese, was recognized in the latest edition of KU Kudos!

He was invited by the Federico García Lorca Foundation to participate in a scholarly event focused on the relation between the famous Spanish poet and flamenco that will be organized in Granada, Spain, in November.

See all KU Kudos for September 2025 here: https://news.ku.edu/news/article/ku-kudos-september-2025-celebrating-jayhawk-achievements

We were thrilled to host Dr. Christi Ivers on campus last week! Her guest presentation, “Connecting with Search Committees: Reader-Focused Cover Letters,” offered our students practical strategies for preparing strong job-market materials.

We are saddened to share news of the passing of Professor Catherine Larson, esteemed scholar, translator, and educator who earned her PhD at KU in 1982. Cathy devoted her career to the study of early modern and contemporary Hispanic theater, with a particular focus on women dramatists. She influenced, inspired, and mentored countless students and colleagues during her long and distinguished career at Indiana University in the Department of Spanish & Portuguese, where she became Professor Emerita after serving as Dean of Undergraduate Education for the College of Arts & Sciences. Beyond her distinguished publication record, which focused on performance, translation, and adaptation, Cathy was best known as a warm and wise colleague and friend, always eager to help and advocate for those around her. She passed away peacefully on September 16, 2025, surrounded by family and friends.