Princeton University Department of Spanish and Portuguese

On May 25th, 2026 at 1:30pm, close to one hundred people gathered to celebrate SPO seniors, minors and prize winners in the beautiful Chancellor Green Rotunda!

Congratulations to the graduating seniors from the Department of Spanish & Portuguese: Julia Allison Carroll, Bruce A. Dienst, Zach C. Lee, Olivia W. McGoldrick, Ceci McWilliams, Tammy Yamile Leon Molina.

Students, family, friends, faculty, and staff were welcomed with opening remarks by department chair, Pedro Meira Monteiro who invited the minors to the podium to receive a gift from the department and say a few words. Professor Catalina Méndez Vallejo kicked off the recognition of our graduating seniors followed by Christina Lee, Rafael Cesar and Nicola Cooney who presented seniors with well-deserved corresponding prizes.

https://spo.princeton.edu/news/class-day-2026-spos-seniors-celebrated-and-prizes-awarded-scholarly-excellence

SPO is on the Defense! 🎓🔥
Since the start of the year a total of six grad students have successfully defended and can now be called "Doctor(a) or Doutor(a)."
Congratulations to Catarina Oliviera, Ashford King, Daniel Persia,
Renee Congdon, Jonathan Romero and Julia Kornberg for a job well done!

SPO seniors defended their theses on May 6th
https://spo.princeton.edu/news/spo-seniors-defended-their-theses-may-6th

SPO celebrates year’s end and a legacy honoring Pedro Meira Monteiro
https://spo.princeton.edu/news/celebrating-year%E2%80%99s-end-and-chair%E2%80%99s-legacy-spo-honors-pedro-meira-monteiro

The Department of Spanish & Portuguese celebrates Emeritus Professor Arcadio Díaz‑Quiñones, recipient of the LASA Kalman Silvert Award for distinguished lifetime contributions to Caribbean and Latin American studies. Join us on April 23 for the Sylvia Molloy Lecture Series as we honor his enduring legacy, ahead of the formal presentation of the award in Paris, France, during LASA2026 and the Association’s 60th Anniversary, May 26–30, 2026.

Emeritus Professor Arcadio Díaz‑Quiñones awarded the LASA Kalman Silvert Award The Department of Spanish & Portuguese is proud to announce that Emeritus Professor Arcadio Díaz‑Quiñones has been awarded the Kalman Silvert Award, an honor established in 1982 by the Latin American Studies Association (LASA) which recognizes senior members of the profession who have made disti...

Congratulations to SPO Professor and Chair Pedro Meira Monteiro who received the Alumni Excellence Award (Prêmio Egresso) from his alma mater, UNICAMP (State University of Campinas, Brazil).

This annual award honors alumni for their outstanding careers and contributions to society. Professor Meira Monteiro was nominated by UNICAMP’s Institute of Philosophy and Human Sciences (IFCH).

Professor Pedro Meira Monteiro is awarded the Alumni Excellence Award at his alma mater Professor and Chair Pedro Meira Monteiro received the Alumni Excellence Award (Prêmio Egresso) from the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), his alma mater in Brazil. The prize is annually awarded to alumni from different areas in recognition of their professional careers and contributions to th...

Assistant Professor Natalia Castro Picón is awarded prestigious Anagrama Essay Prize. The Premio Anagrama de Ensayo is one of the most prestigious literary essay prizes in the Spanish-speaking world.
Please join us in congratulating her on this extraordinary achievement.

Assistant Professor Natalia Castro Picón is awarded prestigious Anagrama Essay Prize The Department of Spanish and Portuguese is proud to announce that Assistant Professor Natalia Castro Picón has been awarded the Premio Anagrama de Ensayo, one of the most prestigious critical essay prizes in the Spanish-speaking world. The announcement was made during a press conference in Barcelo...

This summer, the Department of Spanish & Portuguese launched a vibrant new visual identity, and we’re thrilled to share it with our entire community!
Our team partnered with a talented designer from Brazil to reimagine SPO’s visual identity. The new look is inspired by a work of art gifted to us by Peruvian poet, artist, and professor Eduardo Tokeshi. The piece draws from a line in the opening of his Sanzu poetry collection, where he writes: “An enormous whale swallowed my grandfather.”
The whale’s fluke, positioned at the end of the new SPO logo, symbolizes individuality and flexibility. It reflects the unique imprint SPO students leave through their life experiences and the academic paths they choose to take while at Princeton.
Want to learn more? Visit our website to read “A Pattern with a Purpose: The SPO Brand Story”: https://spo.princeton.edu/news/pattern-purpose-spo-brand-story
We’re proud of this new chapter and hope it resonates with everyone who’s been part of the SPO community. Let us know what you think in the comments!

A Pattern with a Purpose: The SPO Brand Story by Patrizia D'AdamoIf you have seen our new visual identity and are now curious enough to read this piece, you are probably asking yourself the following questions…Why did SPO choose to rebrand?What is the significance behind the symbolism?SPO’s rebranding journey seemed at times to unfold organ...

On Friday September 5th, 2025, students, faculty, graduate students, staff, family members and campus partners gathered at Palmer House for the department’s annual Welcome Back Reception.😍
The evening began with announcements 🎤made by department Chair, Pedro Meira Monteiro, during which he thanked SPO staff and welcomed new faculty to the department. His comments were followed by additional announcements by the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Rachel Price who welcomed new graduate students and concentrators to the SPO community mentioned in a previous post this week.👏

Christina Lee Named Acting Chair of the Humanities Council for Academic Year 2025-26

Christina Lee Named Acting Chair of the Humanities Council for Academic Year 2025-26 — Princeton University Humanities Council Christina Lee, professor of Spanish and Portuguese, has been named Acting Chair of the Humanities Council, effective July 1, 2025. She will serve in place of Esther Schor (English), who […]