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Alumni
Recent Alumni News
Outstanding news! Tatiana Miranda Benavides, who just completed her MA in Spanish, was recently selected to receive the Grad School's prestigious 2025 Distinguished Thesis Award in the Humanities and Fine Arts category for her thesis Sueños y tiempo: Filosofía de María Zambrano en la poesía de Concha Méndez y la pintura de Remedios Varo (Dreams and Time: The Philoso
Juan Felipe Arroyave, a 2019 MA and PhD graduate of the Spanish and Portuguese Department at the University of Washington (UW), has published his translation Cien poetas, cien poemas in e-book format.
Dr. David William Foster, Faculty Head of Spanish and Portuguese and Regents Professor of Spanish at Arizona State University, and University of Washington Alumni, passed away June 24 at the age of 79.
SPS learned earlier this year of the passing of Dr. Stella Moreno Monroy. Dr. Moreno was a Professor of Spanish and Latin American Literature at Central Washington University, and earned her PhD at University of Washington in 1991.
“Go out there and do things. Some of you are into film; some, into music; some, into video games, etc. Whatever it is, go for it. Find out what’s going on and figure out what you can do.” This is Carlos Varón González's advice to students.
“The exposure to another culture at a deep enough level to include language studies rounds a person out and helps them think differently when addressing a problem.” Said Gregg Blodgett, ’76. Blodgett, who graduated from University of Washington with a double major in Spanish and Accounting, has led a successful professional life in both technology and philanthropy.
Meg McFarland, a graduate of the SPS MA program in Hispanic Studies, has made a career out of her education in Spanish, which has led her to a vineyard on the slopes of the Peruvian Andes. Owner and operator of Apu Winery, her company, founded with her husband Fernando Gonzales-Lattini.
“Even before I started my studies, the Department of Spanish & Portuguese Studies has been a welcoming and intellectually stimulating environment,” said Erin McCoy, who completed her MA in Hispanic Studies in Spring of 2017. “The professors have always been available to answer questions and guide me in my studies.
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT | David William Foster
By Irene Panke Hopkins
Alumni Spotlight: Chris Gregorich
On the seventh floor of City Hall, the Mayor’s office vibrates with activity. The phone on the reception desk rings incessantly. A news crew films an interview on the balcony overlooking Puget Sound and the Smith Tower.