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Latin American & Latinx Studies and Women's & Gender Studies

What We Do:

We offer the multidisciplinary study of cultural, social justice, identity and political issues related to Latin America and to women's and gender studies. We integrate curricular and extracurricular activities into the formation of our students, while equipping them with a wide range of analytical and methodological skills.

Students are immersed in an environment of experiential learning and one-on-one interaction with our faculty. Each program is designed to provide students with specific skills related to their field of choice.

How We Stand Out:

  • A flexible curriculum that allows students to focus on particular areas of interest.
  • Study Abroad opportunities, and events like film festivals and service trips, give students the chance to enhance what they learn in the classroom.
  • A values-based education founded on Jesuit principles and a strong grounding in liberal arts.
  • Our students have won Fulbright teaching fellowships, Truman Scholarships and membership on the USA Today Academic All-Star Team.

"Our programs provide our students with transformative educational experiences that create "men and women for others."

Dr. Susan Mendez

Programs:

Meet Our Faculty:

Our department includes more than 30 faculty members who focus time and attention on their students while pursuing active research agendas. 

Dr. Susan Poulson has completed a book on the history of the women's suffrage movement, entitled Suffrage: The Epic Struggle for Women's Right to Vote.  Dr. Poulson's classes on the history of American women (HIST 238 and HIST 239) are two of the most popular Women's and Gender Studies courses. Her teaching of these courses feeds her research, and vice versa.

Our professors also nurture students' development outside of the classroom by arranging events like literature readings, lectures, discussion groups and film screenings.

Marzia Caporale, Ph.D.

Chair

Director of Women's and Gender Studies Program; Associate faculty in Women's and Gender Studies; Professor of World Languages and Cultures

Phone: 570-941-4165
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Aiala Levy, Ph.D.

Director of Latin American Studies Program; Associate faculty in Latin American Studies and Women's and Gender Studies; Assistant Professor of History

Phone: 570-941-4369
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Michael Allison, Ph.D.

Associate faculty in Latin American Studies; Professor of Political Science

Phone: 570-941-4392
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Ovidiu Cocieru, Ph.D.

Associate faculty in Latin American Studies; Assistant Professor of Management, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship

Phone: 570-941-4728
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Roxana Curiel, Ph.D.

Associate faculty in Latin American Studies; Affiliate faculty in Women's & Gender Studies; Assistant Professor of Spanish

Phone: 570-941-7447
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Paul Datti, Ph.D., CRC, HS-BCP

Associate faculty in Women's and Gender Studies; Professor and Director of Counseling and Human Services Program

Marian Farrell, Ph.D.

Associate faculty in Women's and Gender Studies; Professor of Nursing

Phone: 570-941-4117
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Howard Fisher, Ph.D.

Affiliate faculty in Women's and Gender Studies; Associate Professor of Communication & Media

Phone: 570-941-7513
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Michael Friedman, Ph.D.

Associate faculty in Women's and Gender Studies; Professor of English and Theatre

Phone: 570-941-4229
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Madeline Gangnes, Ph.D.

Affiliate faculty in Women's and Gender Studies; Assistant Professor of English and Theatre

Phone: 570-941-7616
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Jean Harris, Ph.D.

Associate faculty in Women's and Gender Studies, Professor of Political Science

Phone: 570-941-7431
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Susan Mendez, Ph.D.

Associate faculty in Women's and Gender Studies and Latin American Studies; Professor of English and Theatre

Phone: 570-941-4317
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Darlene Miller-Lanning, Ph.D.

Affiliate faculty in Women's and Gender Studies; Director of Hope Horn Art Gallery; adjunct faculty in art and music

Phone: 570-941-4214
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Ann Pang-White, Ph.D.

Affiliate faculty in Women's and Gender Studies; Professor of Philosophy; Director of Asian Studies

Phone: 570-941-6312
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Kim Pavlick, Ph.D.

Associate faculty in Women's and Gender Studies; Assistant Professor of Communications

Phone: 570-941-4147
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Virginia Picchietti, Ph.D.

Associate faculty in Women's and Gender Studies; Professor of World Languages and Cultures

Phone: 570-941-4096
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Susan Poulson, Ph.D.

Associate faculty in Women's and Gender Studies; Professor of History

Phone: 570-941-7704
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Meghan Rich, Ph.D.

Associate faculty in Women's and Gender Studies; Professor of Sociology / Criminal Justice

Phone: 570-941-6137
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Yamile Silva, Ph.D.

Associate faculty in Latin American Studies and Women's and Gender Studies; Associate Professor of World Languages and Cultures

Phone: 570-941-7778
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Carole Slotterback, Ph.D.

Associate faculty in Women's and Gender Studies; Professor of Psychology

Phone: 570-941-7895
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Billie Tadros, Ph.D.

Associate faculty in Women's and Gender Studies; Assistant Professor of English and Theatre

Phone: 570-941-7684
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Gretchen Van Dyke, Ph.D.

Affiliate faculty in Women's and Gender Studies; Associate Professor of Political Science

Phone: 570-941-4307
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Janice Voltzow, Ph.D.

Associate faculty in Latin American Studies; Professor of Biology

Phone: 570-941-4378
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Stephen Whittaker, Ph.D.

Affiliate faculty in Women's and Gender Studies; Professor of English and Theatre

Phone: 570-941-7795
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Loreen Wolfer, Ph.D.

Affiliate faculty in Women's and Gender Studies; Professor of Sociology

Phone: 570-941-7450
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El-Habib Zanzana, Ph.D.

Associate faculty in Women's and Gender Studies; Professor of World Languages and Cultures

Phone: 570-941-7759
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Student Research:

Students in the Latin American Studies program are encouraged to develop proficiency in Spanish and to study abroad in an immersion program. To develop such linguistic and cultural fluency facilitates critical awareness of diverse issues in an increasingly globalized world. In recent years, students in Latin American Studies have enrolled in study abroad programs in Spain and Argentina for either a semester or academic year. Various opportunities are available.

Members of the Women's and Gender Studies program participate in advocacy and social justice work in the community. Most commonly, students volunteer, work or do an internship in the Jane Kopas Women's Center on campus. That office offers many of the campus programs dealing with equality and empowerment of women and other gender-related issues, such as "Take Back the Night." Other locations to gain practical experience include the Women's Resource Center, the Catherine McAuley Center and the Ronald McDonald House.

Career Outcomes:

Our students are well-equipped to work in a wide range of fields or move on to law school, medical school and other graduate programs.
Recently our Latin American Studies graduates have found employment as:

  • Clinical research operators
  • Operations associates
  • Employment specialists
  • Migrant education recruiters
  • Editors and technical writers
  • Account managers

Our Women's and Gender Studies graduates have found employment as:

  • Legal and women's advocates in domestic violence shelters
  • Inpatient medical social worker -- Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center
  • Research and strategic projects manager -- Food Bank of Delaware
  • Victim assistance coordinator -- Archdiocese of Philadelphia
  • Case manager -- Central Arizona Shelter Services
  • Proposal manager -- Flatiron Constructors