Maria Ospina

María Ospina, associate professor of Spanish, believes that writing fiction is another powerful way to engage the subjects that have driven her academic work—memory, violence, and culture. “Right now, I think that this is the way that I am going to continue exploring intellectual issues that interest me, including those related to history and politics,” said Ospina, who previously published a book of cultural criticism. Her debut book of short stories, Variations on the Body, has been translated into English from Spanish by Heather Cleary and was published in the United States in July by Coffee House Press. The book…

Associate Professor of Spanish María Ospina's collection of short stories, Azares del Cuerpo (Variations on the Body), was published in Spain in September 2020, after being previously published in Colombia, Chile, and Italy. The book also is forthcoming in the U.S. next summer by Coffee House Press. Azares del Cuerpo was reviewed in one of Spain’s most important national newspapers (El Mundo) on Oct. 30. Read more here. Ellen Thomas, Harold T. Stearns Professor of Integrative Sciences, Smith Curator of Paleontology of the Joe Webb Peoples Museum of Natural History, and University Professor in the College of Integrative Sciences, is the…

Wesleyan's Board of Trustees conferred tenure to eight faculty members, effective July 1. They include: · David Constantine, associate professor of mathematics · Megan Glick, associate professor of American studies · Kerwin Kaye, associate professor of sociology · Jeffers Lennox, associate professor of history · Maria Ospina, associate professor of Spanish · Justine Quijada, associate professor of religion · Lily Saint, associate professor of English In addition, one faculty member was promoted to full professor: · Nicole Stanton, professor of dance Brief descriptions of their areas of research and teaching appear below: David Constantine's research examines the relationship between dynamics and…

A book written by María Ospina, assistant professor of Spanish and assistant professor, Latin American studies, was recently nominated for the Gabriel García Márquez Spanish American Short Story Award. The prize is awarded annually by the National Library of Colombia and the Colombian Ministry of Culture to a short story collection in Spanish that has been published the year before by authors from the Spanish-speaking world (Spain and Latin America). This year, the jury selected 14 titles from 127 submissions. This award is considered the most important prize in the short story genre in the world of Hispanic letters and honors…

The Department of Romance Languages and Literatures is hosting the 2014 Hispanic Film Series March 27 to April 24 at the Center for Film Studies. "For the second year in a row, we’re showcasing recent award-winning films from Latin America and Spain," said María Ospina, assistant professor of romance languages and literatures. "Last year, we had hundreds of students attend the screenings, and we’re hoping that this year the event is equally successful." All films start at 8 p.m. in the Goldsmith Family Cinema. Screenings are free of charge and are open to the public. Films have English subtitles. March…

Assistant Professor Maria Ospina, who recently completed her first year in the Romance Languages and Literatures Department at Wesleyan, can trace her academic interests directly back to her childhood in Colombia and her longtime interest in history. “My interests in violence, memory and culture stem in part from my own experiences growing up in Colombia during the 1980s and 90s, in a very complex region that has been marked by armed conflict, the hemispheric War on Drugs and different waves of migration. The combination of political turmoil and a vibrant cultural production that actively reflected on the histories of violence…

Ospina Explores the Struggle of Searching for Community in New Book

Hot off the Press: Short Stories by Ospina; Research Articles by Thomas

Wesleyan Confers Tenure to 8 Faculty, 1 Promoted

Ospina’s Fiction Nominated for Prestigious Spanish American Short Story Award

Hispanic Film Series Begins March 27

Ospina is an Expert on War and Memory in Contemporary Latin American Culture