Linda Materna

Dr. Linda Materna, professor of Spanish and chairperson of the department of foreign languages and literatures at Rider, presented academic papers this past July at the annual conference of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP) at the University of Salamanca in Spain and at the biannual conference of the Asociación Hispánica de Humanidades in Madrid.

Her invited presentation at the AATSP conference was part of a session in homage to the Royal Spanish Academy of the Spanish Language. Founded in 1713, the Academy, with its American affiliate academies, is the definitive authority in determining the lexicon and grammatical rules that govern the Spanish language throughout the world.

Materna and Dr. Russell Sebold, from the University of Pennsylvania, were the invited speakers. Other distinguished panel participants included, Dr. Enrique Battaner Arias, rector of the University of Salamanca, one of Europe’s oldest universities; Dr. Victor García de la Concha, director of the Royal Academy; and Dr. Humberto Lopez Morales, president of the Association of Academies of the Spanish Language. Dr. Materna spoke on “The Representation of Women in the Royal Spanish Academy.”

“My paper challenged the status quo,” said Materna. “Only five women have been elected members in this powerful instrument of linguistic authority since 1713, and these elections have only taken place since the establishment of democracy after the death of the dictator Francisco Franco in 1975. “In light of the fact that I was the only woman speaker, it was especially exciting to receive such a warm reception of my research. Santillana Press will be publishing the collected panel proceedings in a special volume.”

Materna’s current research focuses on contemporary Spanish theater and film. Her paper delivered at the annual conference of the Asociación Hispánica de Humanidades focused on the theater of the young and contemporary Spanish playwright, José Ramón Fernández, winner of the prestigious Lope de Vega theater prize.

During her one-month stay in Spain, she also conducted research on films focusing on the representation of African immigration in contemporary Spanish cinema. She will deliver a paper at the annual convention of the Modern Language Association in December on this topic. Her film investigations focus on what has become since 1990 a prolific genre of films dealing with immigration to Spain, gateway to Europe from Africa and Latin America.

Materna takes great pleasure in integrating her research into her courses such as Hispanic Theater and Film, Spanish Culture, and her Baccalaureate Honors Program courses. Seeking to expand the breadth of course offerings for her department, she worked to initiate a Chinese language program, which will begin this fall. In addition, she and a team of faculty members on Rider’s Global Studies Committee, chaired by Dr. Joe Nadeau, dean of the College of Liberal Arts, Education and Sciences, are exploring the creation of area studies programs.

A full-time member of Rider’s faculty since 1988, Materna most enjoys her daily contact with students. “I greatly appreciate their curiosity and talent,” she said. “I want to help guide them to discover and develop their potential. I believe that it is not only important to share knowledge but to be able to make it relevant to one’s personal and professional life. That’s transformative teaching.

“I find the University’s promotion of academic excellence, renovation and innovation particularly exciting,” she added. “I believe that the strategic goals of interdisciplinary, internationalization and multiculturalism position my department as a key player in the University’s future development.”