David Martinez, PhD
Associate Professor of Spanish
Director, Center for Study Abroad
David Martínez joined the university in 2017 as an assistant professor of Spanish. He completed his PhD at the University of Georgia (2017), where he focused his studies and wrote his dissertation on the representation of the Spanish transition to democracy (1969-1981).
He is particularly interested in contemporary Spanish authors (Ignacio Martínez de Pisón, Rafael Reig, Marta Sanz, etc.) whose works aim at a demythification of the hegemonic narrative of the transition. He has presented his research at various conferences and venues across the United States. He received the 2017 Outstanding Professor Award at the University of Georgia.
An outdoor enthusiast, David enjoys hiking, rock climbing, mountaineering, and spending as much time as possible outdoors. He lives in Newberg with his wife and four children.
Teaching and Research Interests
- Intermediate and advanced Spanish
- 20th- and 21st-century peninsular literature, film and culture
- Historical memory and its recovery
- The picaresque novel
- Contemporary Latina/o studies (literature, poetry and film)
- Adapting the "Reacting to the Past" pedagogy in intermediate Spanish conversation classes
Education
PhD, University of Georgia
MA, University of Tennessee
BA, Taylor University