Welcome New Grad Students
We are excited to welcome 6 new graduate students this year! Learn about their research interests and more.

Giuliana da Veiga, born in Curitiba, Brazil, focuses her research on contemporary Indigenous art, Brazilian Indigenous art, and decolonial studies. Her favorite book is Violeta by Isabel Allende, though it often changes! Giuliana enjoys sushi and spends much of her free time reading. She speaks Portuguese, English, and Spanish, and her favorite city remains her birthplace, Curitiba, Brazil.

Daniel González, raised in Pamplona, Spain, has research interests in Spanish applied linguistics, second language acquisition, sociolinguistics, and etymology. His favorite book is La Celestina, and he enjoys the dessert tiramisù. In his free time, Daniel plays the piano. His favorite city is Granada, and he speaks Spanish, English, and Italian.

Denisse Mendoza Jaimes, originally from Mexico City, focuses her research on women writers in Latin America and Spain, with an interest in the intersections between German and Latin American literature, exile, and the philosophy of history. Her favorite poet is Hilde Domin, particularly her Spanish poem La verdad and the book El segundo paraíso. Deni enjoys enchiladas verdes de pollo and spends her free time watercolor painting, cooking, and biking. She speaks Spanish and English and is learning German. The Hudson River is a favorite spot of hers, and she's looking forward to the colorful autumn in Minneapolis.

Emma Reeder, born in Moscow, Idaho and most recently from Minneapolis, is focused on research in Spanish second language acquisition (SLA), particularly in accent development and advanced proficiency in L2 Spanish, as well as Spanish second language teaching pedagogies. Her favorite book series is The Daevabad Trilogy by S. A. Chakraborty. Emma enjoys peaches and spends her free time playing poker, rock climbing, reading fiction, and engaging in board games. Sevilla, Spain, is her favorite city, and she speaks Spanish, along with some German, Portuguese, and Vietnamese.

Hannah Riddle, originally from Prior Lake, MN, is focused on research in aspect, second language acquisition, language development, and the relationship between cognition and language. She is an avid reader of fantasy books, and in her free time, Hannah loves reading, playing bingo, drinking coffee, and traveling.

Rodrigo Zavala-Cintora, from Salvatierra, Guanajuato, México, and Grand Rapids, Michigan, is deeply interested in researching the relationship between the war on drug trafficking and the surge in migration from Mexico and Central America. His work also explores how immigrants use literature and artistic expression, particularly music, to document their experiences before, during, and after their journeys to the United States, as well as how they preserve their cultures through these mediums in their new homes. Rodrigo enjoys Chicken Alfredo pasta and spends his free time reading and oil painting. His favorite city is Seville, Spain, and he is fluent in both Spanish and English.