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Judith Reyna

Judith Reyna
Professor of Spanish
Liberal Arts, Modern Languages, Spanish, World Cultures and Languages

Judith Reyna has been a teacher since her first educational experiments at 6 years of age with her brother Abraham, one of her earlier victims, and a language lover since her first classes in English in elementary school when she was 10 years old. Meeting her favorite teacher five years later triggered her to study English literature, completed at the University of Seville in 1995, and expand her incursion in languages throughout the years: English, Latin, German, French, Portuguese and especially Italian would become her next pastimes and her way to earn money through tutoring in the summer. The swift from English to Spanish Literature would take effect in 1997 at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, where, as a Spanish T.A., with lots of free time, she would take additional literature courses in her native language for pure fun. Another inspirational teacher there would encourage her to pursue the Masters Degree, which eventually would be followed by the Ph.D. program, both attained at The Ohio State University, in Columbus, OH. After teaching both languages and literature since 16, she finally reached her dream in 2005 by teaching and sharing her passion for Hispanic culture, language and literature at a personal level in a small-size liberal arts college, Seton Hill University. Handling five and six courses, advising students, participating in committees and trying to expand the Spanish program are only possible through the personal joy of liking her work and her students. Besides her academic responsibilities, she works as a translator, a textbook reviewer, and an interpreter.

Education

  • Ph. D. The Ohio State University (Columbus, OH), 2005

  • M.A., The Ohio State University (Columbus, OH), 2000

  • Spanish Lecturer at College of the Holy Cross (Worcester, MA), 1997

  • Diploma in Italian, University of Seville, 1996

  • B.A., Universidad de Sevilla (Sevilla, España), 1995

  • Erasmus Student at The University of Hull (Hull, U.K.), 1994

Publications

  • “El suicidio como recurso humorístico jardielesco en relatos de la revista Buen Humor.” El universo irracional en la literatura hispánica. Eds. Jorge Machín Lucas y Ricardo de la Fuente Ballesteros. Colección “Cultura Iberoamericana” 60.  Valladolid, Universitas Castellae (188-196), 2025.

  • “El teatro breve de Enrique Jardiel Poncela en El conde Enrico di Borsalino”. Crítica Hispánica 39, 1. (2018)

  • "Exceso de equipaje: el cine y Enrique Jardiel Poncela". Crítica Hispánica 38, 2 (2017)

  • María de Estrada: la gran desconocida”. Crítica Hispánica 37, 2. Duquesne: Duquesne University Press (2015: 173-190).

  • "María de Estrada: de la historia a la ficción." Cuadernos Hispanoamericanos. 781-782 (2015: 38-51)

  • “El entretenimiento educativo en las telenovelas”. Revista Internacional de Humanidades. 4, 1 (2015:53-64)

  • "La parodia y Enrique Jardiel Poncela." Rondas literarias de Pittsburgh 2012. (2013, Duquesne University, 95-103).

  • El inconformismo político de Jardiel Poncela y La tourneé de Dios”. Crítica Hispánica 34, 1. Duquesne: Duquesne University Press. (2012: 107-126)

  • "Enrique Jardiel Poncela: divina locura." Rondas literarias de Pittsburgh 2010. (2011)

  • "Valentín and the Power of Storytelling." Films with Legs: Crossing Borders with Foreign Language Films. (Cambridge Publishing House, 2011: 130-143).

  • "La Sevilla de Cervantes: de rufianes y de santos." Cuadernos transatlánticos. (2010, ALDEEU, Alcalá de Henares): 42-57).

  • "Si queréis los mayores elogios, moríos: contra el encasillamiento de Jardiel Poncela." Hecho teatral No. 10. Ojeadas: la farsa y el teatro español del siglo XX. (2010, Valladolid, Universitas Castellae, 77-97).

  • El amor más allá de la muerte: Un marido de ida y vuelta y El caso de la mujer asesinadita." Necrofilia y necrofobia: la representación de la muerte en la cultura hispánica. (2010, Valladolid, Universitas Castellae, 95-104).

  • "La fiesta del chivo por Mario Vargas Llosa: del texto a la pantalla." Rondas literarias de Pittsburgh 2008. (2010, Duquesne University, 71-79).

  • "La imprecisión de los límites en Los enemigos en casa de Lope de Vega." Del Barroco al Neobarroco: realidades y transferencias culturales. (2009, Valladolid, Universitas Castellae).

  • "La Córdoba andalusí en la nueva novela histórica." Cuadernos transatlánticos. (2009, ALDEEU, Córdoba, 81-88).

  • “La Zona y La Comunidad: claustrofobia vecinal.” Rondas literarias de Pittsburgh 2009. Duquesne: Duquesne University: (117-125). 2010

  • "Pero, ¿hubo alguna vez once mil vírgenes?: la defunción de Don Juan" (2008). Comedia, fiesta y orgía en la cultura hispánica. Valladolid: Universitas Castellae, 79-87.

  • "La mirada del Capitán Alatriste." Rondas literarias de Pittsburgh 2006-2007, II. (2008, Duquesne University, 309-318).

  • "El esclavo negro en las comedias sevillanas de Lope de Vega." Rondas literarias de Pittsburgh 2006-2007. (2008, Duquesne University, 69-79).

  • "Visiones espaciales de la Sevilla del Siglo de Oro" (2006). La cultura hispánica en sus cruces trans-atlánticos. (2006, Valladolid: Universitas Castellae, 91-100).

  • "El Manuscrito encontrado en Zaragoza: el bazar de los espejos." Monstruosidad y transgresión en la cultura hispánica. (2003, Valladolid: Universitas Castellae).

  • "¡Ay, Carmela! o ¿el poder de la palabra?" Actas de Semiótica de la Universidad a Distancia. (2002, Madrid: UNED), 351-358).

  • Reviewer of the book From Amazons to Zombies: Monsters in Latin America by Persephone Braham. Crítica Hispánica 39, 1. (2018)

  • Reviewer of the book Cómo sobrevivir a Carla by Luis Cano Ruiz. (2016) Crítica Hispánica, 38, 2

  • Reviewer of the book Approaches to Teaching the Works of Carmen Martín Gaite, ed. by Joan L. Brown. (2016) Crítica Hispánica, 38, 2.

  • Reviewer of the book Una niña posfranquista, by Cristina Sánchez Conejero. (2016) Crítica Hispánica, 38, 2

  • Reviewer of the book Lluvia, bambú, by Cristina Sánchez Conejero. Crítica Hispánica 37, 1 (2015: 213-218).

  • Reviewer of the book Los últimos días de noviembre, by Luis Cano Ruiz. Crítica Hispánica 37, 1 (2015: 244-246).

  • Reviewer of the book Los trabajos de Thalía. Perspectivas del teatro español actual, by Emilio de Miguel Martínez. Crítica Hispánica 36, 1 (2014).

  • Reviewer of the book The Cambridge Companion to Jorge Luis Borges. Crítica Hispánica 36, 1 (2014: 203-206).

  • Reviewer of the book Imágenes femeninas en la literatura española y las artes escénicas (siglos XX-XXI)], coordinated by María Francisca Vilches de Frutos and Pilar Nieva de la Paz. Crítica Hispánica 35, 2 (2013: 159-163).

  • Reviewer of the book The Collected Works of Gonzalo de Berceo in English, by translator J. K. Bartha, A.Grant Cash, and R. Terry Mount. Crítica Hispánica 33, 2 (2011: 449-453).

  • Reviewer of the book Antonio García Gutiérrez. El trovador, by editor M. L. Guardiola Tey. Crítica Hispánica 31, 1 (2009: 163-167).

  • Reviewer of the book La narrativa española en la prensa estadounidense, by M. Caballer Dondarza. Crítica Hispánica 31, 1 (2009: 187-192).

  • Reviewer of "La sombra del viento" by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. Crítica Hispánica. (2009, 31, 1: 151-156).

  • Reviewer of "Love and Law in Cervantes" by Roberto González Echevarría. Crítica Hispánica. (2006, 28, 2: 338-343).

  • Reviewer of "La creación del Fénix. Recepción crítica y formación canónica del teatro de Lope de Vega" by Enrique García Santo-Tomás. Crítica Hispánica. (2003, 25, 2: 228-232).

  • Proof-reader for the Spanish to English translation of Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda’s Dos Mujeres (2016) by B. Ichiishi

  • Peer-reviewer of “Selling the ‘Authentic’: Performance and Hybridity in Carlos Saura’s Carmen and Ana Castillo’s Peel my Love like an Onion (Letras Hispanas, 2016).

  • Proof-reader for the Spanish to English translation of Josefina Aldecoa’s The Story of a Teacher (2015) by B. Ichiiishi

Awards

  • Best Professor of the Year Award: Seton Hill University (2010)

  • Awarded funds from the NCCHS in order to participate at the Yad Vashem Summer Institute Workshop on Studies of the Holocaust, Israel, July 2-19, 2006.

Organizations

  • ALDEEU

  • AHCT

  • AASTP

  • ACTFL

  • MLA

Presentations

  • “En las sombras: el Drácula hispano en el cine de Hollywood.” XL Congreso Internacional de Literatura y Estudios Hispánicos (virtual edition). October 24th, 2025.

  • "Modelos de feminidad en la publicidad gráfica de la revista Buen Humor." 78th Kentucky Foreign Language Conference, Lexington, KY (virtual edition). April 17th-19th, 2025.

  • “La mujer en la publicidad gráfica de Buen Humor.” Congreso Internacional de Literatura Estudios Hispánicos (CILH) XXXVII (virtual edition). October 25th-26th, 2024. 

  • “Angelina o el honor del Hollywood hispano.” 77th Annual Kentucky Foreign Language Congress, Lexington, KY (virtual edition). April 18th-20th, 2024. 

  • “Spanish Talkies: El nacimiento del Hollywood hispano.” Congreso Internacional de Literatura y Estudios Hispánicos (CILH) XXXIV (virtual edition). October 27th-28th, 2023. 

  • “El suicidio como recurso humorístico en la generación inverosímil.” 76th Annual Kentucky Foreign Language Congress, Lexington, KY (virtual edition). April 20th-22nd, 2023. 

  • “El suicidio en la narrativa de Enrique Jardiel Poncela.” XXXI Congreso Internacional de Literatura y Estudios Hispánicos (virtual edition), October 21st-22nd, 2022.

  • “El amor solo dura 2.000 metros o el Hollywood más jardielesco”. 75th Annual Kentucky Foreign Language Congress, Lexington, KY (virtual edition), April 21st, 2022.

  • “El amor textual en Nueve historias contadas por un mudo de Enrique Jardiel Poncela”. 74th Annual Kentucky Foreign Language Congress, Lexington, KY (virtual edition), April 22nd-24th, 2021.  

  • “La parodia detectivesca en Los 38 asesinatos y medio del castillo de Hull por Enrique Jardiel Poncela. XXVII Congreso Internacional de Literatura y Estudios Hispánicos (virtual edition), March 4th-6th, 2021. 

  • “La crítica teatral en Los escritos del conde Enrico di Borsalino por Enrique Jardiel Poncela”. Congreso Internacional de Literatura y Estudios Hispánicos, Valencia, Spain, June 26th-28th. 2019

  • "La crítica teatral en Los escritos del conde Enrico di Borsalino por Enrique Jardiel Poncela.” XXIV Congreso Internacional de Literatura y Estudios Hispánicos. Valencia, Spain, June 26th-28th, 2019

  • "El libro del convaleciente’: el humor jardielesco en relatos cortos.” 69th Annual KFLC: The Language, Literatures, and Cultures Conference. Lexington, KY, April 14th-16th, 2016

  • "Exceso de equipaje’: el humor cinematográfico de Enrique Jardiel Poncela. 98th Annual AATSP Conference. Miami, FL, July 8th-11th, 2016

  • "María de Estrada: la gran desconocida.” International Conference of Foreign Languages and Literatures. Duquesne: Duquesne University, September 25-27, 2015

  • "La experiencia hollywoodiense de Enrique Jardiel Poncela.” Kentucky Foreign Language Conference, April 23-25, 2015

  • "Angelina o el honor de un brigadier: el Don Juan revisitado.” International Conference of Foreign Languages and Literatures. Duquesne: Duquesne University, September 19-21, 2014

  • El entretenimiento educativo y los nuevos enfoques de género en las telenovelas: Por ella soy Eva.” 12th International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities. Madrid, Spain, San Pablo University. June 11-13, 2014

  • "Jardiel y la parodia.” International Conference of Foreign Languages and Literatures. Duquesne: Duquesne University, September 21st-22nd, 2012.

  • "Espérame en Siberia, vida mía: parodiando la novela de aventuras." Foreign Language Conference at WVU. Humor and Literature (Morgantown, WV) September 2012

  • "El indiano en la comedia sevillana del Siglo de Oro." International Congress in Transatlantic Studies. Universidad de Castro Urdiales. (Cantabria, Spain), September 2010.

  • "La autoridad desmantelada en Los enemigos en casa de Lope de Vega." Kentucky Foreign Language Conference (Lexington, KY), April 2010

  • "Fear and Gaze in La Comunidad by Alex de la Iglesia." Foreign Language Film Conference at Illinois State University (Carbondale, IL), November 2009

  • "Don Alfonso, el de la mano horadada: la parodia del deseo." Kentucky Foreign Language Conference (Lexington, KY) April 2009

  • "Alejandro Agresti's El sueño de Valentín: una mirada interior". Foreign Language Film Conference at Louisiana State University (November 13-15, 2008)

  • "Guillermo del Toro's El espinazo del diablo and El laberinto del fauno: una de buenos y de muy malos". 32nd Annual Colloquium. WVU (September 11-13, 2008)

  • "La Córdoba del Al-Andalus en la novela histórica contemporánea". 28th General Assembly of ALDEEU (July 1-5, 2008)

  • "Lope de Vega's Lo fingido verdadero: hablar a la española o el arte de los equívocos". KFL (April 17-19, 2008)

  • "Bajo la sombra del Capitán Alatriste". XXIII Congreso de Literaturas Hispánicas. IUP (October 18-21, 2007)

  • "Víctor Barrera's Adaptation of Zorilla's Don Juan Tenorio: Amar y Morir en Sevilla". Thirty-First Annual Colloquium in Literature and Film. WVU (October 4-6, 2007)

  • "El Arenal de Sevilla y sus posibilidades de representación". AATSP International Conference. Salamanca, Spain (June 27-30, 2006)

  • "Visiones espaciales de la Sevilla del Siglo de Oro." Spanish Golden Age Theatre Symposium (El Paso, TX), March 2004

  • "El ángel exterminador" y "El discreto encanto de la burguesía": el ritual de la repetición. February 26-March 1, 2003. Portland, OR. International Conference Cine-Lit V.

  • "Masques: a court spectacle." Conference of Comparative Drama (Columbus, OH), March 2002

  • "El tema de Polifemo en las comedias mitológicas de Lope de Vega y Calderón de la Barca." Monstruosidad y transgresión en la cultura hispánica (Valladolid, Spain), July 2000

  • "Sistemas semióticos en El perro del hortelano de Lope de Vega." Congreso internacional de Cine y Literatura (Cine-Lit.) (Portland, OR) March 2000.

Certifications

  • Spanish AP reader and table leader since 2023

  • National Spanish AAPPL rater certification for Interpersonal Listening & Speaking, and Presentational Writing (From 2019 until now)

  • CAP (Certificación de Aptitud Pedagógica) del Ministerio de Educación de España 1995

Achievements

  • Fulbright National Screening Committee member in three occasions

  • Faculty Innovation Award for Best Practices in Mobile Technology in 2016

  • Responsible for the creation of a tuition exchange agreement between the University of Cordoba and Seton Hill University by which students from SHU spend a semester in Spain, and students from UCO spend a spring semester at Seton Hill. (September 2010-current)

  • Proofreader for the Spanish to English translation of Esther Tusquets’s Habíamos ganado la guerra [We Had Won the War] by B. Ichiishi. Peter Lang, 2012. Proof-reader for the Spanish to English translation of Esther Tusquets’s Confesiones de una vieja dama indigna [Confessions of an Old Shameless Lady] by B. Ichiishi. Peter Lang, 2014 Proof-reader for the Spanish to English translation of Esther Tusquets’s Siete miradas en un mismo paisaje [Seven Views of the Same Landscape] by B. Ichiishi. Austin, TX: Host Publications, 2010. Proof-reader for the Spanish to English translation of Esther Tusquets’s Correspondencia Privada [Private Correspondence] by B. Ichiishi. Bucknell University Press, 2008. Proof-reader for the Spanish to English translation of Esther Tusquets’s Siete miradas en un mismo paisaje [Seven Gazes upon a Single Landscape] by B. Ichiishi. Bucknell University Press, 2008.

  • Creator, director and organizer of the M-Term program (month of May) to Córdoba, Spain, which started taking students to Spain for three weeks in May 2009 and has continued every two years until now. Students typically reside with local families, attend Spanish classes, participate in cultural activities and explore the rich history of Spain with trips to Toledo, Granada, Seville and Cordoba and organized excursions to monuments and cultural sites in all locations. Additionally, they experience the beauty of Córdoba in May with the festival of patios and crosses, tapas, and the Fair of the city.

  • Treasurer of the PA Chapter of AATSP (American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese) (2007-current)

  • Recipient of the Best Professor of the Year Award at Seton Hill, 2010.