2022-23 Cluster Events
Spring 2023
Spring semester meetings will focus on concrete examples of the interdisciplinary applications of LSP curricula.
1. Feb. 21, 2023, 12-1 pm, Zoom Webinar with guest Dr. Steven Sacco, "Multinational Corporations (MNCs) & World Languages."
2. March 29, 2023, 12 pm Central, "Putting Your Languages to Work": Alumni Panel.
Gabrielle Gonzales graduated from SMU in 2020 after taking four semesters of Italian and graduating with a major in Biology and double minors in Cognitive Science and Philosophy. In January of 2021, Gabrielle moved to Madrid, Spain to teach English and the Natural Sciences and used this and other previous experience to find a career in Corporate Learning and Learning Design. Gabrielle is currently working as a Learning Experience Designer at an IT Consulting firm.
Alexandra Randolph is a 2020 graduate from SMU with EMIS and French majors and a minor in Law and Legal Reasoning. A life-long Dallasite, Alexandra dreamed of living and working in Paris. In March 2021, she joined Palo Alto Networks France as a Cybersecurity Solutions Engineer. She then moved to Varonis, a cybersecurity company in the data security space, as a Senior Solutions Engineer working with Francophone clients in Luxembourg and Switzerland.
Gavin Rudman graduated in 2022 with majors in History and Political Science and minors in Italian and International Relations. He also studied Arabic at Middlebury College's summer program. After graduating, Gavin returned to his birthplace in Washington, D.C, to work as a research associate at the Albright Stonebridge Group, a global business strategy firm that advises governments and firms on navigating geopolitical risk. His focus is on special economic zones (SEZs) and charter cities across the Middle East, Latin America, and Oceania.
Sarah Feddersen graduated in 2020 with a degree in Art History, and then completed an M.A. in Arts Management and Administration at SDA Bocconi in Milan, Italy, where she gained valuable experience working with international institutions and networking with people from all over the world. As part of her graduate program, she interned at the Nasher Sculpture Center and Heritage Auctions in Dallas. After completing her degree, Feddersen joined a Fine Art Gallery as an Art Advisor working with blue-chip pieces by famous contemporary artists. She then joined the Wendover Art Group in Tampa, Florida as an Account Manager for large retail clients and smaller designers to oversee custom artwork orders from conception to the end product.
Vilma Smith graduated in 2003 with a double major in broadcast journalism and World Languages (French and Spanish). She studied abroad in Cannes, and also took Italian during her time at SMU. Post-college, she worked briefly at Houston’s NBC station and then taught high school French and Spanish for a decade, taking her students to Barcelona, Southern France, and Paris. In 2015, she began to volunteer for the Houston Police Department’s Mounted Patrol Unit, which inspired her to make a career change and join the Police Academy. She now works in the Special Victims Division, where more than half of the case loads are Spanish-speaking only.
3. Friday, April 14, 2023. World Language Focus Group. Students will reflect on their language learning experiences at SMU, including internships, study abroad, experiential and project-based learning opportunities, and future plans for integrating languages into their careers.
Fall 2022:
Fall semester meetings will focus on current methods and future directions of Languages for Specific Purposes (LSP) research. Participants will gain hands on experience in gathering and analyzing data to support the efficacy of LSP curricula in the current higher education landscape.
- Nov 1, 2022, 2:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada): "Conducting LSP Research: Practical tips for data-driven innovation." Virtual Presentations and Discussion.
Barbara A. Lafford, Professor Emerita of Spanish Linguistics, Arizona State University, “Spanish for Specific Purposes in the United States in a Global Context: Moving the Field Forward through Communication, Connections, and Collaboration.” Dr. Lafford will offer strategies for improving communications, connections, and collaborations among scholars and instructors of Spanish for Specific Purposes and for creating a stronger theoretical, empirical, and pedagogical foundation for SSP curricular design.
Mary K. Long, Teaching Associate Professor, Spanish and Portuguese, University of Colorado-Boulder “Connecting LSP Research to Broader Research Communities.” Dr. Long will offer some concrete examples of steps that LSP researchers can take to find synergies beyond the LSP research communities in areas such as Business History, Business (and other) Case Studies, Business Communication, Digital Humanities, Environmental Humanities and Medical Humanities.
- Thursday, Dec. 1, 1:30-2:30 pm. CARU 406 (Palmer Conference Center for Engr Leadership). “Languages Across the Curriculum @ SMU Part I: Faculty research.”
Download Dr. Pando's slides here
Download Dr. Vokic's slides here