Assistant Professor
Office Location: HE 467
Phone Number: (262) 472-3173
Email Address: melerop@uww.edu
Degrees:
1988 B.A., journalism and Spanish, UW-Whitewater
1995 M.A., Spanish, University of Texas-El Paso
2006 Ph.D., Spanish (Modern Latin American Literature), UW-Madison
Areas of Teaching:
Latin American Literature, Chicano/a Literature, U.S. Latin Literatures, Spanish Language, Women's Literature of the Mexican Revolution
Courses Taught:
Spanish: all levels, Spanish for Spanish Speakers, Chicano/a Literature, Latin American Literature, Spanish with a journalistic emphasis
Select Publications:
Academic:
"En un país donde se fabrican leyendas: Nellie Campobello y la reinscripcion de las soldaderas en la historia de la Revolución mexicana," Revista Identidades, 2008.
"El héroe agachado, or the Hero That Wasn't: Virile Language and Women's Quest for Political Participation," Recovering the U.S. Hispanics Literary Heritage, Volume VII; accepted for publication, October 2008.
"Sara Estela Ramírez and Andrea Villarreal González: Revolutionary Voices?" Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage, Volume VI; 2006.
"El 11 de septiembre como fracaso de la política extranjera estadounidense. Quinientos anos de miopía cultural." Universidad Autónoma de México.
Creative Writing:
"El Malpaís" Lecture de creazion literaria: Cuento. III Encuentro de Literature Voces de la Frontera Tamaulipas Texas, McAllen, Texas, June 2006.
"La maternidad como espacio discursivo contestatario en Cartucho y Las manos de mama de Nellie Campobello." V International Conference. Women in the XXI Century, La Habana, Cuba, November 2005.
Newspaper:
"Calling Wisconsin Home," newspaper column, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Sept. 7, 2007.
"Hispanic Community Matures, Defines Itself," newspaper column, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Aug. 27, 2007.
"Immigration Reform or not, Cultures Will Still Blend Beautifully," newspaper column, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, July 9, 2007.
"Yes, Learn English, But Don't Deny Language and Culture," newspaper column, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, July 1, 2007.
"End Erasure of Latinos in History Lessons," newspaper column, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, May 24, 2007.
"Here Are Some Things You May not Know about Elkhorn," newspaper column, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, March 31, 2007.
"The Business of Buying a Coat," newspaper column, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Feb. 21, 2007.
"The Benefits of Undoing Stereotypes," newspaper column, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, January 22, 2007.
"Unheard Voices: A Case for Affirmative Action," newspaper column, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, December 2007.
"A Parent's Heart-to-Heart on a Tough Topic: Abortion," newspaper column, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, November 28, 2007.
"Thanks to a Pioneering Hispanic Grocer," newspaper column, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, October 20, 2007.
"Voting Shouldn't Be This Hard," newspaper column, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, October 4, 2007.
"Quinceanera: Family and Success," newspaper column, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Sept. 7, 2006.
"The Impact of Immigration Raid on Families," newspaper column, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Aug. 11, 2006.
"Rethinking the Term 'Wetback.' Label Cannot Describe Determined, Pioneering People," newspaper column, The Waukesha Freeman, Nov. 24, 2004.
"Beyond Belling: Education, Involvement Will Make Ethnic Slurs Obsolete," newspaper column, The Waukesha Freeman, Nov. 25, 2004.
"Immigration, Terrorism Separate Issues," newspaper column, The Waukesha Freeman, November 2004.
Select Presentations:
Academic:
"Entre Paréntesis: La frase parentética an Álbum de familia y otros textos de Rosario Castellanos," presented at the VII Congreso Internacional de Literatura Hispánica. March 2008.
"Bordered Lives: Mexican American Women, Gender, Politics and Other Forbidden Spaces" presented at The Louisville Conference on Literature and Culture since the 1900's, February 2008.
"Nacha Ceniceros: una rearticulacion de la Adelita," presented at the Mid America Conference on Hispanic Literature, October 2007.
"De mitos y revoluciones. El mito de 'El héroe agachado' como estrategia para movilizar a los hombres en la narrativa magonista." Paper presented at "Encuentros y Reencuentros: Making Common Ground. Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage Conference. Joint Conference with the Western History Association (WHA). October, 2006.
"Sara Estela Ramírez and Andrea Villarreal González. Revolutionary Subjects?" Recovering U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage Albuquerque, New México, Fall 2004.
Creative Writing:
"El encuentro de las Américas"; short story presented with the panel "Pena literaria: lectura de textos originales", at the Latin America: Change Identity and Movement; North Central Council of Latin Americanists; published by Puentes. Revista México-chicana de literatura, cultura, y arte. Texas A & M, Corpus Christi.
"Pauraque." Short Story presented at The Louisville Conference on Literature since 1900. February, 2007.
"From Mythic Rocks to Rockless Journeys. The Stories of a Transplanted Mexicana." Creative works presented at "Testimonial Texts, Stories, Lives and Memories;" México City, UPN (Universidad Pedagogica Nacional); June 2006.
"Ave Maria. Canciones para la ducha" Short story presented at the XVII Annual Symposium of Spanish, University of Texas Pan American; April 2006.
Honors:
UW-Whitewater Women in Leadership Award, Whitewater, Wisconsin, March 2008.
UW System Women of Color in Education Award, University of Wisconsin System, 2007.
College of Letters and Sciences Teaching Reduction Award, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 2007.
Latin American and Caribbean Studies research award, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2007.
LEARN Center Teaching Scholars grant, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 2007.
Professors Who Make a Difference Award, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 2004-2005.
Outstanding Teaching, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 2003-2004.
STEP (Saying Thanks to Excellent Professors) Award, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 2003-2004.
NAVE Summer Research Scholarship (Competitive Scholarship), 2001.
Advanced Opportunity Fellowship, 2002.
Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation Certificate of Merit for Feature Writing, 1998.
Outstanding Teacher Award, Tornillo High School, 1995.