Main Office
Department of Languages & LiteraturesAdministration Building, Room 222 Tacoma, WA 98447 | 253-535-7320 |
| lang@plu.edu |
Faculty
Alexander Alderman
Visiting Instructor of Languages & Literatures
Ph.D. Studies, Classics, Brown University
| 253-535-7211 | Office Location Administration Building, Admin 227I |
| aldermas@plu.edu |
Education:
- B.A., Classics, Drama, and Philosophy, University of Dallas, 1999
- Ph.D. Studies, Classics, Brown University

Claudia Berguson
Associate Professor of Norwegian and Scandinavian Studies
Ph.D., University of Washington, 2003
| (253) 535-7512 | Office Location Administration Building, Suite 222-E |
| berguscj@plu.edu |
Education:
- B.A., Concordia University, 1987
- M.A., University of Minnesota, 1987
- M.A., Lesley College, 1992
- Ph.D., University of Washington, 2003

Kirsten M. Christensen
Associate Professor of German
Ph.D., Germanic Studies, emphasis on Medieval and Early Modern Literature and Culture, University of Texas, 1998
| (253) 535-8775 | Office Location Harstad Hall, 114 |
| kmc@plu.edu |
Education:
- B.A., German Major, Minor emphases in French and Business, Arizona State University, 1984
- M.A., Language Acquisition, German emphasis, Brigham Young University, 1991
- Ph.D., Germanic Studies, emphasis on Medieval and Early Modern Literature and Culture, University of Texas, 1998

Maria Ferrer-Lightner
Visiting Instructor of Spanish
Ph.DC., Spanish Literature and Theory of Literature, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Spain, 2007
| (253) 535-8133 | Office Location Administration Building, Suite 220-B |
| lightnmj@plu.edu |
Education:
- B.A., Spanish, Pacific Lutheran University, 1997
- M.A., University of Washington, 1999
- Ph.DC., Spanish Literature and Theory of Literature, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED), Spain, 2007

Jennifer Jenkins
Assistant Professor of Languages & Literatures
Ph.D., Modern German Literature and Culture, University of Wisconsin, 2008
| 253-535-8227 | Office Location Harstad Hall, 115 |
| jlj@plu.edu |
Education:
- B.A. (Honors), German, Miami University, 1996
- M.A., Modern German Literature and Culture, University of Wisconsin, 1997
- M.A., Scandinavian Studies, Swedish Emphasis, University of Wisconsin, 2001
- Ph.D., Modern German Literature and Culture, University of Wisconsin, 2008
Areas of Emphasis:
- 18th and 20th Century German Literature, Hermann Broch, Peter Weiss, Aesthetics, Modern Scandinavian Literatures, Dutch and Flemish Literature

Mark Jensen
Associate Professor of French
Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, 1989
| (253) 535-7219 | Personal Web site |
| jensenmk@plu.edu | Office Location Administration Building, Suite 220-D |
Education:
- B.A., Princeton University, 1974
- M.A., University of California, Berkeley, 1983
- Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, 1989
Areas of Emphasis:
- Nineteenth Century French Literature
- Alfred de Vigny
- Romanticism
- History of Ideas/Intellectual History

Maite Kilpatrick
Visiting Lecturer of Spanish
Ph.D., University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 1994
| 253-538-5664 | Office Location Administration Building, Admin 227G |
| kilpatmt@plu.edu |
Education:
- Licenciatura, University of Seville, Spain, 1980
- M.A., University of Seville, Spain, 1983
- Ph.D., University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 1994


Paul Manfredi
Associate Professor of Chinese
Ph.D., Indiana University, 2001
| (253) 535-7216 | Office Location Administration Building, Suite 220-F |
| manfredi@plu.edu |
Education:
- B.A., Long Island University, 1992, B.A., Long Island University, 1992, B.A., Long Island University, 1992
- Dual M.A., Indiana University, 1998
- Ph.D., Indiana University, 2001
Areas of Emphasis:
- Modern Chinese Literature, primarily poetry
- East-West literary/cultural influence studies

Paloma Martínez-Carbajo
Assistant Professor of Spanish
Ph.D., Spanish, University of Washington, 2000
| (253) 535-7311 | Office Location Administration Building, Suite 222-C |
| martinezcarbajo@plu.edu |
Education:
- Licenciatura, English Philology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain, 1992, English Philology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain, 1992
- M.A., Spanish, University of Washington, 1996
- Ph.D., Spanish, University of Washington, 2000
Areas of Emphasis:
- Contemporary Women's Issues
- Golden Age
- Colonial Spain
- 19th-20th Century Spanish Peninsular Literature
- Diaspora Issues
- Spanish Civil War
- Gender Studies
- Pedagogical Approaches to Teaching Literature

Eric Nelson
Associate Professor Of Classics & Chair of the Department of Languages and Literatures
Ph.D., University of Washington, 1992
| (253) 535-7235 | Office Location Harstad Hall, Rm #112-C |
| nelsoned@plu.edu |
Education:
- B.A., Pacific Lutheran University, 1982
- M.A., University of Washington, 1985
- Ph.D., University of Washington, 1992

Carmiña Palerm
Assistant Professor of Language and Literature
Ph.D., Stanford University, 2001
| (253) 535-7756 | Office Location Harstad Hall, Harstad 112A |
| palermca@plu.edu |
Education:
- B.A., University of California, Santa Barbara, 1993
- M.A., Stanford University, 1994
- Ph.D., Stanford University, 2001

James R. Predmore
Associate Professor of Spanish
Ph.D., University of Washington, 1977
| (253) 535-7243 | Office Location Blomquist House, Rm #7 |
| predmojr@plu.edu |
Education:
- B.A., Spanish, Swarthmore College, 1967
- M.A., Spanish, Middlebury College, 1969
- Ph.D., University of Washington, 1977

Rochelle Snee
Associate Professor of Classics
Ph.D., University of Washington, 1981
| (253) 535-7220 | Office Location Administration Building, Suite 227-I |
| sneere@plu.edu |
Education:
- B.A., University of Maryland, 1969
- M.A., University of Washington, 1972
- Ph.D., University of Washington, 1981

Troy Storfjell
Associate Professor of Norwegian and Scandinavian Studies
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, 2001
| (253) 535-8514 | Personal Web site |
| storfjta@plu.edu | Office Location Harstad Hall, Rm #106 |
Education:
- B.A., Andrews University, 1989
- M.A., University of Wisconsin, 1995
- Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, 2001

Giovanna Urdangarain
Assistant Professor of Spanish
Ph.D., Indiana University, 2008
| 253-535-7240 | Office Location Administration Building, 220-K |
| urdangga@plu.edu |
Education:
- B.A., Secondary Education Literature, Artigas Teacher Training Institute, Montevideo, Uruguay, 1991
- M.A., Hispanic Literature, Indiana University, 2001
- Ph.D., Indiana University, 2008
Areas of Emphasis:
- Contemporary Latin American Narrative
- Southern Cone Dictatorial and Post-Dictatorial Narrative by Women Writers
- Memory and Trauma Studies
- Contemporary Brazilian Women Writers

Rebecca Wilkin
Assistant Professor of French
Ph.D., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2000
| (253) 535-7313 | Office Location Blomquist House, Blomquist 10 |
| wilkinrm@plu.edu |
Biography:
Professor Wilkin specializes in intellectual history in early modern France--skepticism, stoicism, Descartes and Cartesianism--from the standpoint of feminist criticism. She also works on Counter-Reformation culture: mysticism, demonology, and missionary encounters with the native peoples of North America. She teaches francophone literature from Europe,North America, and Africa.
Education:
- B.A., Brown University, 1994
- M.A., University of Michigan, 1996
- Ph.D., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2000
Areas of Emphasis:
- Intellectual history in early modern France
- Feminist criticism
- Counter-Reformation culture
- Francophone literature

Tamara R. Williams
Associate Professor of Spanish
Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1989
| (253) 535-7678 | Office Location Harstad Hall, 112B |
| williatr@plu.edu |
Education:
- B.A., Spanish, Queen's University, 1979
- M.A., Pennsylvania State University, 1981
- Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1989

Bridget Yaden
Assistant Professor of Spanish & Language Resource Center Director
Ph.D., University of Washington, 2003
| (253) 535-8330 | Office Location Library, LRC |
| yadenlbe@plu.edu |
Education:
- B.A., Spanish, Western Washington University, 1991
- M.A., University of Washington, 1994
- Ph.D., University of Washington, 2003
Areas of Emphasis:
- Romance Linguistics
- Technology for Language Learning
- Linguistic Minorities