Martha Ojeda

Professor of Spanish and French

Martha Ojeda enjoys teaching languages and seeing her students’ progress from beginner’s level to intermediate and advanced level. She creates assignments using current technologies to help them acquire fluency and conversational skills. In her beginning and intermediate language classes, Ojeda tries to create a “low-anxiety classroom atmosphere” while challenging students to perform to the best of their abilities. As a multilingual speaker, she appreciates the opportunities for personal and professional growth that are possible as a result of being multilingual. Students appreciate her enthusiasm and excitement for learning new languages.

Ojeda also knows that introducing students to individuals in the local Latino community can help them understand the diversity within the community. To improve their speaking skills, she encourages students to take part in internships with local organizations or volunteer in organizations that work with the Latino population. This face-to-face interaction is vital to students’ ability to improve oral/aural skills and become familiar with the linguistic nuances and regional differences. Students enjoy learning idiomatic expressions and different regional colloquialisms. They understand that language is a living thing, and it continues to evolve. Furthermore, this type of interaction helps them become acquainted with the cultural plurality within Latin America.

In her literature classes, she shares her love of poetry and literature in general. Her classes are designed to encourage lively and dynamic conversations about themes and narrative techniques.  

Academic History

  • Ph.D., Spanish, University of Kentucky, 1998
  • M.A., French, University of Kentucky, 1993
  • B.A., French, Berea College, 1991

Courses Taught at Transy

  • Latin American Culture and Civilization
  • Latin-American Literature
  • Afro-Hispanic Literature
  • Contemporary Latin-American Prose Fiction (Women Writers)
  • Latin-American Civilization through Film
  • Business Spanish
  • Medical Spanish
  • Conversation on French and Francophone Culture

Conference Presentations

“Representaciones de la mujer negra esclava en El Barco de ébano,” presented at the GEALA: Grupo de Estudios Afrolatinoamericanos Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina. September 2-4, 2019.

“Cuerpos subyugados: violencia física y violencia económica en Piel de Mujer de Delia Zamudio,” presented at the ALARA: Afro-Latin American Research Association Conference in Nieuwpoort, Curaçao. August 2-6, 2016.

¿Afro-feminismos en construcción?: Piel de Mujer de Delia Zamudio y la lucha por la equidad de género,” presented at the fourth conference on Negritud: Conference of Afro-Latin American Studies, Universidad de Cartagena, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. March 11-14, 2014.

“Repensar la peruanidad: solidaridad entre negros e indios en Malambo de Lucía Charún Illescas,” presented at the International Congress on Afro-Andean Literartures, Lima, Peru, June 26-28, 2013. 

“Historiar liricamente: danza, canto y poesía en Décimas y Cumanana de Nicomedes Santa Cruz,” presented at the 71st Annual Convention of the College Language Association, Spartanburg, S. C., April 2011

Selected Publications

“Recuperando la memoria perdida: esclavitud y libertad en El barco de ébano.” Visitas al Patio: Revista de Lingüística y Literatura, 13 (2019): 107-125

“Afro-Hispanic Poetry.”  Chapter in The Cambridge Companion to Latin American Poetry. Cambridge University Press, 2018.

“Nicomedes Santa Cruz frente al canon literario peruano: argumentos para su inclusión” in D’Palenque Revista de Literatura Afro-Peruana, 1.1 (2016): 7-16. (Reprint)

“De la Ciudad de los Reyes a Malambo: espacios de resistencia y reconstrucción identitaria en Malambo de Lucía Charún-Illescas” in Afro-Hispanic Review, 32.1 (2013): 129-144.

Nicomedes Santa Cruz: Ecos de Africa en Perú. London, England: Tamesis Books, 2003

Areas of Research

  • Afro-Latino literatures and cultures
  • Latin American Women Writers

Professional Memberships

  • Modern Language Association of America (MLA)
  • College Language Association (CLA)
  • Afro-Latin American Research Association (ALARA)
  • National Association of Judiciary Translators & Interpreters (NAJIT)

Awards

  • The Bingham Award for Excellence in Teaching, 2002, 2018, 2023
  • Kenan Faculty Development Grant, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009
  • The National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Seminar, 2003
  • The National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institute, 2001