KU Department of Spanish and Portuguese

06/17/2026

The University of Kansas was happy to host the Encontro Mundial sobre o Ensino de Português (World Meeting on the Teaching of Portuguese) in our Lawrence campus on June 12 and 13, 2026.

This vibrant conference, organized by the AOTP (American Organization of Teachers of Portuguese), brought Portuguese faculty from across the United States, Brazil, and Portugal to our campus. It was a truly successful conference, marked by thoughtful exchange, valuable learning, and great opportunities for networking. It was inspiring to be part of such a vibrant academic community!

Thank you to the Center for Global & International Studies, University of Kansas, the KU Department of Spanish and Portuguese, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the University of Kansas International Affairs - KUIA.

Additional photos from the event are available on our website: https://spanport.ku.edu/xv-emep-2026

03/27/2026

The Woodyard Lecture returns April 3, 2026, featuring Elena Cueto Asín! Please join us in Marvin Hall at 4:30 p.m. for the presentation "The Dead Author Lives, Where is His Body? Searching for Cervantes and Calderón." https://spanport.ku.edu/woodyard-lecture-2026

The Woodyard Lecture is an annual event that brings guest lecturers to campus to discuss the latest topics in Latin American theater. This series is made possible with funds endowed by the late George Woodyard, Professor of Spanish & the first Dean of International Studies, and his wife, Eleanor. The KU Department of Spanish and Portuguese hosts this lecture in their honor.

03/24/2026

Prof. Patricia Manning will present on Wednesday, March 25 as part of the Hall Center for the Humanities Resident Fellows Speaker Series: https://calendar.ku.edu/event/patricia-manning-temporal-shifts-in-twenty-first-century-hispanic-historical-fiction-of-spains-imperial-age

Event Details:

Temporal Shifts in Twenty-First Century Hispanic Historical Fiction of Spain’s Imperial Age

Patricia Manning (Professor, Spanish & Portuguese)
WED, MAR 25, 12:00 - 1:30 PM
Hall Center Conference Hall
https://hallcenter.ku.edu/resident-fellows-speaker-series

02/11/2026

The University of Kansas will host the Brazilian Studies Association for a six-year term starting in July 2026, with Luciano Tosta, associate professor of Spanish & Portuguese, serving as executive director! More about the event is covered in a KU News article: https://news.ku.edu/news/article/ku-to-host-brazilian-studies-association-starting-july-2026

Dr. Tosta was also interviewed for an article in Lawrence Journal-World! https://www2.ljworld.com/news/ku/2026/feb/07/ku-to-host-brazilian-studies-association-starting-this-summer-the-director-hopes-it-can-expand-kus-international-reach/

The University of Kansas has been selected to host the Brazilian Studies Association, an international scholarly organization dedicated to advancing Brazilian studies, for a six-year term beginning this summer under the leadership of University of Kansas faculty member Luciano Tosta.

01/26/2026

Our Spanish and Portuguese language practice tables have announced their schedules for Spring 2026! These sessions are open to the public and provide an informal setting for anyone to practice conversing in their target language. Please follow the pages linked below for announcements on meeting times and locations:

Spanish: https://spanport.ku.edu/hablemos

Portuguese: https://spanport.ku.edu/portuguese-language-practice-table

01/09/2026

Professor Patricia Manning was featured in KU News for her contribution to the new book "The Cambridge Companion to the Spanish Inquisition" https://spanport.ku.edu/news/article/scholar-says-censorship-was-constant-struggle-during-spanish-inquisition

In her chapter, Professor Manning stresses the limits of the Spanish Inquisition’s ability to control literature and free thought. “The key takeaway is still valid today — that when you prohibit things, it makes them more attractive.”

Attempts to enforce religious orthodoxy extended to every sphere, including literature

12/11/2025

Four of our department's First Year Seminar courses presented during the university-wide FYS Showcase on December 3-4, 2025!
https://experience.ku.edu/first-year-student-showcase

This semester's SPAN/PORT FYS offerings included:
SPAN 176: How Languages are Learned
Prof. Amy Rossomondo

SPAN 177: The World In, Of, and Through Videogames
Prof. Sean Gullickson

SPAN 177: Latin American Sci-Fi
Prof. Miguel Ángel Albújar Escuredo

PORT/GIST 177: The Amazon: Environmental Issues through Literature and Film
Prof. Luciano Tosta

10/27/2025

Ana Laura Marques and Ph.D. student Caio de Castro led a presentation at the 2025 World Languages Fair on October 18, 2025! Organized by the OLRC, the WLF provides an opportunity for middle- and high-school students to attend mini-lessons in a range of languages and cultures.

Learn more about Portuguese and the Brazilian Studies minor at KU: https://spanport.ku.edu/brazilian-studies

10/16/2025

With enrollment appointments about to begin, Spring 2026 Course Descriptions have been added to our website! Learn more about our upcoming literature & special topic courses here: https://spanport.ku.edu/course-descriptions

10/03/2025

On Thursday, our graduate students had the opportunity to share lunch and conversation with Dr. Jill Kuhnheim (Visiting Professor, Brown University; Professor Emeriti, University of Kansas). Her visit also included a guest lecture for SPAN 940: Seminar on Latin American, Latinx, and Spanish Theater and Performance.

We thank Dr. Kuhnheim for joining us and sharing her expertise and experience with our students!