Dear Alumni and Friends of Hispanic Studies:

Podemos (we can), the motto used by Spain´s national soccer team, became a reality as we watched the 2008 Euro Cup this summer. While much of academia remained detached from the contagious enthusiasm that the victory triggered, we can all learn from the best. As we know, hard work alone does not guarantee success; a combination of factors, including a strong support system, comes into play. Small departments in the humanities enter a new academic year competing against all odds, namely diminished resources and severe budget cuts. I am convinced that with the appropriate support we can continue to remain competitive and perform at the high level for which our department is known. But under the present circumstances, ¿podemos? (can we?).

Our department has accomplished a great deal in the past academic year. We continue to be recognized as the most productive graduate program in the nation by the Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index, partly financed by the State University of New York and produced by Academic Analytics. This ranking is a testament to our commitment to academic research. But rather than rest on our laurels, we have laid the groundwork for a new research emphasis in Film Studies, added multimedia equipment to room 1145 and inaugurated Tech Atelier (see Technology column), expanded and sharpened our curricular offerings, organized a cutting-edge graduate student symposium on spectral theory, developed a departmental Honors Program and an Allied Field in Hispanic Linguistics, doubled our mentoring efforts to help our students and faculty achieve their professional goals, and been proactive in terms of securing special funding that allowed us to maintain a rich, intellectual exchange. ¡Podemos!

Since August 2007 our department has had great accomplishments to celebrate, such as Professor Suárez’s award for her book-length study Cinembargo Colombia in an open essay contest in Latin American and Caribbean Film Studies by the Fundación del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano or the astounding record of having three graduate students (Cole, Dumais, Feinberg) receive research grants from the Program for Cultural Cooperation Between Spain’s Ministry of Culture and the United States in the same year!

Those of you who made gifts to the department are central to this continuing success. In order to maintain our level of excellence we need and rely on your financial support. The plain truth is, without you, sin Uds., no podemos. Your support enhances our students’ lives and the intellectual depth of our department, and for these things we thank you. 

Ana Rueda
Department Chair