The Department of Spanish and Portuguese would like to congratulate SPPO associate professor Dr. Paloma Martínez-Cruz, who has received the 2020 Ronald and Deborah Ratner Distinguished Teaching Award.

The Ratner awards are presented annually for outstanding teaching by tenured faculty within the twenty-one units of the Division of Arts and Humanities. They recognize faculty who have exemplary records of engaging, motivating, and inspiring students as well as making a difference in students’ educations, lives, and careers. Recipients of the awards are chosen based on the excellence of their records and their vision of how they will continue to grow as an instructor. The total award is presented as a $10,000 cash prize and subsequent funding for a specified project, up to $15,000. This teaching account is intended to inspire continued excellence in teaching by supporting course design and enhancement, curricular development, experiential learning, or other projects that directly impact students.

Dr. Martínez -Cruz was presented the award by Dean Peter Hanh, Dean Gretchen Ritter, and Mr. Ronald Ratner on December 14, 2020 during SPPO's departmental council Zoom meeting. SPPO Chair, Dr. Laura Podalsky notes, "Since her arrival in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese in Autumn 2013, Dr. Martínez-Cruz has been an extremely valued member of the department. She has made great contributions to our offerings in Latinx language, literary, and cultural studies on both undergraduate and graduate levels. Also notable are her productive efforts to project the department’s commitment to this area beyond the classroom and into the community through her leadership in public-facing events and activities. These strengths grow organically from her research on Latinx and Latin American cultural production and dynamics. There is a uniquely cohesive interface between her scholarship, her teaching, and her service commitments. The department has benefited from those synergies, as have undergraduates and graduate students."

Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition, Dr. Martínez-Cruz!

More information about the Ronal and Deborah Ratner Distinguished Teaching Award can be found here.