RS Celebrates Graduates, Award Winners

2025 Romance Studies CommencementThe Romance Studies Department celebrated our 2025 graduates and undergraduate award winners at our departmental convocation on Friday, May 16!

PhD Graduates

Doctor of Philosophy in French Language & Literature

  • Khadija El Karfi Joss
    • Dissertation:  Excavating the Silenced History of Slavery and Race in Morocco
  • Kelly Elizabeth Keenan
    • Dissertation:  Rewriting Body and Word: Gender and Catholicism in French Literature and Film
  • Anik Laure Noudou
    • Dissertation:  Femmes et Regards au Cœur des Débats Littéraires et Cinématographiques 40 ans Après Mariama Bâ

Doctor of Philosophy in Hispanic Language & Literatures

  • Natanael Saraí García Santos
    • Dissertation:  Ficciones sobre la infancia. La semilla de la identidad nacional en el México posrevolucionario (1920 – 1950)

BA Graduates

Bachelor of Arts in French Studies

  • Elias Poretta DiMatties
  • Benjamin K Miller

Bachelor of Arts in Spanish

  • Lila Baltaxe
  • Madison Larae Keefer
  • Roni Lakin
  • Meera Rao

Award Winners

College Prize for Excellence in Romance Studies

  • Elias Poretta DiMatties

French Barbara Argote Award

  • Maxwell Hansen

Isabella Leen Book Award

  • Benjamin K Miller

Spanish Barbara Argote Award

  • Madison Larae Keefer
  • Renata Pérez

Romance Studies Book Award in Spanish

  • Lila Baltaxe

Award for Translation from Spanish

  • Sameeha Sood

Tarsila do Amaral Award

  • Sisar Botelho

Portuguese Honors Society

  • Sisar Botelho
  • Karoline Ferreira
  • Elsa Gu

Carrie O’Connor Memorial Travel Fund Recipient

  • Jennifer Mendoza-Melo, Carrie O’Connor Memorial Travel Fund Recipient
  • Baylee Wheelock, Carrie O’Connor Memorial Travel Fund Recipient