Maria Gonzalez Davis
Associate Teaching Professor of Spanish
Maria Davis is a scholar in Latin American and American literature, with a focus on the Latin American boom writers and twentieth century American theater, respectively. Dr. Davis also has a master's degree in teaching Spanish as a foreign language.
Her courses include beginner, intermediate, and advanced Spanish language courses, such as Early Hispanic Texts and Contexts, Modern Hispanic Texts and Contexts, Special Topics in Language and Culture, Introduction to Hispanic Cultural History, and Theater, Film and Performing Art. Davis also teaches a Discovery Seminar called Fantasy and the Supernatural in Literature, which is an interdisciplinary course that first-year students can select to take their first semester at Oxford. She also frequently oversees students in independent studies in individual topics, and she is a participating faculty member in the Oxford Research Scholars program. Davis has led a travel course to Spain, where her students learned the aesthetic, economic, and linguistic influence of the Islamic, Jewish, and Catholic cultures. She has also directed the Emory Summer Study Abroad Program called Iberian Studies in Spain.
Davis has organized many Hispanic cultural events on and off campus as well as film festivals and internationally known Hispanic poets' talks on campus.
A frequent presenter and panelist at academic conferences, Davis is a member of the Modern Language Association, the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese, and Feministas Unidas.
Davis received a BA degree in English from Salamanca University, Spain, and a MA degree in teaching Spanish as a foreign language from Salamanca University. After receiving a PhD in American literature from Salamanca University in 2002, she decided to pursue a second PhD. She completed her PhD in Latin American Literature at Las Palmas University, Spain, in 2010. Davis taught at Cursos Internacionales at Salamanca University, Spain, UNO Nebraska, and Wake Forest University, North Carolina, before she joined the faculty of Oxford College in 2004.
Education
BA| Salamanca University, Spain| 1997
MA| Salamanca University, Spain| 2002
PhD| Salamanca University, Spain| 2002
PhD| Las Palmas University, Spain| 2010
Courses Taught
Elementary Spanish I
Elementary Spanish II
Intermediate Spanish I
Intermediate Spanish II
Introduction to Hispanic Texts and Contexts
Early Hispanic Texts and Contexts
Modern Hispanic Texts and Contexts
Theater, Film and Performing Art
Introduction to Hispanic Cultural History
Special Topics in Language and Culture
Discovery Seminar: Fantasy and the Supernatural in Literature
Accomplishments
Davis has been awarded many grants by the Faculty Development Committee at Oxford College of Emory University to attend several national and international conferences (Fall 2005, Fall 2006, Fall 2009, Fall 2011 and Spring 2017).
In May 2007, she was awarded a Grant by the Technology Department at Oxford College to develop a project which implemented the use of WIMBA, a voice tool, in her Spanish classes.
In May 2015, Davis was honored to be the first and only woman to have her name put on the wall of the historical building "Residencia Fray Luis de León" at the University of Salamanca, Spain, due to academic achievement.
In May 2017, she was awarded with a $3,300 grant by the Academic Dean of Oxford College to do an exploratory trip to Spain. This grant allowed Davis to add a travel component to her Spanish 300Q course.
Publications
Books:
Creating your Own Space: The Metaphor of the House in Feminist Literature. Lexington Books, Maryland, March 2021.
Vámonos al cine: Short Movies for Spanish Conversation, Cognella Academic Publishing, San Diego, California. January 2019.
Resistencia y sumisión en el teatro norteamericano del siglo XX. E-book. Edwin Mellen Press. Spring 2014.
El humor en las novelas de Gabriel García Márquez. Edwin Mellen Press. January 2013.
Olé: Juego de cultura hispana. Instant Inmension. Advanced Spanish. Topics Entertainment. July 2002.
Articles:
“La segunda temporada de True Detective: una crítica a la sociedad norteamericana por medio de la exploración interior de los personajes principales. ” La globalización del crimen: literatura, cine y nuevos medios, ed. Andavira, 2017, p. 641. Peer-reviewed.
“El elemento lúdico en la obra de Gabriel García Márquez.” The University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. March 6, 2010. Peer-reviewed.
Presentations
“El general en su laberinto: un discurso carnavalesco.” The National Association of Hispanic and Latino Studies: 2011 Western Regional Conference. San Diego, California, September 30, 2011.
“Actividades lúdicas para la clase de español.” SIC Lingua (Primer Congreso Virtual sobre la enseñanza de ELE). May 20, 2006.
“Macondo, un mundo hiperbólico.” SECCLL (Southeast Coastal Conference on Languages and Literatures) Statesboro, GA, March 29, 2005.
"Movies for Spanish Conversation." E-poster presentation at the International Conference of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese in Salamanca, Spain, June 26, 2018.
"En búsqueda de una literatura continental: la influencia de la obra de Faulkner en Garcia Marquez." XIX Congreso Internacional de Literatura Hispánica in Buenos Aires, Argentina, March 16, 2017.
"True Detective: una critica de la sociedad norteamericana." XX Congreso de novela y cine negro in Salamanca, Spain. April 16, 2015.
"La parodia historica en las novelas de Gabriel García Márquez." XVI Congreso Internacional de Literatura Hispanica in Tenerife, Spain. July 16, 2015.
"Crónica de una muerte anunciada: La novela negra como crónica de la sociedad colombiana del siglo XX," El XIX Congreso de novela y cine negro: la reinvención de un género in Salamanca, Spain. April 16, 2013.
Research Interests
My longest-standing research interest has been comparative literature and film noir.
My current research is on developing materials, such as textbooks, for my Spanish classes at the beginner and intermediate level.