Faculty
John Chaimov
Associate Professor of German, Chair
B.A., University of California, San Diego
M.A., Ph.D., University of Chicago
Email: jchaimov@coe.edu
Research and academic interests:
Migration and cultural adaptation, Human Rights, Human Rights in Southeast Asia, volunteering and “volunteerism.”
Special programs involved with at Coe:
Off-Campus Study, Committee on Internationalization, Coe Human Rights Advocates.
Personal interests:
Tutoring at the local immigrant education center, volunteering at the immigration legal clinic, bicycling, sexual-assault prevention, bread baking.
Favorite Coe tradition:
Students doing good things in the community.
Why have you chosen to teach at Coe?
Coe students inspire me with their ownership of how campus runs, their boldness in going to live in the farthest corners of the globe, their hunger to learn, their dedication to making a difference in the lives of their friends and of neighbors in the community. Every day I think how lucky I am to spend most of my day here.
Joyce Janca-Aji
Associate Professor of French
B.A., Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
M.A., Ph. D., Indiana University-Bloomington
Email: jjanca@coe.edu
Research and academic interests: 20th-century and contemporary women's writing in French, nondual approaches to literature, and translation and contemplative studies.
Special programs involved in with at Coe:
May Term courses in Paris, Academic Coordinator of Gender and Sexuality Studies, organizer for the Teaching Translation Conference (2018) and co-coordinator of the Language-in-Community Summer Seminar (2018).
Favorite Coe tradition:
The Drag Show! It seems like the whole campus comes to support the LGTBQ community here - and has way too much fun doing so.
Why have you chosen to teach at Coe?
I wanted to teach what I love somewhere that would allow me to really get to know my students. I appreciate the warmth and the support of the entire community here- and that I can be creative in how I design courses to appeal to the strengths and interests of my students.
Personal interests: Experimenting with food, time in the woods, poetry, knitting socks, painting, and long, long novels.
Laissa M Rodríguez Moreno
Assistant Professor of Spanish
B.A., Universidad Nacional de Colombia
M.A., Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison
Email: lrodriguez@coe.edu
Office: Hickok Hall 203C
Research and academic interests:
Contemporary Latin American literature, culture and history with an emphasis on theater and performance studies. I also have a strong interest in history, political theory, graphic novel, children’s literature, and visual studies.
Personal interests:
I enjoy multidisciplinary collaborative work with the Arts –Drawing, dancing and performances, and theater productions. Good conversations, Bogotá, my family and friends.
Special programs involved with at Coe:
Coordinator of the May Term in Spain, Alicante. I also teach in the History department classes related to Latin America.
Martha Torres Méndez
Assistant Professor of Spanish
B.A., California State University, Channel Islands
M.A., Ph.D., University of California, Irvine
Email: mtorresmendez@coe.edu
Office: 203D Hickok Hall
Research and academic interests:
Contemporary Latin American literature with an especial emphasis in Mexican literature and arts, Border Studies, Visual Studies and Critical Theory.
Personal interests:
cooking, international films, science-fiction and yoga
Special programs involved with at Coe: Lunch Olé Spanish Conversation Table
Esperanza Muñoz-Perez
Adjunct Instructor of Spanish
Email: emunozperez@coe.edu
Office: Hickok Hall 104D
Research and academic interests:Esperanza Muñoz Pérez, a native of Spain, teaches all levels of the Spanish language and has been an educator for 20 years. All aspects of language and its intricacies intrigue her, whether related to her experience as a language professor or as an interpreter and translator. She arrived in Iowa in 1994 after living previously in Scotland and in the Pacific. Esperanza's passion for history, culture, and language was richly rewarded while working with 18th-century Spanish documents for the Micronesian Research Center at the University of Guam. Her love for Romance languages led her to study Latin, Portuguese, Italian, French language and Literature, as well as completing PhD courses in Medieval Spanish Literature. A strong interest in languages and cultures has always been and will continue to be an important part of her academic and personal life.
Florencia Lynch
Adjunct Instructor in Spanish
B.A., Universidad Católica de La Plata
M.A., Northern Iowa University
Email: flynch@coe.edu
Office: Hickok Hall 104D
Research and academic interests: Historical Realism in Spanish literature of all times. Language and society. Migration cultural movements as instruments of cultural change. Work in a target language curriculum tailored for specific industries.
Personal interests: All kinds of outdoor activities like hiking, paddling, biking and tennis as well as reading, playing piano, and spending time with family and friends.
Megumi Potter
Adjunct Instructor in Japanese
Joshua Langseth
Adjunct Instructor in Humanities
B.A., Concordia College
M.A., Ph.D., University of Iowa
Email: jlangseth@coe.edu
Edmund Burke
Professor of Humanities, Emeritus
A.B., Holy Cross
M.A., Ph.D., Tufts University
Jeannine Hammond
Joanne M. Pochobradsky Professor of French, Emerita
B.A., Carleton College
M.A., University of Chicago
Ph.D., Indiana University
Nicholas Mason-Browne
Joanne M. Pochobradsky Associate Professor of Spanish
B.A., University of British Columbia
M.A., Ph.D., University of Iowa