Vanessa Fernández, Ph.D. — Assistant Professor of Spanish, Department of World Languages and Literatures
Vanessa Marie Fernández is excited to join the SJSU Spartan community as one of the newest faculty members in the Department of World Languages and Literatures. Prior to arriving at SJSU, Fernández worked at Rice University in Houston, Texas; Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Sharing the Spartan commitment to student success and innovative scholarship, Fernández begins a new chapter of her story here at SJSU.
Born and raised in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, Vanessa grew up in a bilingual household of Spanish and English, and loves learning and teaching languages and literature. She completed her undergraduate degree in Spanish and Italian Comparative Literature at Princeton University and an M.A. in the Teaching of Spanish at Teachers College, Columbia University. Vanessa has taught middle school Spanish in New York City as well as high school Spanish at Beverly Hills High School. A proud Bruin, she earned her Ph.D. at UCLA and firmly believes in excellence in public education. Vanessa brings this conviction to SJSU’s dynamic community of students and educators.
Her book project, “Bridging the Atlantic: Debating Modernity Across Argentine, Mexican, and Spanish Literary Magazines (1920-1930),” argues that print culture created a permeable intellectual network that traversed national boundaries and impacted Spain and Latin America’s post-colonial relationship during the 1920s. Teaching from this perspective, Vanessa explores how transnational dialogues and points of contact generate literary and aesthetic movements, a topic that is relevant to students’ reality today.
Passionate about sharing her interest in early Twentieth century Spanish, Mexican, and Argentine literature and culture with students and colleagues, Vanessa insists on maintaining a healthy, balanced lifestyle in order to better engage her community. She takes time to eat well, visit friends and family, and exercise. She enjoys yoga, spinning, ballet classes, museums, theatre, and connecting with nature. Vanessa looks forward to an exhilarating career at SJSU, where she knows she will grow while working with vibrant, enthusiastic, and creative students and faculty.
