Dorothy Alvarez
Lecturer of Spanish
- M.A., Spanish, Miami University (2001)
- M.B.A., Business Administration, University of Dayton (1994)
- B.S.B.A., Business Administration, Duquesne University, Duquesna University (1992)
Phone Number: (937) 775-2673
E-mail: dorothy.alvarez@wright.edu
Personal Page
Dorothy Álvarez, Lecturer in Spanish, has taught in the Department of Modern Languages at Wright State since September, 2002. A native of Puerto Rico, she teaches 1st and 2nd year Spanish courses, Spanish conversation, and Spanish for Law Enforcement Personnel. She was co-director of the Ambassador Program to Costa Rica from 2002-2006, which was a 2006 recipient of a President’s Award for Excellence. Dorothy has taught courses in five study abroad trips to Costa Rica and has been a tireless advocate for study abroad at Wright State.
For her M.A. thesis, Dorothy explored the novel of formation in feminine Puerto Rican literature, specifically examining Felices días, Tío Sergio by Magali García Ramis. In addition to Puerto Rican literature and women’s literature, Dorothy’s professional interests include Colonial literature, the influence of English in modern Spanish, and the fusion of the Taíno, African, and Spanish cultures in Puerto Rico.
One of Dorothy’s main teaching interests is service learning. In the Winter and Spring quarters of 2008, Dorothy incorporated service learning projects in her Spanish conversation courses. Students in these courses worked with Hispanic organizations in the Dayton area in a variety of contexts.
Dorothy’s students routinely comment on her commitment to their success, finding her courses to be challenging and rewarding. Dorothy’s insistence that her students use as much Spanish as they can, at all levels of their Spanish studies, can perhaps be described as “tough love” in the classroom.
Outside of the classroom, Dorothy enjoys caring for her two young daughters and ensuring that they speak both Spanish and English fluently. “Tough love” at home means speaking Spanish exclusively in the house! Her love of reading and of travel have been handed down to her daughters, already avid readers and travelers themselves.