Profile for Victoria Calmes
Contact me
Victoria Calmes
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Associate Professor
Global Cultures & Languages
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Victoria Calmes Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Associate Professor
Global Cultures & Languages
Specialty area(s)
20th Century Peninsular Literature, Film Studies, 2nd Language Acquisition
Brief biography
Dr. Victoria Calmes is an educator and scholar originally from Madrid, Spain, with extensive experience teaching Spanish language, literature, film, and cultural studies in higher education in the United States. Her teaching and research focus on contemporary Spanish cultural production, representations of motherhood and family, and the intersections of history, identity, and everyday life in Spanish cinema and literature.
Dr. Calmes is committed to fostering meaningful cultural immersion and global engagement for her students. She directs a faculty-led study abroad Program in Granada, Spain, where she guides students in connecting language learning with lived cultural experience. In addition to her work in the classroom, she contributes to curriculum development, academic advising, and intercultural programming that support student growth, confidence, and community.
Her approach to teaching is grounded in curiosity, empathy, and a belief in learning as a transformative, shared journey.
Current courses at UWL
SPA 302 - Faces of Spain: Conversation and Culture
SPA 309 - Spanish Culture through Art
SPA 353 - Perspectives on Contemporary Spain: Culture and Society
SPA 403 - Studies in Hispanic Literature: Narratologies
Education
- Ph.D. in 20th Century Peninsular Literature and Cinema. University of California, Irvine.
- M.A. degree in Spanish Language and Literature. Marquette University.
- B.A. in English Philology. Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain.
Career
Teaching history
Courses taught at UWL:
- SPA 202 – Intermediate Spanish II
- SPA 300 – Oral Proficiency Through Grammar Review
- SPA 302 - Faces of Spain: Conversation and Culture
- SPA 304 – Integrated Skills Development II
- SPA 309 - Spanish Culture through Art
- SPA 320 - Spanish Civilization
- SPA 326 – Current Events
- SPA 351 – Films in Spanish
- SPA 353 - Perspectives on Contemporary Spain
- SPA 369 - Topics - Spanish Culture and Languages in Granada, Spain
- SPA 390 – Topics in Hispanic Culture
- SPA 403 – Studies in Hispanic Literature: Narratologies
- SPA 449 - Independent Study
Research and publishing
Presentations:
Congreso Internacional de Literatura y Estudios Hispánicos, "Aspectos de la maternidad conflictiva en el cine contemporáneo español," CILEH, Montevideo, Uruguay (March 20, 2025).
Modern Language Association Annual Conference 2025, "Aspectos de la maternidad conflictiva en la película española Cinco Lobitos (2022)," MLA, New Orleans, Luisiana (February 11, 2025).
Spanish Film Festival, "Presentation and discussion of the film A este lado del mundo," Coordinator and Organizer. University of Wisconsin La Crosse, La Crosse, Wisconsin (April 18, 2024).
Southeast Coastal Conference on Languages and Literatures, "Representaciones de maternidades conflictivas en el cine español contemporáneo," Georgia Southern University, Savannah, Georgia (April 12, 2024)
XXXV Congreso Internacional de Literatura y Estudios Hispánicos, "¿Una buena madre? Aspectos de la maternidad conflictiva en la película española Cinco lobitos (2022)," State College PA, Oaxaca, Mexico (March 10, 2023).
SE Conference on Languages and Literature, "La presencia de una ausencia: un acercamiento crítico a Niebla de Miguel de Unamuno," Georgia Southern University, Savannah, Georgia (April 12, 2023).
XXXII Congreso Internacional de Literatura y Estudios Hispánicos, "La ausencia de la madre y la aserción de la subjetividad en Nada de Carmen Laforet," State College PA, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia (March 10, 2023).
Kentucky Foreign Languages Conference, "La tragedia de una pérdida: Ausencia de la madre y locura en La Plaza del Diamante de Merçè Rodoreda," University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky (April 22, 2022).
SE Conference on Languages and Literatures, "Alienación Cultural y Dislocación de la Subjetividad en El amante bilingüe de Juan Marsé," Geogia Southern University, Savannah, Georgia (April 9, 2020).
Spanish Film Festival "Introduction and Discussion of "Everybody Knows"," PRAGDA, Dept. Global Cultures and Languages, and ILLAS, University of Wisconsin, La Crosse (February 13, 2020).
SEC Conference on Languages and Literatures, "La esposa-madre: Matrimonio como salvación en Niebla de Miguel de Unamuno," Georgia Southern University, Savannah, Georgia (April 12, 2019).
15th Annual International Conference on Education, "Creative Strategies to Achieve Significant Learning in the Teaching of a Second Language," ATINER (Athens Institute for Education and Research), Athens, Greece (May 21, 2013).
International Conference for Academic Disciplines: Research and Creativity "Creative Strategies to Achieve Significant Learning in the Teaching of a Second Language," International Journal or Arts and Sciences, Orlando, Florida (March 21, 2011).
International Conference of the Hispanic Association of Humanities, "El juego como elemento significativo en la metodología de la enseñanza del español como segunda lengua (Games as Significant Elements in the Methodology of Teaching Spanish as a Second Language)," Hispanic Association of Humanities, Seville, Spain (June 25, 2009).
Hawaii International Conference on Arts & Humanities, "Representaciones del "Paraiso Maternal" en la novela espanola Niebla de Miguel de Unamuno [Representations of the "Maternal Paradise" in Miguel de Unamuno's Spanish Novel Niebla," University of Hawaii and University of Louisville, Honolulu, Hawaii (January 12, 2008).
Congreso Internacional "La tragedia de una pérdida: Ausencia de la madre y locura en La Plaza del Diamante de Merçè Rodoreda“ [The Tragedy of a Loss: Absence of the Mother and Madness in Merçè Rododera’s La Plaza del Diamante]," Universitas Castellae, Valladolid, Spain (June 27, 2007).
60th Annual Kentucky Foreign Language Conference, "La esposa-madre: Matrimonio como salvación en Niebla de Miguel de Unamuno” [“The Mother-Wife: Marriage as Salvation in Miguel de Unamuno’s Niebla”]," University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky (April 19, 2007).
Midwest Modern Language Association, "Alienación cultural y descentración de la subjetividad en El amante bilingüe de Juan Marsé” [“Cultural Alienation and Lost of Identity in Juan Marse’s The Bilingual Lover]," Milwaukee, Wisconsin (November 10, 2005).
The Twenty-Ninth Colloquium on Literature and Film, "“La ausencia de la madre y la asersión de la subjetividad en Nada de Carmen Laforet” [“The Absence of the Mother and the assertion of subjectivity in Carmen Laforet’s Nada”]," West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia (September 30, 2004).
Wisconsin Association of Foreign Language Teachers, "“Games in a Foreign Language Class”," Appleton, Wisconsin (November 6, 2003).
Journal Articles
“Alienación cultural y dislocación de la subjetividad en El amante bilingüe de Juan Marsé” [“Cultural Alienation and Dislocation of Subjectivity in Juan Marsé’s El amante bilingüe”]. RILCE: Revista de Filología Hispánica [RILCE: Hispanic Philology Journal] Servicio de Publicaciones, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain(25.2 (2009)), 209-219. Published: April (2nd Quarter/Spring) 2009.
“La ausencia de la madre y la asersión de la subjetividad en Nada de Carmen Laforet” [“The Absence of the Mother and the assertion of subjectivity in Carmen Laforet’s Nada”]. Tropelías: Revista de Teoría de la Literatura y Literatura Comparada [Tropelías: Journal of Literary Theory and Comparative Literature]. UP Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain, 15-17, 181-190. Published: January (1st Quarter/Winter) 2009.
Kudos
presented