Elena Peña-Argüeso
Education
2025 (expected) Ph.D. Spanish, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2019: M.A. Spanish, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2014: M.A. Teaching English as a Foreign Language, University of Sevilla
2013: M.A. English, University of Sevilla
2012: B.A. English Studies, University of Sevilla
About Elena
Elena Peña-Argüeso is Ph.D. candidate and Graduate Teaching Fellow. Her research focuses on the literary and cultural productions of Early Modern Iberian Spain and Colonial Latin America. She is particularly interested in theatre, flamenco, lives of saints, “relaciones de sucesos” (news pamphlets), nation building, the construction of cultural identities, and European expansions and exchanges between Catholic Spain and the Protestant world.
Publications
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
2024 “La vida de San Pedro Nolasco de Lope de Vega: un modelo de santidad a través de la hibridación genérica.” Bulletin of Spanish Studies
BOOK REVIEWS
<p2018 Aracil Varón, Beatriz. “Yo, don Hernán Cortés.” Reflexiones en torno a la escritura cortesiana. Iberoamericana / Vervuert, 2016Conferences
Panel Chair
2022 “Lyric as Power: Narratives of Spanish Music.” Carolina Conference for Romance Studies. UNC-Chapel Hill
INVITED TALKS
Andalucía: History and Culture of Muslim Spain
2020: “Contemporary Connections: Issues of in(migration) in Contemporary Spain.” The Duke-UNC Consortium for Middle East Studies, UNC Center for European Studies, and National Humanities Center
PAPERS PRESENTED
2023 “Tricks in La vida de Estebanillo González, hombre de buen humor (1646).” MLA, San Francisco
2022 “Comedy-news or dramatized news pamphlets?” The Performance of Genre across Renaissance Europe and Beyond, MEMS conference. UNC-Chapel Hill
2020: “Expansión transoceánica de la Iberia católica y su representación en La conquista de México (1668) de Antonio Enríquez Gómez.” Asociación Internacional Siglo de Oro. ONLINE
2019 “Catarismo, redenciones y milagros en La vida de San Pedro Nolasco de Lope de Vega.” Asociación Internacional de Hispanistas. Hebrew University, Israel
2018 “War and the Supernatural: Shaping Sainthood in La vida de San Pedro Nolasco (1629).” Carolina Conference for Romance Studies. UNC-Chapel Hill
2014: “The Actress and her Character: The Prologues and Epilogues of Charlotte Butler (1680-1693).” 25 International SEDERI Conference. University of Oviedo, Spain
Awards & Honors
FELLOWSHIPS, HONORS & AWARDS – UNC-CHAPEL HILL
2024 Carolina Center for Jewish Studies one-time-award
2024 Romance Studies Department one-time-award
2024 Druscilla French Fund Award, Romance Studies Department
2023-24 The Graduate School Dissertation Completion Fellowship
2023 Dana B. Drake Award for Excellence in Teaching Spanish, Romance Studies department
2023 Jack O. Spies and Family Jewish Studies Grant, Carolina Center for Jewish Studies
2023 Travel Grant, Romance Studies department
2022 Dana B. Drake Summer Fellowship, Romance Studies department
2021 The Graduate School Summer Research Fellowship
2020 Travel Award, Graduate and Professional Student Government
2020 Nominated to the Best Teaching Award, Romance Studies department
2020 Nominated to the Boka W. Hadzija Award
2020 Gutherie Summer Award, Romance Studies department
2019 The Graduate Student Transportation Grant
2019 Excellence in Mentoring Graduate Students Award, Graduate and Professional Student Federation
2018 Nominated to the María Salgado Award at the Carolina Conference, Romance Studies department
EXTERNAL GRANTS
2023 Modern Language Association Convention Grant