Spanish, Latin American Studies, Mesoamerica
Office: Moore Hall 487 | Phone: (808) 956-4177
Email: orourke@hawaii.edu
I am an Instructor of Spanish and Latin American and Iberian Studies in the department of Languages and Literatures of Europe and the Americas at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. I have a BA in Ancient Studies from Columbia University, an MA in Spanish Language and Literature from the University of Hawaii, and an MA and PhD in Anthropology (Mesoamerican Archaeology) from Harvard University, which allows me to teach a wide variety of language and cultural studies courses in both languages. I have taught multiple levels of Spanish to undergraduates, from elementary to advanced Spanish as well as a variety of Latin American and Iberian Studies courses, some of which are cross-listed with the Anthropology department. Additionally, I taught one course on Roman Archaeology in the Classics division, which was great fun. My own studies have benefitted from a multidisciplinary approach and my courses, including the Spanish language courses, benefit from this, helping the students make connections between history, culture, and current events. I place a high value on multidisciplinary teaching and I am really pleased that I can do this at UHM.
My academic interests are broad ranging and include the Spanish language, archaeology, history (ancient through modern), indigenous studies, colonialism, and popular culture. My current research interests include the origins of social complexity in the Olmec region, gender and science in late medieval Spanish literature, and the role of money (coins and bills) in the development of Mexican nationalism.