Lourdes Sánchez-López, Ph.D., has been named the chair of the Department of World Languages and Literatures in the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s College of Arts and Sciences.
Prior to being selected as chair, Sánchez-López served as both associate chair and interim chair in the department.
Sánchez-López joined UAB in 2001 to develop the university’s Spanish for Specific Purposes Certificate, one of the first programs of its kind in the nation. She is the co-author of two books, “El mundo hispanohablante contemporáneo: Historia, política, sociedades y cultura” (translation: “The Contemporary Spanish-Speaking World: History, Politics, Societies and Culture”) and “Pueblos, Intermediate Spanish in Cultural Contexts,” as well as the editor of the anthology “Scholarship and Teaching on Languages for Specific Purposes.”
In addition to her scholarship, Sánchez-López has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to student mentorship. She has worked closely with undergraduate students through the Manos Juntas mentoring program and through UAB’s Spanish and Latino Student Association (S.A.L.S.A.), which she co-founded in 2006. She also organized and directed the first International Symposium on Languages for Specific Purposes (LSP), helping launch a national and international network of LSP scholars and collaborators. In addition, she served as president of the Alabama chapter of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese.
"It is an honor and a privilege to serve my department of 25 years in this capacity,” said Sánchez-López. “I am grateful for the opportunity to work with my colleagues everyday as we collectively build an exciting future for us and for our incredible students through innovative initiatives and shared goals.”
“Dr. Sánchez-López has been a highly respected and valued member of the CAS community for many years, and we are delighted that she will continue to strengthen the College through her new role as chair of the Department of World Languages and Literatures,” said Yogesh Vohra, Ph.D., interim dean of CAS. “We congratulate her on this well-deserved appointment and are excited to see the department thrive under her leadership.”
