See all Profiles
Headshot photo of Catalina Villar Ruiz
Faculty
Faculty

Catalina Villar (She/Ella)

Master Instructor - Spanish Language and Literature

  • World Languages & Cultures
  • College of Arts & Sciences

Biography

Catalina Villar joined the World Languages and Cultures Department at Howard University in 2017 as a Spanish lecturer.

Born in Puerto Rico, Catalina Villar obtained a B.A. in Spanish from Haverford College and a M.Phil. in Spanish from Yale University.

Other working languages are Italian and French, with formal training and certification as a legal interpreter, and a special training in interpretation for trauma subjects.

Her favorite time on campus is the early morning walk through the gate on Howard place, in front of the A. Rankin Memorial Chapel and Founders Library, across The Yard, to begin a teaching day.

 

Education & Expertise

Education

Spanish - Latin American Poetry XXth Century - Italian minor

M.Phil
Yale University
1994

Spanish major, Italian minor (Università per Stranieri, Siena)

B.A.
Haverford College
1991

Expertise

Legal Interpreter

Certified Court Interpreter for the State of Maryland - Spanish
Listed as an Italian Interpreter for the State of Maryland (no certification exam is available).

Trauma Informed Interpreter

Trained and experienced as interpreter for subjects of trauma. This may include experiences such as sexual violence, political or disaster exile. 

Academics

Academics

Spanish Language

All four levels of the introductory language courses in Spanish.

Intensive Spanish

Developed in the fall of 2022, now teaching both levels of a redesigned Intensive Spanish course.