Lola Santamaria

Lola Santamaria serves as Lecturer in Hispanic Studies at Davidson College and was Resident Director of the Davidson in Madrid program in 2023. Based in Preyer 210, she engages students through courses on Spanish literature and culture while actively supporting the Hispanic community via the Organization of Latin American Students (OLAS) and Camino Community Center in Charlotte.

Her academic credentials include a B.A. from Universidad Complutense de Madrid, M.A. from the University of South Carolina, and an expected Ph.D. from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.

Dr. Santamaria's research centers on Spanish Golden Age Theatre, particularly "La Poética de la Libertad en los Entremeses de Cervantes," and the Post-Franco "Transicion y Movida" period in film and literature. She further explores trans-culturalism in Puerto Rican writer Ana Lydia Vega's narratives and develops specialized curriculum for Spanish Heritage Speakers. As a native Madrid resident from the 1980s "Movida" generation, she integrates personal cultural experiences into her pedagogy and community outreach.