Magdalena Tarnawska Senel

Magdalena Tarnawska Senel is a Lecturer and Director of the German Language Program at the Department of European Languages and Transcultural Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). With over two decades of academic experience teaching at institutions including UC Irvine, University of Colorado, DePauw University, and others, she specializes in 19th-21st century German culture, literature, gender studies, and social justice education.

• Research Focus: Language pedagogy, intersections of literature/politics/migration/pop-culture in contemporary Germany, and humanities education for social justice.
• Teaching Philosophy: Informed by critical pedagogy and bell hooks’ 'teaching to transgress' framework, emphasizing cultural analysis, social critique, and human dignity.
• Community Involvement: Works as interpreter for hospitals/law enforcement, sexual assault counselor, expert witness for legal systems, and author of children's poetry and parenting reflections.

Recent Publications examine topics like Navid Kermani's refugee narratives, early German female students' experiences, and medical education gender debates. Her pedagogical innovations have been supported by DAAD scholarships and UCLA Language Alliance Grants.

• Education: Magister in German Philology (Jagiellonian University), M.A. and Ph.D. in German (UC Irvine), studies at RWTH Aachen.

• Scientific Awards:
  • UCI Teaching Excellence Award
  • UCLA Non-Senate Faculty Professional Development Award
  • DAAD research scholarships
  • UCLA Language Alliance Grant