Maria Fernanda Arentsen

Maria Fernanda Arentsen is an Associate Professor at the University of Saint-Boniface, where she serves as Director of the Department of French Studies, Languages and Literatures. She teaches Spanish language and literature courses, including Intermediate Spanish, Advanced Language and Composition, and specialized topics like Latin American Cinema and Magical Realism. Her academic work bridges French-Canadian and Latin American literary traditions.

• Ph.D. in French Literature from the University of Ottawa

Her research focuses on the intersection of Disability Studies, migration narratives, and multiculturalism in literary contexts. She explores themes like the portrayal of mental health in postcolonial literature, the role of stereotypes in migrant storytelling, and the tension between exclusionary and integrative cultural forces.

The trends in her publications highlight a sustained analysis of disability representation across Quebec and Latin American literatures (e.g., works by Lise Gaboury-Diallo and Monique Proulx), the impact of migration on identity formation, and the symbolic role of borders in cultural narratives. Her scholarship often engages with interdisciplinary frameworks linking literature, history, and social theory.

Maria Fernanda Arentsen has received significant funding, including a $104,000 SSHRC Insight Grant for her project on 'The Wounded Body in French-Canadian Literature (1945-2015). She has held leadership roles in academic communities as Bilingualism Officer for the Canadian Disability Studies Association and as a board member for organizations like the Canadian Center for Disability Studies. Her public lectures on disability in Latin American cinema and literature have earned recognition, including being named 'Honorary Visitor' by the Municipality of San Lorenzo, Argentina.