Maria Fionda

Dr. Maria Fionda is an Associate Professor of Spanish and Linguistics at the University of Mississippi's Department of Modern Languages, housed within the College of Liberal Arts. She serves as the Graduate Program Director for the M.A. in Modern Languages with emphases in Linguistics or TESOL. Her work bridges theoretical linguistics and applied language education, focusing on language variation, psycholinguistic processes, and second language acquisition.

Dr. Fionda holds a Ph.D. in Romance Languages (2014) and M.A. in Spanish Linguistics (2008) from the University of Florida, alongside a B.A. in Spanish and Italian Literature (Honors) from Concordia University (2003). Her research explores morphosyntactic processing, L2 acquisition dynamics, and task-based pedagogy. Recent publications investigate cognitive factors in L2 Spanish processing and pedagogical strategies to enhance student retention.

Her teaching portfolio includes advanced grammar, Spanish linguistics, and second language acquisition methodologies. She actively contributes to language education through curriculum development and research-practice integration.