Maria Isabel Kalbermatten

Maria Isabel Kalbermatten is an Associate Professor in Spanish and Modern Languages at Gustavus Adolphus College. Her work bridges Discourse Analysis and Applied Linguistics, focusing on verbal irony, political humor, and language pedagogy. With a Ph.D. in Hispanic Linguistics from the University of Minnesota, she has taught courses like SPA-250: Negotiating Hispanic World, SPA-370: Spanish Through Linguistics, and MLC-302: Humor and Irony.

• Ph.D. in Hispanic Linguistics, University of Minnesota
• Licenciada en Letras, Universidad Católica de Santa Fe
• Profesora de Castellano, Literatura y Latín, Instituto Nacional Superior del Profesorado

Her research explores how verbal irony and political humor function in Argentine conversations and media. She applies sociocultural theories to language teaching, emphasizing translingual and transcultural competence. Recent projects include analyzing political satire in Argentina’s polarization and collaborating with students on critical discourse analysis of Cristina Kirchner’s speeches.

Dr. Kalbermatten has received grants for curriculum development and community-engaged learning. She serves on the Fulbright National Screening Committee and has organized international humor studies conferences. Her work appears in journals like Journal of Language Aggression and Conflict and Revista Iberoamericana de Lingüística.

• Curriculum Development and Revitalization Grant (2022)
• Mansergh-Stuessey Foundation Grant (2022)
• Presidential Faculty-Student Collaboration Grant (2017-2018)

As a leader in Luso-Hispanic humor studies, she has presented at conferences in Poland, Spain, Colombia, and Mexico. Her editorial work includes co-editing En busca de una caracterización de la ironía verbal en español (Hispanic Issues Online, forthcoming).