GRADUATE STUDENTS AWARDS

Kate Regan Award

The Kate Regan Award recognizes an outstanding graduate student presentation at GEMELA’s biennial conference.

Kathleen “Kate” Regan, professor of Spanish at the University of Portland, is remembered as an innovative, engaged, and popular professor who joined the faculty in 1995.  She conducted research in Sephardic culture in Medieval Spain, as well as gender and cross-dressing in the Spanishcomedia. Her work on digital humanities and digital film technology led Kate to complete two documentaries, TheSephardic Legacy of Segovia: Pentimento of the Past (2005) and Fiestaremos: Judy Frankel and the Sephardic Music Tradition(2008), and work on an unfinished film project on Don Quijote de la Mancha.  Leading the department of Foreign Languages from 2007-2010, Kate also served as chair of the Collaborative in International Studies and Global Outreach (CISGO). Among her highest accomplishments, in 2000 Kate was honored as the Carnegie and CASE Foundation’s Outstanding Teacher of the Year, recognizing her indefatigable dedication to the teaching and mentoring of students. In 2012 Kate co-organized GEMELA’s bi-annual meeting in Portland, treating conference attendees to a wonderful event at the University of Portland campus.

Kate died unexpectedly on July 23, 2014. The members of GEMELA honor her memory and life-work with this award.

RECIPIENTS

2022 Yunning Zhang: “Aguas místicas, aguas imperiales: Visiones oceánicas en la hagiografía de Catarina de San Juan.”

2018 Gabriela Martínez Pérez: "De Lima a Madrid: Autoridad, agencia y poder en las cartas de Lucía Carrillo de Albornoz (1735-1805).

2016 Blanca Vizán Rico: "El Convento Espiritual de Úrsula de San Diego: Un librito formativo con escolios del licenciado Quintana"

Amy Williamsen Award

The Amy Williamsen Award recognizes an outstanding graduate student presentation at GEMELA’s biennial conference.

As a founding member of GEMELA and innovator in the field of early modern women’s cultural production, Amy left a tangible legacy. Throughout her career, she powerfully advocated for the study of female writers, playwrights and characters in works from the so-called Spanish Golden Age. Her 1999 edited volume with Valerie Hegstrom Engendering the Early Modern Stage: Women Playwrights of the Spanish Empirewas instrumental in drawing women into the scholarly canon. Amy also fostered an enduring attitude of collegiality, generosity and friendship. Indeed, she was an enthusiastic mentor to scholars at all stages of their careers and a staunch advocate of inclusiveness. In 2019, she received the UNC-Greensboro Dean’s Award for Diversity and Inclusiveness to recognize efforts in this area. As President of GEMELA from 2015-17, Amy organized a memorable GEMELA gathering in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Amy’s sudden death in April 2019 saddened GEMELA members and the broader scholarly community. Her lively spirit and passion live on in this award.

RECIPIENTS

2022 Katherine Mills: “Built to Last: The Reconstruction of the Santa Clara and Santa Catalina Monasteries in Cusco, Peru (s. XVII).”