Associate Professor Kathryn McKnight received an appointment in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at The University of New Mexico in 2001. She has served as the Associate Director for Academic Programs for the Latin American and Iberian Institute. McKnight offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate level courses, with topics addressing the fundamentals of conducting research in literature; exploring debates, conflicts, and creativity of the Spanish-American cultural scene; and identity construction in Ibero-America, among other themes. Her research centers on the voices of those who speak from the margins of colonial Spanish American society. As a scholar of Latin America, her academic interests include Latin American colonial discourses, language, cultures, literatures, and cultural studies. In 2016-17, McKnight was honored with the distinction of UNM Outstanding Teacher of the Year.

Education

• PhD in Spanish, Stanford University 1992)
• MA in Spanish, Stanford University (1987)
• Non-degree Studies in Literature, Economics and Theology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Costa Rica, and Seminario Bíblico Latinoamericano (1983)
• BA in Latin American Studies, Earlham College (1982)