Magdalena Olivares, Ph.D.

An expert on Latin American culture who uses language to introduce students to new worlds.

Enthusiastic | Perceptive | Engaging: Magdalena Olivares is a dedicated teacher in the Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. Her passions include Latin American theatre and cinema, gender studies, and second language pedagogy, and she coordinates the first-year Spanish courses at McDaniel. Her desire to introduce students to Hispanic culture has led her to serve as resident director for study abroad in Mexico.
What’s your background? Where were you before McDaniel and when did you start here?: I’m originally from Chile. I grew up 40 minutes from Santiago, on a big farm where my dad produced peaches — my favorite fruit forever. In Chile, I did my undergraduate in Education and taught eight years at K-12 grade-level. I came to the U.S. in 2001 to spend a sabbatical year in Eugene, Oregon, which turned out to be an indefinite stay. I got my master’s at University of Oregon and my doctorate at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. My research and teaching interests focus on Southern Cone theatre and cinema; Mapuche people; gender outlaws, and second language pedagogy. I started teaching full time and coordinating the Spanish first-year courses at McDaniel in fall 2021 after being an adjunct faculty member for one semester.
Why did you choose McDaniel as a place to work? What inspired you to become part of the Hill?: There are many things that made McDaniel attractive to me. I like Westminster a lot; the historical downtown is beautiful — I love each building. Also, to have vineyards around reminds me of my parents’ house’s surroundings. But definitely what made me choose McDaniel was the diversity of the student body and its strong commitment to liberal arts, two crucial components that aren’t easily met.
What have you enjoyed most during your time at McDaniel?: I highly enjoy the interaction with my students. Each of them is a world of discoveries that keeps me energized and passionate about my daily work. Also, there are two things near my office (located in the basement of Baker Memorial Chapel) that brighten my days: listening to organ and choir practices, as well as cappuccinos from Caseys’ Corner.
What do you hope students take away from your courses?: I hope each of my students leaves my courses with the experience of having belonged to a learning community in which everyone supports each other by taking different roles (listener, facilitator, thinker, speaker, dreamer, etc.) at different moments to build this learning community through a collaborative process.

Directory Profile for Magdalena Olivares

Magdalena Olivares, Ph.D.

About Prof. Olivares