Ana M. Rodríguez-Rodríguez, PhD, associate professor of Spanish and Portuguese in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, has been named associate dean for academic affairs and graduate student success in the Graduate College at the University of Iowa. Her appointment will begin July 1, 2024.

As associate dean, Dr. Rodríguez-Rodríguez will oversee the offices of Academic Affairs and Graduate Student Success. She will be responsible for advancing initiatives focused on holistic graduate student development and support. 

“Dr. Rodríguez-Rodríguez brings a wealth of leadership experience to the Graduate College, and I know she shares our vision and passion for fostering a student-centered approach to graduate education,” said Amanda Thein, associate provost and dean of the Graduate College. “I’m thrilled to have her join our leadership team.”

Dr. Rodríguez-Rodríguez specializes in Spanish Literature and Culture. She completed a PhD in Spanish Literature at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2007 and a second PhD in Philology at the Universidad Complutense (Madrid, Spain) in 2021. She has published articles on Christian-Muslim relations in the Mediterranean, women’s writing, the Asian Spanish empire, and a book exploring captivity during the 16th and 17th centuries. 

Dr. Rodríguez-Rodríguez has a passion for public engagement that materialized in the exhibition Wise and Valiant: Women and Writing in the Spanish Golden Age, which she curated at the Instituto Cervantes (Madrid) in 2020, and whose online version was named by the Smithsonian one of the world’s top ten online exhibitions of the year.

Before taking on this new role, Dr. Rodríguez-Rodríguez was chair of College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (CLAS) Faculty Assembly in 2016-2017 and president of Faculty Senate in 2022-2023. She was also director of graduate studies in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese (2018-2021) and interim departmental executive officer of the Department of French and Italian (2020-2021). 

Some of her awards include the M.L. Huit Faculty Award (presented annually to a University of Iowa faculty member who best characterizes the qualities of dedication to, concern for, and interaction with students) in 2015, and the International Engagement Teaching Award (jointly awarded by the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and University of Iowa International Programs) in 2020.

“I arrive to this new stage in my career with humility and the will to keep learning every single day, with a vision to implement change when needed and to maintain and support ongoing success," said Rodríguez-Rodríguez. “I am committed to advocating for graduate education and excited for future collaborations with faculty, students, and staff moving forward.”