Carys Evans-Corrales


Dr. Carys Evans-Corrales
Associate Professor of Spanish
Division of Communication and the Arts

Ph. D. Spanish Literature Rutgers University 1993
M. A. Spanish Literature Rtugers University 1987
B. A. Linguistics University of York (England) 1973

       Dr. Evans-Corrales teaches Elementary and Intermediate Spanish, Short Fiction in Spanish, Hispanic Literature in Translation, Communication in Spanish, Business Spanish, and a Translation Seminar.
       She has seen a lot of the world. She was raised in Singapore and Malaysia, spent three years in Jamaica, instructed English for twelve years at the University of Santiago de Compostela, and likes to visit Puerto Rico. She specializes in contemporary Spanish poetry, Hispanic narrative, and translation and is a member of the American Translators' Association.
       Apart from scholarly work in translation studies and Spanish theater, Dr. Evans-Corrales  has published several short stories in Galician (a language spoken in northwestern Spain), and has translated a book of Galician prose-poems by Miguel-Anxo Murado. Her translations of work by Spanish authors include two sets of children’s plays, one by Alfonso Sastre and the other by Pilar Enciso and Lauro Olmo; her translations on works written by Latin American authors include a work by Puerto Rican memoirist Loreina Santos Silva and a reference book on the cave art of the Americas by Argentine anthropologist Juan Schobinger.

What do you think the purpose or benefit of a higher education is? 

To help people understand the world in all its aspects and to be prepared to participate in it successfully. 


How would you describe your approach to teaching? 

A blend of solid academics and human interaction. I try to teach individuals a subject, as opposed to teach a subject to a class. 


What do you think students like best about your classes? 

Their evaluations of my teaching indicate they like my clear explanations of the material, my accessability for help, my sense of humor and the real-life stories I include when explaining material. 


With a word or two, how do you think a student would most likely describe you as a professor? 

Knowledgable, interesting, and kind 


Within your field of teaching and research, what specific directions do you tend to channel your energy and why? 

I have recently become interested in cross-cultural thought and literature - particularly contemporary immigrant literature. 


How might you respond to a student who enjoys the subject matter of your classes but isn't necessarily strong in that field of study? 

I offer to tutor the student in the subject matter and/or try to explain the material via examples that may appeal to the student's particular area of interest or personal way of thinking. 


How would you say your field of teaching is incorporated into your life outside the university and vice-versa? 

My whole existence has been enriched with an appreciation of languages, literature, and culture in general since I was a child. The subjects I teach are also connected to my favorite extramural interests and cannot be separated from my way of life. 


What is an interest or hobby of yours that is an extension of the teachings of your academic field? 

Comparative religion 


What are you a "natural" at doing? 

Entertaining and conversation 


What kind of music do you most enjoy? Why?

 


I enjoy all kinds of sacred music, most types of jazz, and all chamber and piano music. I also like Baroque music. In general, I feel that the less snycopation there is in the music, the more I tend to like it. I enjoy music that allows me to reflect. 


What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book? 

I am currently reading Loosing My Espanish (a novel about Cuban immigrants by H.G. Carrillo), and a book by Stan Gooch on aspects of Neanderthal and CroMagnon man. 


What do you think about today's pop music? 

Many pieces are interesting, exciting, and beautiful; too great a percentage of it is merely commercial. 


What's one thing you want to do before you die? 

Create a world-famous dish 


What's the most rewarding aspect of teaching at Pitt-Bradford? 

The sense of community with colleagues and students - and the sharing of their successes. 


As a former undergraduate student, was there a certain professor that stands out in mind as a favorite, someone who you really respected, or someone who really inspired you? Why? 

Yes - a celebrated professor of philosophy who considered that our intellectual achievements are not of themselves the highest achievement of humanity.