Department of Spanish and Portuguese

Originally from Italy, Giada Mirelli is a Ph.D. candidate studying Early Modern literature from Spain. However, her research spans from the sixteenth to the twentieth century, following interests sparked studying abroad in Ávila during her undergraduate work at the University of Dallas. Giada’s dissertation explores how Saint Teresa of Ávila’s pedagogy on the way of perfection appears in the work of female writers over centuries, including Marcia Belisarda in the seventeenth century, Carolina Coronado in the nineteenth century, and Carmen Laforet in the twentieth century. In addition to her work on Teresa, she also studies the influence of Italian authors on Spanish Medieval and Early Modern literature. She presented at the 58^th International Congress on Medieval Studies and received La corónica’s Third Annual Nancy F. Marino Award for the best essay in Hispanomedieval Studies. At IU, Giada has taught courses at all levels of Spanish language, and the Introduction to Hispanic Cultures. She received the MIND (Motivación, Inspiración, Dedicación) Award for Impactful Teaching in 2023.