Spanish Faculty
Dr. Suria Ceja-Vázquez
Dr. Suria Ceja-Vázquez was born in Michoacán, Mexico, and moved to Riverside, California, in 2000 at the age of 12. She received her B.A (2009), M.A (2011), and Ph.D (2015) from the University of California, Riverside, in Latin American literature with an emphasis on Mexican narrative. She has been teaching Spanish for the past 13 years; she joined College of the Desert in 2021. At College of the Desert, she aims to work and collaborate with her colleagues to continue promoting higher education, equity, and diversity. Dr. Ceja-Vázquez is committed to fostering and promoting an environment that supports students' learning and growth.
Email: svazquez@collegeofthedesert.edu
Office: COMM 215-L
Dr. Martha Torres Méndez
Dr. Martha Torres Méndez has been teaching Spanish since 2014 and became part of College of the Desert's faculty in 2022. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from CSU Channel Islands (2013) and both a Master of Arts (2015) and Ph.D. (2020) in Spanish from UC Irvine. Her scholarly focus on Latin American literature and culture informs her approach to instruction. She aims to develop engaging classroom environments where students gain linguistic proficiency while exploring the rich traditions and viewpoints across Spanish-speaking communities abroad and in the United States. Dr. Torres is dedicated to fostering students' communication skills and cross-cultural understanding.
