Celia Reissig-Vasile

Dr. Celia Reissig-Vasile
cvasile@mercy.edu

Education
Fordham University, New York, New York
PhD: Language, Literacy and Learning May 2005

Manhattanville College, Purchase, New York
Professional Studies: TESOL May 1993

The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
Master of Arts: Latin American Studies, May 1988

New York University, New York, New York
Bachelor of Arts: Spanish and French Language & Literature May 1984

Professional Experience
Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, New York (1993-present)
School of Liberal Arts, Associate Professor of English and Spanish--Department of Literature and Language—Graduate English Program, Undergraduate English Program, Modern Foreign Language Program

Hudson Valley Writers’ Center, Sleepy Hollow, New York (April 2008-2010)
Creative Writing Workshop Facilitator

Purchase College, Purchase, New York (2004-2008)
Adjunct Instructor--Liberal Studies Program, Language and Culture, Teacher’s Center

Harrison High School, Harrison, New York (1992-1993)
Spanish and French Teacher, Foreign Language Department
Advanced Placement Spanish and French, lower-level Spanish and French

Rye Country Day School, Rye, New York (1988-1989)
Spanish Teacher, Foreign Language Department
Spanish: all levels

University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas (1986-1987)
Assistant Instructor, Spanish Department
Spanish: all levels

Ballet Hispanico of New York, New York, NY (summer of 1984)
Research Consultant: wrote curriculum guide for New York City Public Schools on teaching Latin American culture and history through dance and music

Professional
Activities
Mercy College, Chair of Department of Literature and Language (2016-present)
Mercy College sabbatical leave: Spring 2016: Contemporary Argentine Film and Parallel University Argentina 1930-1955: Colegio Libre de Estudios Superiores
Mercy College Honors Program Director: Oversee academic aspects of Honors Program, Chair of Honors Advisory Council, 2013-2015
Mercy College Committees: Global, Cultural and Diversity Committee (Chair, Spring 2013-present), CASL (2013-present), FCTL advisory board (2012-2013), Graduate Appeals Committee (2011-2013), Institutional Review Board (2011-2013), Faculty Development Committee (2008-2010), Strategic Planning Committee (2006-2008), Faculty Senate (2006-2008)
Mercy College School of Liberal Arts, Chair of Curriculum Committee, 2008-2013
NEH Humanities Initiative Grant, Latino and Latin American Studies Project, Project Director, 2010-2013
Faculty Development Grant, Faculty Development Committee, Mercy College, 2012
Received research grant to write article on the pedagogical potential of the films of the Cuban filmmaker Tomas Gutierrez Alea for dissemination of NEH grant work
Faculty Development Grant, Faculty Development Committee, Mercy College, 2010
Received research grant used for study on women’s literature of the Mexican Revolution, at the University of Texas at Austin, Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection, Rare Books and Archives Section
Faculty Development Grant, Faculty Development Committee, Mercy College, 2006
Received research grant used for study on intellectual activity in Argentina from 1930-1950, housed at the University of Maryland in College Park
Title III Grant, Department of Education, 1997
Designed and implemented multicultural programs and curriculum revision at Mercy College
English and Civic Education Grant, Department of Education: 1999
Coordinated staff development program for the Immigrant Resource Centers of Westchester County
President, NYSTESOL, Higher Education, 1990-1992

Presentations:
Conferences:
Models of Dialogic Teaching, Appliled Linguistics Conference, Odense, Denmark, 2015.
Reimagining Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz. International Humanities Conference, Paris, France, 2012
Community Art as a Transformative Experience. International Conference on Art in Society, Venice, Italy, 2009.
Vygotsky and Freire: Their Relevance to Second Language Teaching. NYSTESOL Annual Conference, Saratoga Springs, NY 1996.
Transactional Model of Teaching. Conference on Diversity, Mercy College, Bronx, NY, 1994.
Language and Academic Skills. NYSTESOL/ Higher Education, Uniondale, NY, 1994.
Mainstreaming Strategies. NYSTESOL/ Higher Education, Columbia University, NY, NY, 1994.

Book & Film Talks:
Icíar Bollaín, Even the Rain, International Film Festival, Mercy College, 2017
Gaston Bilaben, Cautiva, International Film Festival, Mercy College, 2010
Guillermo del Toro: The Devil’s Backbone, International Film Festival, Mercy College, 2006
Isabel Allende: House of the Spirits, Book Talk, Mercy College, 2005
Carlos Saura, Tango, International Film Festival, Mercy College, 2004

Poetry Readings:
Hudson Valley Writers Center, Sleepy Hollow, NY 2015
Poetry on the Hudson, Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, NY 2014
ArtsWestchester, White Plains, NY, 2011
Port Chester Multicultural Arts Fest, Port Chester, 2010, 2009, 2008
Hudson Valley Writer’s Center, Sleepy Hollow, 2007
Reflections/Reflexiones, Mercy College, 2001
A Bilingual Reading, Panacea Book Store, 1998

Publications
Where Oblivion Shall not Dwell, in Home: An Imagined Landscape (ed. Marjorie Agosin), Solis Press, 2016
Blues in C Minor, Blue Door Quarterly Journal of Literature and Art, 2014.
ArtsSpeak: Poetic Response to Art, Time and Tide, Blue Door Art Gallery, 2013.
Community Art as a Transformative Experience, International Journal of Arts in Society, October 2009.
Nancy Cerda: Poetry in Translation. Off the Coast. Vol. XI, No. 3, Sept. 2005.
Collaborative Learning in the College Classroom: Patterns of Discourse in Small-group Discussions of Literature. Fordham University, 2005.
Sicilian Journeys. Sicilia Parra, St. John’s University, 2000.
Reflections/Reflexiones. Ghia Editorial, Argentina, 2000.
Writing for a Purpose. NYSTESOL Newsletter: Higher Education, Summer/Fall, 1993.
Mama. Dactylus: Revista Literaria. Departamento de Espanol y Portuges, Universidad de Texas en Austin, Numero 7, Otono 1987.
Professional
Organizations
National Collegiate Honors Council
Northeast Regional Honors Council
Hudson Valley Writers’ Center
Latin American Studies Association
American Association of University Women
Modern Language Association
ACTFL
Research Interests
Latin American literature:
Historical Memory and literature: the post-dictatrial period in the Southern Cone; The film of Cuban filmmaker Tomas Gutierrez Alea; Narrative voice in Luisa Valenzuela’s short stories; female perspectives of the Mexican Revolution: Nellie Bellocampo; Bemberg and Paz’s reimaging of Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz; Argentine intellectual activity from 1930-1950: Escuela Libre de Estudios Superiores
Spanish Literature:
A critical history of Don Quijote de la Mancha; Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz
Pedagogy:
Second language acquisition; collaborative learning; comparative grammars: Spanish and English; the Spanish subjunctive mood; developing communicative competence in the Spanish language classroom

Community
Service
Beacon Arts (2016-present)
Stony Point Neighborhood Association (2013-present)
Poetry Caravan (2012)
Lecturas Latinas (1996-present)
Founded and coordinated community literary discussion group on Latin American literature
Port Chester Council of Community Services (2004-2009)
Member of the Latino Council
Port Chester Council of the Arts (2004)
Board member
Voz y Vida: Organizacion Latina (1994)
Member of group representing the Latino community in Mamaroneck, New York
Port Chester School District: Curriculum Committee (1995)
Helped district evaluate the middle school curricula

Language Skills
Spanish/English: bilingual
French: fluent
Italian: fluent

Awards & Honors
Empire State Challenger Award, 1990
New York University Scholarship, 1984
Founders Day Award, 1984
Prix Emanuel Molho Librarie de France, 1984