University News
Combs Retirement Reception May 3
April 30, 2010
MACOMB, IL -- A retirement reception for Colleen Combs, professor of Spanish at Western Illinois University, will be held from 2-4 p.m. Monday, May 3 in Morgan Hall 332.
Combs has taught at Western since 1988. Prior to that, she served as an instructor of Spanish and French, secondary level, at St. Mary's Academy in Nauvoo (IL). Her teaching interests include the literature of Spain (19th century focus); introduction to literature for intermediate students; Spanish for law enforcement; and teaching methodology. She received her Ph.D. in Spanish literature from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (1996); her master's degree in Spanish language and literature from Illinois State University (1976); and her bachelor's degree in Spanish from WIU (1972).
Combs is the author of the book "Women in the Short Stories of Pedro Antonio de Alarcón" (Edwin Mellen Press, 1997) and of the journal articles Crímenes en las clase: a "Spanish for Law Enforcement" Course in the USA (Vida Hispánica, 2008) and Enrollment Trends and CALL Preferences in the Study of Foreign Languages: The View from a State University in the U.S. Midwest (AsiaCall Online Journal, 2007).
Combs also has presented at several academic and professional organizations, including training sessions in Spanish for west central Illinois law enforcement agencies (2008); a paper at the AsiaCall Conference (2006); presentations at the Illinois Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Annual Conference (2006 and 1994); a presentation at the Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities (2004); presentations at the WIU History Conference (2003, 1999, 1997 and 1995); a presentation at the Illinois Philological Association Conference (2000); a presentation at the Illinois Council on Teaching of Foreign Languages (1999); a presentation at the IPA Conference (1998); and a presentation at the Illinois and Missouri Joint Foreign Language Conference (1996).
In lieu of gifts, Combs requests that reception attendees make donations to the Western Illinois University Professor Emeritus Scholarship fund.
For more information, contact the foreign languages and literatures department at (309) 298-1558.
Posted By: Teresa Koltzenburg (WIUNews@wiu.edu)
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