Wendy Popiel, M.L.A.

About

¡Hola!  Teaching Spanish at CLU is a great joy for me.  My hope is that my students find the classroom to be a place to experiment with a new language while having fun in the process.  My main goal is to share my love of the Spanish language and Hispanic cultures with you. ¡Hasta pronto!

Work experience

California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks, California
Senior Adjunct Faculty Member, Spanish (2011-present)

Moorpark College, Moorpark, California
Adjunct Lecturer, Spanish language (2007-2009, 2014-present)

ELS Language Centers, Thousand Oaks, California

Instructor, English as a Foreign Language (EFL) (2012-2014)

Oxnard College, Oxnard, California
Instructor, Spanish (2006)

Handelshøjskole Syd, Sønderborg, Denmark
Visiting Lecturer, EFL (1992)

University of Denver, Denver, Colorado
Instructor, EFL  (1991)

U.S. Fulbright Commission, Quito, Ecuador (Fulbright Teaching Award)
Lecturer, EFL, TOEFL Preparation, and EFL Teacher Training  (1990-1991)

University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
Teaching Assistant, Spanish  (1980-1982)

California State University Domínguez Hills, Carson, California
Instructor, Spanish  (1981)

Honors received

• 2018 Adjunct Faculty Teaching Award, California Lutheran University
• 1991 - 1994, University of Denver:  Summa Cum Laude
• 1990 - 1991, Fulbright Teaching Award to Ecuador
• 1988 - 1990, University of Arizona:  Summa Cum Laude
• 1988 - 1990, University of Arizona Bilingual Education Award
• 1980 - 1981, Del Amo Fellow at University of Southern California
• 1978 - 1979, Del Amo Fellow at La Universidad Complutense de Madrid
• 1980, Phi Alpha Theta Honorary Society
• 1980, California State University:  Cum Laude
• 1978, C. Gulbenkian Scholarship in Portuguese Studies at University of California Santa Bárbara
• 1975, Bank of America Teaching Award
• 1975, Douglass-Cargill Teaching Award

Education

• MLA, Cross-Cultural Studies, University of Denver, 1994
• Post-Bac, Bilingual/English as a Foreign Language, Elementary Education Credential, University of Arizona, 1990
• Ph.D,  Spanish Language and Literature (1980-1982 incomplete), University of Southern California, 1980
• BA, Spanish and History majors, Mexican-American Studies minor, California State University Domínguez Hills, 1980
  

Expertise

Modern Language Faculty Specialist, Vista Higher Learning, 2017 to present.