“I believe that a college education has deep, transformative effects in young people’s lives and that professors have the great responsibility of inspiring and offering them an academic background that will allow them to be better prepared for the challenges of the adult world, and diverse societies where they will have to live. I am passionate about teaching. In my classes I try to challenge and encourage students to do their best.”

Title

Associate Professor of History

Educational Background

• Ph.D., University of Notre Dame – South Bend, IN
• M.A., University of Notre Dame – South Bend, IN
• B.A., Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos – Lima, Peru

Year Joined Franklin

2012

Expertise

My research focuses on the Peruvian military and the history of the Cold War in Latin America. I am also a trained anthropologist, I have done research on the gendered impact of political violence in Peru as a consequence of the internal armed conflict (1980-1992).

At Franklin I teach world history, historiography, and Latin American history. I am also very much interested in leading study abroad programs. So far, I have taken students to Costa Rica and Great Britain, where I have taught classes on the Cultural History of the Cold War in Latin America, and England, the 1960s and the Beatles, respectively.

What do your students learn about Latin America in your classes?

In my classes students learn about the most important historical events that have shaped Mesoamerican, South American and Caribbean societies the way they are today. We discuss some of the challenging narratives that have tried to explain the longer history of the continent as well as its geographic, ethnic and racial diversity. Some of the topics that we discuss in class are food, sports, music, and film. Students also develop an appreciation for certain cultural artifacts that are important components of Latin American popular culture such as salsa and soccer.

Selected Professional Accomplishments

Honors and Awards

2011-2012, Gender Studies Program, Teaching Apprenticeship, University of Notre Dame.
2010-2011, Kellogg Institute, Dissertation Year Fellowship, University of Notre Dame.

Grants

2016, Franklin College Runkle Faculty Development Fund to travel to Tepoztlan, Mexico.

Selected Scholarship

Presenter of the Paper “The School of Commandos, Body and Violence in pre and post-conflict Peru” in the Government Response to Fight Violence and Crime in Latin America Panel, LASA Conference, May 2016.
“Velasco, Nationalist Rhetoric, and Military Culture in Cold War Peru”, The Peculiar Revolution: Rethinking the Peruvian Experiment, 1968-1975, Carlos Aguirre and Paulo Drinot (eds.), Texas University Press, Spring 2017, forthcoming.
´Hoy o nunca´: la celebración de la batalla de sángrar y La reivindicación de memorias locales en la provincia de Canta, Políticas del Reconocimiento, de Diferencia y Ciudadanía Maria Eugenia Ulfe and Rocio Trinidad (eds.), Fall 2017, forthcoming.
“Ejercito cholificado: reflexiones sobre la apertura del ejército peruano hacia los sectores populares”. Iconos, Revista de Ciencias Sociales No.26. Populismo militar y etnicidad en los Andes. FLACSO, Quito, Ecuador, 2006.

What Students Say

“Dr. Hurtado is the most engaging and kindhearted professor I have ever had. She is so easy to approach and knowledgeable on so many different subjects. She is always sure to send me articles about topics she knows I am interested in, or that she thinks would be beneficial and upholds the lifelong learning value.” – Taylor Mull ’16

In My Spare Time…

In my spare time I love cooking. I have incorporated my love for ethnic food in the content of some of my history classes. I also love traveling. My husband and I usually go to South America in the summer.