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Department: World Languages and Literatures

English/World Languages and Literature Building

2S-109

Willowbrook Campus

Department Contacts

Department Chair

Lucas Marchante-Aragon
Phone : 718.982.3700
Contact Via Email

Coordinator of American Sign Language

Russel Rosen
Phone : 718.982.3700
Contact Via Email

Coordinator of Arabic

Oswaldo Zavala
Phone : 718.982.37002
Contact Via Email

Coordinator of Chinese

Jean Tsui
Phone : 718.982.3709
Contact Via Email

Coordinator of French

Jeanne-Rachel Leroux
Phone : 718.982.3883
Contact Via Email

Coordinator of Italian

Paola Ureni
Phone : 718.982.3707
Contact Via Email

Coordinator of Latin

Gerry Milligan
Phone : 718.982.3703
Contact Via Email

Coordinator of Spanish

Oswaldo Zavala
Phone : 718.982.3706
Contact Via Email

Remembering Professor Ruth Calderon-Gutierrez

Ruth Calderon-Gutierrez was a Spanish professor at CSI from 1965 until her retirement in 2010. When she retired, she was the longest-serving member of our department, and possibly in the College as a whole. She taught hundreds, if not thousands, of students in all levels of Spanish language, civilization, and literature. She specialized in pre-Hispanic civilizations and shared her love of indigenous cultures with her students and colleagues. Ruth also organized poetry-memorization competitions for students. Her colleagues will undoubtedly remember her office, which was packed with artwork and artifacts from Latin America and around the world. She was instrumental in hiring many of the current members of our department’s faculty. She was also a native French speaker, in addition to Spanish. Her family had fled France in 1941, after her father escaped from a Nazi internment camp outside of Paris and, with the help of the International Rescue Committee, emigrated to the United States. She had a remarkable life and she is missed.

World Languages and Literatures Department Overview

The Department of World Languages and Literatures prepares students to flourish in our diverse city and interconnected world. Students who have majored in Italian and Spanish have gone on to successful careers, and they have been accepted at top Schools and PhD programs. We encourage all students to minor in a second language. Language skills and cultural competence provide the leading edge in the job market and advance intellectual and personal growth.

What are some obtainable jobs with World Languages and Literatures degrees?

  • Education

  • Fashion

  • Export/Import

  • Manufacturing

  • Food Industry

  • Shipping

  • Publishing

  • Advertising

  • Airlines

  • Banking

  • Diplomacy

  • Communications

  • Interpreting

  • Journalism

  • Telecommunications