Spanish Professor Named Corresponding Member of San Quirce Royal Academy of History and Art
Spanish Professor Named Corresponding Member of San Quirce Royal Academy of History and Art
Dr. Mike McGrath, professor of Spanish in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences’ Department of Foreign Languages, has earned distinction as a Corresponding Member at the San Quirce Royal Academy of History and Art (Real Academia de Historia y Arte de San Quirce) in Segovia, Spain. Unanimously named by members of the academy, this is the highest honor accorded a member who does not live in Segovia.
McGrath, a Georgia Southern alumnus, first visited Segovia as a participant in the Study Abroad Program before his senior year of college. Awarded the honor based on his scholarly contributions about the history and culture of Segovia including two books, several articles and conference presentations, McGrath says he never dreamed he would become a member of the Academy.
“One of the reasons this honor means a lot to me is my family and I consider Segovia our home away from home, and we are truly fortunate to have many friends there,” he said. “When I learned of the honor, I felt very humbled. I remembered the many people who live in Segovia and elsewhere who impacted my career, especially my Spanish professors at Georgia Southern – Dr. Judy Schomber, Dr. Nancy Shumaker and Mrs. Nancy Barrett.”
A native of Indialantic, Fla., McGrath earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish with a minor in English from Georgia Southern University. He earned a Master of Arts degree in Hispanic Studies from Middlebury College at the Vermont and Spain locations. In addition, he earned a Master of Arts degree in pastoral studies from St. Leo University, Fla. He also has a Ph.D. in Hispanic Studies from the University of Kentucky, Lexington.
McGrath is a member of the Cervantes Society of America, the Association of Hispanic Classical Theatre and the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. A Georgia Southern University faculty member for nearly 14 years, he serves on departmental committees, directs a study abroad program and serves as the editor of a monograph series, “Juan de la Cuesta Hispanic Monographs.”
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