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Research and teaching interests: Medieval Iberian Literature, Framed Tale Stories, Transmission and Translation of Stories and Exempla through the Middle Ages, History of Spain, Peninsular Literature, Comparative Literature, Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language.

Education

Ph.D. (ABD) in Hispanic Literature and Culture with specialization in Medieval Spanish Literature, University of Toronto.
M.A. in Hispanic Literature and Culture with specialization in Medieval Spanish Literature, University of Toronto, 2018.
B.A. in Literature, Magna Cum Laude, Universidad de los Andes (Bogotá, Colombia), 2014.

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Daniela Maldonado Castañeda earned her Bachelor's degree in Literature from Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia, graduating Magna Cum Laude with a meritorious thesis focused on Calila e Dimna, a collection of framed tale stories originally written in Sanskrit and translated from Arabic into Spanish during the Middle Ages on the Iberian Peninsula.

After several years of promoting writing and reading programs in vulnerable communities in Colombia, she relocated to Canada to pursue her M.A. and Ph.D. in Hispanic Literature and Culture at the University of Toronto. There, she has taught a variety of Spanish language and literature courses. Her doctoral dissertation centers on El Conde Lucanor by Don Juan Manuel, a well-known book written in Castile during the Middle Ages. Her research and teaching interests revolve around the rich literary culture and history of Medieval Iberia, with a particular emphasis on the interactions between cultures and languages that led to literary borrowings and adaptations. Her research has been supported by the Vanier Scholarship and the Ontario Graduate Scholarship.

Daniela is also deeply passionate about teaching Spanish as a foreign language. She served as the facilitator for the Community-Engaged Learning program of Spanish at the University of Toronto. Additionally, she was part of the team of authors who created "" (OER Pressbooks, 2020), a handbook and open resource for intermediate and advanced-level Spanish learners focused on listening comprehension skills.

Publications

Maldonado Castañeda, Daniela et al. A parar bien la oreja: cuaderno de Comprensión auditiva. Spanish Listening Comprehension Handbook for Intermediate and Advanced Levels. OER Pressbooks, 2020.

Rocha Osornio, J. C., & Maldonado Castañeda, D. “Tender puentes de reciprocidad global en tiempos de pandemia: Diseño e implementación de un programa internacional de aprendizaje-servicio virtual (APSv)”. Decires, 24 (30), 109-134, 2023.

Teaching

Professor Maldonado Castañeda teaches following courses:

SPAN 112: Beginn ing Spanish II
SPAN 302: Gramática avanzada y composición II
SPAN 380/LLCU 395: Classical Literature of Spain
SPAN 381/LLCU 395: Modern Literature of Spain
LLCU 247: The Dynamic History of Spain