Influential. Distinguished. Respected. Devoted. These are just some of the words used to describe Professor Malcolm Compitello, the Head of the Spanish and Portuguese Department, and recent recipient of the prestigious Association of Departments of Foreign Languages (ADFL) Award for Distinguished Service to the Profession. The ADFL awarded Professor Compitello this national honor due to his untiring commitment to the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, which he has headed for the last 20 years. His extensive experience mentoring and teaching students, while elevating the Spanish Department to one of the top three programs in the country, has set him apart from his colleagues as one of the defining leaders in his field.

Compitello was appointed the Head of the Spanish Department in 1995 and during his tenure, the number of Spanish majors has tripled to more than 500.  He has maintained an active role in mentoring PhD candidates by overseeing 27 doctoral dissertations and sitting on more than 45 doctoral committees. For those who have studied and worked with Compitello, his interest in his students’ academic success is both refreshing and sincere. All new graduate students must enroll in the Introduction to Graduate Studies Course which he teaches in order to prepare graduate students for the rigorous academic path ahead of them. The course is also supplemented by mock interview workshops which he facilitates in order to better prepare PhD candidates for entry into tenure-eligible positions across the country.

Former student Susan Larson studied with Compitello as an undergraduate and graduate student at Michigan State University only to transfer in the middle of her PhD program in order to complete her dissertation under his tutelage at the University of Arizona. “Dr. Compitello directed my dissertation and was nothing short of an ideal mentor,” she said.
Furthermore, in addition to increasing enrollment within the department, Compitello was also instrumental in the creation of several study abroad programs in Spain, Mexico, Chile and Brazil, offering students a chance to immerse themselves in the cultures in which they study.

In addition to his long-standing reputation as a dedicated mentor and professor, Compitello has also continually burnished his research bona fides. His research spans the Francoist and post-Francoist time period, both influencing and shaping the narrative of these important chapters in Spain’s history. Publishing four books and over 40 articles to date, Compitello has proven himself to be a prolific researchers and scholar. Closer to home, Compitello also founded the Arizona Journal of Hispanic Cultural Studies  in 1997 which broadens the discipline’s focus from one primarily centered on literary studies to one that encompasses a more holistic approach to cultural studies. The journal has since published a variety of articles analyzing the intersections of economics and politics as they influence the cultures of Spain, Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Chicano and Latino United States.

For the last several decades, Compitello has stood apart from the rest as a scholar, professor, mentor and administrator utterly devoted to the study of Hispanic language and culture. It is undoubtedly this tireless commitment to the profession which has earned him such national recognition.

“It is with great respect and enthusiasm that I applaud Compitello for receiving this prestigious, national award. It is only fitting that the ADFL recognize his many contributions and achievements and the truly exceptional, sustained quality of his service to the profession by awarding him this honor,” said Mary Wildner-Bassett, Dean of the College of Humanities.