Lourdes Sabé
Project Leader
Lourdes Sabé works in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese as Senior Lector of Spanish. She received her Teaching Degree and B.A. from the Universitat de Barcelona, M.A from Southern Connecticut State University, and Doctorate in Modern Languages from Middlebury College. At Yale, she has taught all levels of language courses (L1-L5) and coordinated Elementary Spanish and Intermediate Spanish II as an interim coordinator. She is a scoring trainer for the Spanish Language and Culture Advanced Placement (AP Test) and will coordinate the Catalan language program starting the AY 2026-2027.
Ryan McEvoy
Video Producer and Editor
Ryan McEvoy is a podcast and video producer at the Yale Broadcast Studio. Since 2018, he has focused on the production of podcasts by Yale faculty and graduate students, helping them to record, edit, and publicize their work. Ryan also oversees the broadcast and radio studios, which helps Yale experts appear on national TV and radio broadcasts.
Kristian Wingo
Website Designer
Kris Wingo is the language technology specialist at the Yale Center for Language Study (CLS). He supports language teaching faculty by providing one-on-one consultation, workshops and professional development opportunities, Canvas LMS assistance, and media design. He also supports the Shared Course Initiative, which connects language classrooms at Yale, Columbia, and Cornell to deliver courses on 21 less commonly taught languages.
When I first envisioned this project, I did not anticipate it would involve so many people, and its completion is due to this incredible partnership. From the volunteers who shared their time and personal life stories to technical support specialists who managed the recordings, editing, and developing of the YaleSites platform showcasing this undertaking, there are many individuals I would like to acknowledge and extend my gratitude.
Firstly, I am deeply grateful to the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, particularly Assistant Dean Jason Zentz, for granting me the Professional Development Leave. This time away from teaching allowed me to focus on curating the video repository.
A huge thank you goes to the Department of Spanish and Portuguese. I am particularly thankful to Jesús Velasco (former Chair), Steve Pitti (former interim Chair), and Jorge Méndez-Seijas (Spanish Language Program Director), for their support.
From the outset, the Yale Center for Language Study (CLS) played an instrumental role in the project’s development. I am thankful to Fernando Rubio, the CLS Director, and Mary Jo Lubrano, Associate Director. Their assistance and the CLS resources were crucial for the development and completion of the project.
Kris Wingo, the Language Technology Specialist at the CLS, has been a driving force in the development of the YaleSites website. His professionalism, positive attitude, and patience were essential for the project’s completion. Thanks to a CLS Instructional Innovation Grant we were lucky to have student worker Leander He onboard who helped build the website.
Additionally, I worked closely with Ryan McEvoy, video and podcast producer at Yale, who carefully managed the video recordings and collaborated with me throughout the extensive editing process. I also want to express my gratitude to Senior Director and Associate Director of Digital Education at the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning, Sara Epperson and Belinda Platt, respectively, for their support with the digital aspects of the project.
A special thanks to Catalina Méndez Vallejo, Associate Director of the Spanish Language Program at Princeton University, who coordinated Voces de Princeton, a digital collection of interviews and conversations in Spanish. She shared her expertise and offered suggestions on practical aspects such as scheduling and conducting the interviews.
Finally, I cannot thank enough the twelve interviewees for sharing their personal stories and allowing us to video record them. Faculty, students, staff members, and a senior administrator generously shared their narratives, some of which are deeply personal. Their participation is the heart of this repository. I am most grateful for your help and generosity.
Lourdes Sabé
New Haven, May 2025