Elizabeth Marchant

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Since Elizabeth Marchant joined the Department of Spanish and Portuguese in 1998, it’s no coincidence that enrollment in several courses has mushroomed. An associate professor, Marchant has done much to boost interest in Latin American studies on campus.

“I try in a small way to make them feel that I care whether they learn or not. That may sound simplistic,” she said, “but in a large university like UCLA a lot of students feel anonymous, and they appreciate it when someone cares about their learning.”

Marchant worked with graduate students two years ago to develop a highly popular, interactive Web site for Portuguese language instruction. The site offers up-to-date supplemental material on Portuguese grammar and culture, and provides a wealth of information on areas not generally covered in the language texts, such as Portuguese-speaking Africa.

Because Marchant’s colleague, Jesus Torrecilla, won the 2004 Distinguished Teaching Award, she didn’t think another teacher from the same department would be chosen for the same award this year. That the honor has been bestowed on her nevertheless is a tribute to her compassion and outstanding teaching skills.

— Ajay Singh, UCLA Today