Cynthia Halpern, Ph.D., began teaching at Cabrini as an adjunct professor in 1984 and was immediately attracted to its beautiful campus and, more importantly, to its mission.
“Cabrini is a special place,” Halpern says. “It is great to be part of a community where ordinary people do extraordinary things.”
She describes her teaching philosophy as student-centered, and says the classroom is a place of learning where students and instructors come to share ideas.
“Students and faculty should feel that they have a voice and can express themselves in the classroom, while maintaining respect and a sense of community,” Halpern says.
In addition to her curriculum, Halpern created Casa Cabrini, a summer Spanish-language immersion experience for children ages 5-13; for many years (1995-2007), Cabrini’s Spanish majors served as counselors.
Halpern earned a doctorate in Spanish literature from Bryn Mawr College, and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in Spanish from Villanova University. Her research interests include political and feminist topics during the Golden Age of Spain, and the Spanish playwright Juan Ruiz de Alarcón.
Her publications include:
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The book “The Political Theater of Early Seventeenth-Century Spain with Special Reference to Juan Ruiz de Alarcón” (Peter Lang, 1993)
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“The Female Voice of Reason in the Plays of Juan Ruiz de Alarcón,” in the journal Bulletin of the Comediantes (BCom)
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“The Influence of Zapotec Women on Juan Ruiz de Alarcón,” in the inaugural edition of Shippensburg Modern Language Journal
Halpern is first author of “Civic Engagement for Enhanced Language Education in the 21st Century” in the collection of scholarly works published by One Voice International. She also has published a book review and a tribute to her mentor, the late Willard Fahrenkamp King, in BCom.
Halpern’s hobbies include spending time with family and friends, pets, and reading. She is married and has three children, and lives in Radnor, Pa.
Contact Information:
Cynthia Halpern, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair, Romance Languages
Founder’s Hall, Room 366
610-902-8341
cynthia.halpern@cabrini.edu