A&M International Faculty Member invited to Speak to Students in Nebraska

A Texas A&M International University faculty member will share her experiences and success with students and faculty members of her alma mater during "Master's Week" at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UN-L) in November.

Dr. Norma E. Cantú, professor of English and author of Canícula: Snapshots of a Girlhood en la Frontera, was selected among numerous outstanding nominees to participate in UN-L's 1999 Master's Week program. Master's Week, sponsored by UN-L's Alumni Association and the Chancellor's Ofice, provides an opportunity for successful alumni to share life experiences and to serve as role models for students.

The event's purpose is to help students realize the many ways they can apply their formal education to successful careers and update them on current developments in their intended professions. It also helps faculty members keep abreast of significant trends and developments in their fields.

"It's quite an honor," said Dr. Cantú referring to the invitation, "When I was going through my Ph.D. program, I never imagined I would be selected for something like this."

Cantú said she plans to present a reading from Canícula during a meeting with graduate and undergraduate students in her alma mater's English department.

Cantú, a native of Laredo, received her Ph.D. in English from UN-L. She earned her master's degree at Texas A&I University-Kingsville with honors and her bachelor's degree from Texas A&I University-Laredo.

She most recently served as the Acting Director of the Center for Chicano Studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara. She has also served as Senior Arts Specialist at the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington, D.C.

Her research areas include folklore, cultural studies, and Chicana literature. She has published poetry, short fiction and critical essays. She served on the National Association of Chicano Studies editorial team for Chicana Voices: Intersections of Race, Class and Gender.

Her book Canícula, an autobioethnography that chronicles her growing up in Laredo, Texas, received the Premio Aztlan in 1996. She has been named a Fulbright research fellow to Spain twice. Cantú is currently working on various publication projects including a new novel tentatively titled, Hair Matters.

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