Luis Martín-Estudillo is an interdisciplinary scholar and teacher whose publications connect a variety of periods, genres and national traditions. He has devoted books and articles to topics as diverse as the aesthetics of the Baroque, the history of reading, or the cultural politics of European unification, benefitting from insights in fields spanning from political science and philosophy to art history and literary theory. He is currently writing a new book on the relationship between the emergence of modern economic thought and artistic innovation at the end of the 18th century. A native of the Mediterranean city of Alicante, he arrived at the University of Iowa in 2005, the same year he completed a Ph.D. in Hispanic and Lusophone Literatures and Linguistics at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, and has been a Full Professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese since 2018. He is Executive Editor of the Hispanic Issues scholarly book series and the Hispanic Issues Online open-access journal, which have produced more than eighty collaborative monographs, and has served as director and editor of several other publications. His previous responsibilities include Director of Undergraduate and of Graduate Studies in his home department, Director of the European Studies Group, and Administrative Faculty Fellow for International Programs. Iowa has distinguished his work with recognitions such as the Collegiate Teaching Award, the Dean’s Scholar Award, and the Collegiate Scholar Award; he has also received three awards from the National Endowment for the Humanities. A failed orchestra conductor, he is however an avid chamber musician and can often be found lost (in reverie) in Iowa City’s Hickory Hill Park. Fall 2024 Office Hour: Wednesdays 1:00–2:00 p.m., Obermann Center (ABA)

Eleanor Ball is currently pursuing an MA in Library & Information Science with a focus on academic librarianship. She is especially interested in scholarly communications, critical cataloging, and research support. She recently received a BS in Public Health and English from George Washington University, where she led the undergraduate research journal. In her free time, she enjoys creative writing and avidly reading.

As the Associate Director, Lauren Burrell Cox works with the Director to design, plan, promote and conduct programs and to oversee communications for the Center in order to enrich the intellectual community on campus. She received her PhD in English with a concentration in film and media studies from the University of Florida. She is an avid podcaster and has co-created the podcast series Under Review: Rethinking Humanities Graduate Education and The Hipp Six.

In her role as Director of Operations, Erin Hackathorn handles the financial aspects of the center and operational issues at the center. She served as the Administrative Services Coordinator for the English Department for seven years. She is an active reader and vegetarian cook. A graduate of the University of Iowa, she lives in Oxford and enjoys spoiling her nephew.

Jenna Hammerich assists with Obermann's web presence and communications. She holds an MFA in nonfiction writing, an MA in English literature, and a postgraduate diploma in architecture. Previously she served as Deputy Managing Editor of The Iowa Review and as a writer for the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Jenna also manages a blueberry farm near Iowa City with her husband, daughter, and llamas.