The McMahon Distinguished Professor Scholarship to Study in Madrid and Buenos Aries

The McMahon Distinguished Professor Scholarship supports outstanding students participating in both the ECU summer study abroad programs in Madrid, Spain, and Buenos Aires, Argentina, during Summer 2026.
This scholarship encourages comparative research on how small museums, writers’ homes, and literary institutions shape and preserve national cultures—and how they contribute to the construction of literary careers in Spain and Argentina, by helping highly qualified students study in both Madrid and Buenos Aires in summer 2026. As participants in these programs, awardees will examine the ways writers and cultural figures are memorialized, how their works and reputations are curated, and how these processes help define national identity and cultural memory across both contexts.

To be eligible, applicants must:
• Be enrolled, as confirmed by payment, to participate in both of the following ECU summer study abroad programs in 2026: Spanish Language and Culture Immersion in Madrid with Dr. Lorenzo and Summer in Buenos Aires with Dr. Levi Altstaedter, Dr. Falasca, and Prof. Magali Krosl
• Be able to enroll in and complete upper-level coursework that includes embedded research projects related to the focus of the McMahon Professorship—exploring how small museums, writers’ homes, and literary institutions shape national cultures and construct literary careers.
• Be willing to develop a comparative research project as part of their studies in Madrid and Buenos Aires that engages questions such as:
How do small museums and writers’ homes contribute to the construction of national narratives and literary prestige?
In what ways do these spaces preserve memory, heritage, and identity?
How do Spanish and Argentine institutions differ in their approaches to presenting literature, authors, and history to the public?
What roles do local communities and audiences play in sustaining these cultural sites and reputations?
• Be an undergraduate pursuing a declared BA in Foreign Languages and Literatures major with a concentration in Hispanic Studies (catalog year through AY24) or Spanish and Hispanic Studies (catalog year AY25); an undergraduate pursuing a declared minor in Hispanic Studies; or a graduate student pursuing an M.A. in Hispanic Studies.
• Have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0.
• Preference will be given to students who demonstrate financial need.