Agenda

Interview

1. Please provide a brief outline of your training and scientific activity.

I am Professor of Hispanic Linguistics at the Department of Lengua Española y Teoría de la Literatura of the Universidad Complutense of Madrid (Spain) where I completed my doctoral dissertation in 1993 and where I have taught since 2000. I were assistant professor at the Universidad Autónoma of Madrid from 1993 to 2000.

My research has focused on Spanish syntax, mainly from a descriptive and theoretical view, but also from a historical perspective. My work on Spanish syntax deals with theoretical and descriptive aspects of quantification, determination, negation, sentential modalities, comparison and the correspondence between the lexicon and syntax in reflexive constructions. My work on historical syntax and romance comparative syntax focuses on the evolution of interrogative, exclamative and optative constructions, as well as the history wh-words from Latin to current Spanish. I have also studied topics such as middle voice, prepositions, conjunctions and adverbs from a diachronic point of view.

I have been main researcher of three supported projects about microparametric variation in Spanish, and leaded the consolidate research group at UCM Theoretical grammar of Spanish since 2006. I have supervised eight doctoral dissertations, three of them have received European mention and two have been awarded special prizes.

Regarding professional service activities, I have been vice-dean for academic organization and study programs at the Facultad de Filología of UCM (2006-2010) and head of the department of Lengua española y Teoría de la Literatura (2012-2021). I collaborate with several institutions and quality agencies by evaluating research activities.

2. Please state your reasons for choosing Venice and the Department for your research and teaching stay.

I was kindly invited by professor Laura Brugè, whom I know since our doctoral studies in the Instituto Ortega y Gasset of Madrid. I have followed his work in recent years with great interest.

1. Have you ever had a research collaboration with the teaching staff of Department of Linguistics and Comparative Cultural Studies in the past?

I have never had a research collaboration with the teaching staff, but I hope this will be an occasion to carry out collaborative research.