Mercedes Orfelinda Torres is originally from the Matamoros, México and Brownsville, Texas border region. She holds a BA in Spanish with a Minor in Spanish Translation, an Associate Degree in Translation Studies, and an MA in Spanish, all from The University of Texas at Brownsville.
She is currently the Program Manager & Translator of the Office for Bilingual Integration, and provides support in administrative tasks and translations for the Translation and Interpreting Office.
She has worked as a freelance Translator since 2005 delivering services to the Curriculum and Instruction Department at legacy institution UTB/TSC, and to medical and legal offices in Brownsville.
She was an instructor and taught Advanced Spanish during the Spanish for Faculty and Staff Professional Development for UTRGV in Mérida, Youcatán, México in July 2018.
Ms. Torres has 17 years of experience lecturing in both face-to-face and hybrid delivery methods of instruction at her alma mater and in the Department of Writing and Language Studies at UTRGV. She also taught Advanced Placement Spanish and Dual Enrollment Spanish at Gladys Porter High School in collaboration with The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College from October 2010 to June 2012.
She has taught lower and upper level courses, including SPAN 2311/2312 Intermediate Spanish I and II (Summer Bridge Program), SPAN 2313/2315 Spanish Native/Heritage Speakers I and II, SPAN 2321/2322 Hispanic Literature and Civilization I and II, SPAN 3330 Advanced Grammar, SPAN 4316 Acquisition of the Spanish Language, and SPAN 4368 Children’s Literature; and worked as a linguistics graduate teaching assistant.
During 2003-2005, as President of the Honorary Society Sigma Delta Phi, Chapter Tau Chi, she coordinated children's literature readings in Spanish throughout the Brownsville community. In her spare time, she writes short stories in Spanish and Calaveras, and has presented her work in conferences and symposia in Brownsville, Edinburg, and Matamoros, Tamaulipas, México.
Program Manager/Translator Liaison
Office for Bilingual Integration
Email:
mercedes.torres@utrgv.edu BLHS 2.424
Phone: (956) 882-7829
