Amy McNichols, Ph.D.

A professor who dives deep into the cultures, communities, and people involved in language studies.

Engaging | Interdisciplinary | Listener: Amy McNichols is invested and innovative in her role in the World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures Department. She dives into deeper issues like migration and communities and has taken a group of students to learn firsthand in Mexico City and Puebla. Whether students are just learning the language, a heritage learner working on their writing, or an advanced learner exploring cultural history through the writings, film, art, and music of Latin American and U.S. Latinx cultures, they may find themselves in her classes.
What’s your background? Where were you before McDaniel and when did you start here?: I arrived at McDaniel in 2003 after doing my Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. My specialization is Colonial Latin America. I did a M.A. and a Master of Arts in Teaching, both in Spanish, at Binghamton University, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Scranton. Originally from Upstate New York, I am a non-native speaker of Spanish who saw value in building bridges across cultures through learning languages. I found out in college how much I didn’t know and still needed and wanted to understand. So, I lived in Bolivia for some time, where my colleagues and the kids we worked with not only taught me about their world but also my own. That significant and humbling experience revealed a path of lifelong learning that led to this meaningful work and informs all that I do.
What have you enjoyed most during your time at McDaniel?: The people! From the day I interviewed, I was struck by how real everyone was, from staff to faculty to students, and that never seems to change. My colleagues are great, well-rounded people, and I genuinely enjoy being around my students. I stay in touch with them years after they’ve graduated and love getting them connected with current students.
What do you hope students take away from your courses?: My students may not remember dates, names, and books they’ve read, and maybe their language skills will get rusty over time, but hopefully they will carry with them a more open, curious, flexible, and informed way of being in this very complicated world.

Directory Profile for Amy McNichols

Amy McNichols, Ph.D.

About Prof. McNichols