Lisa M. Merschel

Assistant Professor of the Practice of Romance Studies

  • ¡Hola a todos! I have been teaching Spanish at Duke since 2001!
  • I have a Ph.D. in Spanish literature.
  • I live in Hillsborough with my husband, daughter, and goldendoodle.
  • I started learning Spanish when I was 16, and started out in college at the elementary level.
  • When I was 20, I left the country for the first time, landed in Córdoba, Spain, and was forever changed by the experience.
  • I love study abroad programs and have directed ones in Mexico and in Spain, in efforts to connect students with some of the amazing experiences that I enjoyed when I was in college.
  • I love pursuing hobbies. For example, a few years ago I set out to learn local bird songs and can usually identify the songs around me.
  • I became so fascinated by NLHE poker that I played in the World Series in Las Vegas.
  • Other interests include flamenco dance, and trying to learn the names of native wildflowers around me in local hikes.
  • I am so grateful to have learned Spanish, which has brought incredible opportunities and joy to my life, since I was 16.
  • I consider myself to be incredibly fortunate to teach Spanish at Duke.