Professor Daniel Nappo is from Bay City, Michigan, and attended Michigan State University, where he earned a Ph.D in Spanish Language and Literature. He is trained in Spanish poetry and narrative. He has taught in the Department of English and Modern Foreign Languages at the University of Tennessee at Martin since 2003.
While Nappo was growing up, his mother attended a local community college in Michigan. When she came home, she would tell him about her professor and how interesting her literature lectures were. Her interest made him want to go to college. When Nappo was financially able to earn his bachelor’s degree, he did not stop his education till he got his doctorate.
He believes that professors should have expertise in their area of study, be organized, and have people skills. Being organized is important because professors juggle multiple responsibilities at work and in their personal lives. People skills are important because professors need to be able to communicate with students. He also notes that a new set of young students start school every fall, and the professors only get older by the year.
Students learn more if they feel engaged with the professor. The opposite is true when the student feels distance from the instructor. Students have a harder time mastering class material when they feel distant. Nappo tries to relate to his students, “The most rewarding part of being a professor is cultivating interest in Spanish, advising students for three or four years, hearing students speak proficiently in Spanish, and seeing them walk the stage to get their diplomas.”
He is deadline-driven and strives to complete tasks on time. He tries to prioritize his time with his wife and kids, as his family is the most important thing to him. Mentally demanding tasks like writing and research get done first thing in the morning when his mind is fresh and grading papers usually get done in the evening since it is less demanding.
The culture of the department/campus at UTM is to help students develop skills. One aspect of teaching Spanish is assisting students to secure a job. Some students do not see the long-term benefit of learning a humanities subject. One day, Nappo would like to teach a comparative literature course (in English) on fantastic literature. The course could include texts and films from many different national traditions.
In March, Nappo attended the 54th annual PCA-ACA National Conference in Chicago, Illinois. He chaired a panel dedicated to Latin American literature and film and presented a paper entitled “Three Classic Films of Emilio Fernández and the Mexican Revolution”.
Nappo enjoys teaching and devotes most of his energy to it, which gives him immediate satisfaction. He plans on teaching for another 15 years or so until his wife, Professor Chara Van Horn from the Mass Media and Strategic Communication Department, decides to retire.
