Published on September 22, 2021 by Sean Flynt  
Sara Ortega-Higgs
Sara Ortega-Higgs

Samford University’s Department of World Languages and Cultures welcomed Sara Ortega-Higgs as Postdoctoral Assistant Professor of Spanish this fall.

Born in Spain to missionary parents, Ortega-Higgs spent her formative years in Grenoble, France. The family relocated to Puerto Rico in 1999, and she became a French instructor at the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) while pursuing a doctoral degree in Hispanic Studies (UPR) and a second one in Romance Languages Studies (Université Stendhal-Grenoble 3). In 2004, she received her first teaching appointment in the continental United States at Lee University, where she served as a Spanish and French language professor 2005-2021.

Ortega-Higgs’ research interests include medieval Castilian poetry of the 15th century, gender studies and contemporary Spanish novels. Her work has been published in peer-reviewed academic journals both in Spain and Latin-America. Her passion for human rights and social justice has led her to serve as a translator for several nonprofits and for families seeking to adopt children overseas.

Ortega-Higgs and husband Chad have two sons, Isaac and Samuel. The family enjoys traveling, youth ministry, global missions work and the national Spanish soccer team.  

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.