Originally from Guadalajara, Mexico, Dr. Urzúa-Montoya moved to the United States in 1993 to pursue her undergraduate and graduate studies. She holds a B.A. in Broadcasting and Spanish from Arizona State University, and a M.A. and Ph. D. in Hispanic Literature from The University of Arizona. Her areas of specialization include 19th to 21st Century Spanish American and Peninsular literature and culture, and Medieval and Golden Age Spanish literature. Besides teaching, she enjoys books, dancing, movies, hiking, cooking, and travelling, especially to Guadalajara, where all her immediate family still resides.