Ana Maria Afzali

Ana Afzali is a medievalist who specializes in the history and literature of both Spain and Portugal. She is a tenured Professor at Citrus College in Southern California teaching Spanish culture, literature and language courses.

Ana is a scholar of the Iberian Renaissance and she has published extensively on the political and cultural history and literature of Spain and Portugal. She is also the author of the book “Modern Spain” (2009).  Ana has earned both her Masters and Doctorate in Spanish literature and languages from University of California, Los Angeles where she taught for four years.

A native of Madrid, she has traveled and lectured extensively through Spain and Portugal and she is the recipient of numerous academic awards.

Henry Luttikhuizen

Henry Luttikhuizen is Professor of Art History at Calvin College (Grand Rapids MI). He earned his Ph.D. at the University of Virginia and has taught for nearly three decades. Henry is a specialist in 15th-century Dutch and Flemish art. He has co-written textbooks on Medieval Art and on Northern Renaissance Art. Henry has also curated exhibitions on 17th-century Dutch art. He is a distinguished scholar who has served as the President of the Midwest Art History Society and as the President of the American Association of Netherlandic Studies. Henry has lectured on Dutch art and culture cross the United States. In his presentations, Henry enhances understanding through clarity and humor. He is committed to the notion that knowledge begins in wonder and lectures in a playful manner that encourages his audiences to re-imagine the past as they engage with the present and consider new possibilities.

Dianne Konz

Since 1992, Dianne Konz has led several Smithsonian Journeys groups to Spain and Portugal. She has taught Spanish literature, language, and civilization at the University of Texas at Austin and at The George Washington University. She has also lectured and published studies on Spanish and Latin American literature, and Spanish culture. Dianne'’s enthusiasm for Iberia grew from her experiences living and studying in Madrid. Her particular passion is the integration of the cultural arts in the context of their time. She approaches art and architecture, literature, music, and gastronomy as a reflection of a country'’s history, politics, and geography. Dianne's teachings of Spanish history and civilization include the Moorish and Islamic periods invasion, conquest, and occupation of Iberia, and the rich cultural heritage of the Islamic presence in Iberia.