M. Mercedes Rodríguez has been teaching first- and second-year Spanish as well as advanced courses in conversation and interpersonal communication. Her classes take students out of Little Rock and into a Spanish-speaking environment for the duration of the class period to encourage communication in the language. Originally from Spain, Rodríguez received a PHD (ABD) in Art History (Contemporary Architecture) from Universidad Complutense of Madrid then attended West Virginia University, where she completed an MA in Spanish. She also currently teaches Medical Spanish at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
She and her husband, Victor, have six children. They travel to Spain each summer to visit family and to ensure that the children continue to be fluent in both Spanish and English.