She holds a M.A. in Spanish from Saint Louis University-Madrid campus, and a Ph.D. in Spanish Literature from the University of Florida. She has lived abroad in Greece, Turkey, Venezuela, Mexico, and Spain, and has enjoyed traveling throughout Europe and Latin America. Before coming to COD in 2012, she taught Spanish for three years as a Graduate Assistant Teacher at the University of Florida and was chosen as the recipient for the 2011 Award for Cooperative Leadership in Teaching by the UF Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies. She studied abroad in her undergraduate and graduate career, and has also directed both COD Spain and Costa Rica summer programs in recent years. In addition to her academic interests, Donna enjoys a variety of music and film, traveling, exploring different cultures, and the great outdoors.