Profile
Nick Saenz is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of History. He was born in Arlington, TX and raised in Libertyville, IL. Before starting graduate school at UC San Diego, Nick was a Mellon-Mays Undergraduate Fellow at the University of Chicago. He graduated with honors in 2005, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science. Nick received a Master of Arts degree in history from UC San Diego in 2009. Research support for his dissertation project has been provided by the Program for Cultural Cooperation between Spain’s Ministry of Culture and United States’ Universities and the Institute for International, Comparative, and Area Studies. As a Fulbright Scholar during 2009-2010 he completed archival research in Madrid and Seville, Spain. His dissertation project explores political culture in Andalusia during the period 1766-1823, examining the role of local actors in the transition from absolutism to liberal democracy. Nick has organized three digital exhibitions for the Southworth Spanish Civil War Collection of the Mandeville Special Collections Library. He is currently a Teaching Assistant in the Making of the Modern World Program at Eleanor Roosevelt College. This summer, Nick will teach the course “Spain since 1808” as an Associate-In for the Department of History. Nick has served in various leadership roles on campus. These have included conference organizer, proponent of graduate education, and diversity advocate. He is currently in his second term as President of the UC San Diego Graduate Student Association.
