Ruth Oropeza

Areas of Specialization

Disease/Epidemics, Modern Spain, History of Medicine and 19th century Europe

Education

Ph.D., The University of Arizona
M.A., The University of Arizona
B.A., San Jose State University

Academic Interests & Research Narrative

My research interests center on the relationship between disease management and state building in nineteenth-century Spain. My dissertation, The Healing Nation: Hygiene, Sanitation, and the Public Health Enterprise in Spain, 1845–1920, examined the role of the Dirección General de Beneficencia y Sanidad in developing a national sanitation system. In particular, I focused on how cholera outbreaks of pandemic proportions disrupted social order and, at times, created opportunities for radical change. I was especially interested in questions of access and how these dynamics helped define citizenship. I am also interested in the history of medicine and animals.

Why I chose Baylor

I chose Baylor because my research interests focus on important questions of access, and I wanted to be part of a place where education extends beyond the classroom. Baylor’s mission of 'integrating academic excellence and Christian commitment within a caring community' reflects the values I hold and prioritize as an instructor.

Biography

I am originally from Durango, Mexico, and moved to San Jose, California, with my family at a young age. Although I’ve spent most of my life in California, I began graduate school in Arizona, and during that time my family relocated to Fort Worth, Texas. As a result, Texas had a special place in my heart even before I moved to Waco. In my free time, I enjoy live music and exploring art in all its forms. 

Selected Publications

Dissertation Title: The Healing Nation: Hygiene, Sanitation, and the Public Health Enterprise in Spain, 1845-1920

Reviews

Review of Kathryn L. Mahaney, Feminism, National Identity, and European Integration in Modern Spain: Defining a Democracy, 1960-Present, Volume 49 Issue 1

Selected Activities

Awards

• Core Curriculum Virtues Recognition Award 2024-2025 Virtue of Rigor

Grants

• Fulbright Scholar - Spain 2017-2018

Fellowships

• 2025 Teaching Fellowship Texas Collections
• 2024 Affordable Course Materials Fellow

Regular Course Offerings

Undergraduate:

• HIS 1300 | The Pandemics that Made Us
• HIS 2395 | Research Writing: History
• HIS 4300 | History of Medicine