Professor Emeritus - Institute for Pilgrimage Studies
George Greenia took his undergraduate degree at Marquette University in Milwaukee and PhD at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He is a specialist in the languages, literatures and linguistics of medieval Spain and teaches courses on Spanish language, Epic and Nationalism, Hispanic Folktales, and Love and Prostitution in Medieval Spain – not a how-to course! He is co-founder of the William & Mary Program in Medieval and Renaissance Studies and founder of the William & Mary Institute for Pilgrimage Studies. His interest in world pilgrimage spans many times, territories and traditions and he is an authority on the legendary Camino de Santiago in northern Spain where he has trekked over 4,000 miles, half on bicycle, half on foot. For study abroad he took W&M undergraduates backpacking on the pilgrimage trails in Spain to conduct interdisciplinary field research. In 2007 Greenia was both recognized as the Distinguished Editor of the year by the Council of Editors of Learned Journals and was knighted by order of the king of Spain and awarded the Cross of the Order of Isabel the Catholic. He is a recipient of the President’s Medal from the Phi Beta Kappa Society and of the Compostela Prize for preservation of European heritage awarded by the Compostela Group of Universities. George Greenia has long been an advocate for LGBTQ+ students and was faculty facilitator of the Monday night Gay Student Support Group for 24 years. He contributed to establishing the earliest non-discrimination policies at William & Mary and advocated for domestic partner benefits. He lives in Williamsburg with his spouse of 35 years, Tom Wood.
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About George Greenia
George Greenia took his undergraduate degree at Marquette University in Milwaukee and PhD at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He is a specialist in the languages, literatures and linguistics of medieval Spain and teaches courses on Spanish language, Epic and Nationalism, Hispanic Folktales, and Love and Prostitution in Medieval Spain – not a how-to course! He is co-founder of the William & Mary Program in Medieval and Renaissance Studies and founder of the William & Mary Institute for Pilgrimage Studies. His interest in world pilgrimage spans many times, territories and traditions and he is an authority on the legendary Camino de Santiago in northern Spain where he has trekked over 4,000 miles, half on bicycle, half on foot. For study abroad he took W&M undergraduates backpacking on the pilgrimage trails in Spain to conduct interdisciplinary field research. In 2007 Greenia was both recognized as the Distinguished Editor of the year by the Council of Editors of Learned Journals and was knighted by order of the king of Spain and awarded the Cross of the Order of Isabel the Catholic. He is a recipient of the President’s Medal from the Phi Beta Kappa Society and of the Compostela Prize for preservation of European heritage awarded by the Compostela Group of Universities. George Greenia has long been an advocate for LGBTQ+ students and was faculty facilitator of the Monday night Gay Student Support Group for 24 years. He contributed to establishing the earliest non-discrimination policies at William & Mary and advocated for domestic partner benefits. He lives in Williamsburg with his spouse of 35 years, Tom Wood.
| Present | Professor Emeritus, William & Mary ‐ Medieval and Renaissance Studies Department | |
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Disciplines
Research Interests
Honors and Awards
- Spring, 2017 • Elected Honorary Fellow of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP)
- Spring, 2016 • Lifetime Achievement Award from American Pilgrims on the Camino
- Fall, 2015 • Phi Beta Kappa Society President’s Award and Judith F. Krug Medal
- Spring, 2014 • Co-Founding member, International Fraternity of the Camino de Santiago, headquartered in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, Representative for the United States
- Summer, 2010 • “Ángel del Camino” Award, conferred by the Concejo de la Enxebre Orden de la Vieira
- Fall, 2007 • Encomienda de la Orden de Isabel la Católica, granted by S.M. Juan Carlos I, King of Spain • Distinguished Editor Award for 2007, International Council of Editors of Learned Journals
- Fall, 2006 • William & Mary Gay and Lesbian Alumni/ae Association, Founders’ Cup for Outstanding Lifetime Service to the Gay and Lesbian members of the College of William & Mary Community
Contact Information
George D. Greenia, gxgree@wm.edu, 634 Counselors Way, Williamsburg, VA 23185-4059 USA
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