Catherine O'Leary

Prof. Catherine O'Leary is a Professor of Spanish and Assistant Vice Principal, Dean of Arts and Divinity at the University of St Andrews. She holds dual roles in academic leadership and research, currently directing the Cultural Identity and Memory Studies Institute (CIMS). She completed her PhD in Spanish literature at University College Dublin and has held positions at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth and St Andrews since 2013. She previously served as Head of the Department of Spanish (2014-17) and Associate Dean of Arts (2017-18).

Her research focuses on contemporary Spanish theatre, censorship, gender studies, cultural memory, and climate fiction. Key projects include studies on Franco-era theatre censorship and the role of translation in political resistance. She co-edited Global Insights on Theatre Censorship (2015) and authored Theatre Censorship in Spain: 1931-1985 (2023), funded by the AHRC. Current work explores Spanish Civil War exiles in Latin America and climate fiction's intersection with memory studies.

Teaching includes modules on women's writing in Spain, literary translation, and the representation of the Spanish Civil War. She is co-chair of the Scottish Arts and Humanities Alliance (SAHA), advocating for arts in higher education.