Cole Rizki

Cole Rizki is Assistant Professor of Latin American Studies at University of Virginia with affiliate appointments in Women, Gender, Sexuality and American Studies. He holds a PhD from Duke University (2020), MA from University of Wisconsin-Madison (2013), and BA from Smith College (2008).

His research examines transgender cultural production and state violence across the Americas, working at intersections of visual culture, memory studies, and performance theory. Primary investigations focus on how political demands emerge through aesthetic practices in response to illiberal state violence.

His honors include the Sylvia Molloy Prize and ACLS Fellowship supporting his monograph Travesti Tide: Trans Politics Beyond Liberalism. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on Transgender Studies and Queer Theory.