Eyda M. Merediz

Eyda M. Merediz is an Associate Professor of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Maryland, affiliated with the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures and the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Center. She currently serves as Associate Director for Graduate Academic Affairs and Strategic Initiatives, and previously held roles such as Department Head of Spanish and Portuguese (2015–2021), Director of Graduate Studies, and Undergraduate Advisor for Latin American Studies. Her research focuses on Colonial Latin American Studies, Early Modern Transatlantic Literatures, and Caribbean cultural studies.

Earning her Ph.D. from Princeton University, Merediz has authored works including Refracted Images: The Canary Islands through a New World Lens and co-edited volumes like Approaches to Teaching the Writings of Bartolomé de las Casas. She designs study abroad programs in Cuba, Spain, and Ecuador, integrating cultural immersion into language pedagogy. Her recent projects explore Bartolomé de las Casas’ legacy in the Caribbean and transnational dimensions of Cuban cinema.

Merediz’s scholarly contributions bridge historical and contemporary analyses of colonialism, transatlantic exchanges, and postcolonial identity. Her courses emphasize Latin American popular culture, blending literary and visual materials. She actively shapes curricula at all academic levels, advocating for interdisciplinary approaches to language and culture.