Luis C. Cano

Luis C. Cano is a Professor of Spanish and Head of the Department of World Languages and Cultures at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He holds a Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania State University (1999). His research focuses on contemporary Latin American literatures with emphasis on popular genres like science fiction, detective fiction, and the fantastic.

Research Interests: Dr. Cano examines the development of Latin American science fiction through foundational works such as Los espíritus de la ciencia ficción, analyzing how early novels integrated Darwinism and Spiritism with utopian/dystopian themes. His work highlights the intersection of scientific discourse, political contexts, and literary aesthetics in 19th-century Spanish America.

Professional Roles: As department head, he oversees programs in multiple languages including Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. He contributes to interdisciplinary initiatives through the Language Resource Center and collaborates on study abroad programs.

Affiliations: His academic contributions align with the College of Arts and Sciences' mission, and he participates in university-wide initiatives like the Denbo Center for Humanities & the Arts' writing programs.