Rebecca Atencio

Rebecca Atencio is an Associate Professor of Spanish and Portuguese at Tulane University's School of Liberal Arts. She specializes in contemporary Brazilian literature, cinema, and television, with a focus on human rights, feminisms, and memory studies. She directs Tulane’s Gender and Sexuality Studies Program and serves as the Brazilian literature editor for the Luso-Brazilian Review. Her research explores the intersections of cultural production and political memory, particularly regarding Brazil’s military dictatorship and gender politics.

Education: Ph.D. and M.A. in Portuguese from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2006 and 2003), B.A. in Latin American Studies from Johns Hopkins University (2000). Professional roles include Executive Committee member of the Brazilian Studies Association and MLA Discussion Group.

Research interests span Brazilian feminisms, transitional justice, and the legacy of political violence. She has published widely, including her acclaimed book Memory’s Turn (2014) and articles on feminist activism, documentary film, and urban memory.

Awards:

• Simon Rodríguez Award for Best Undergraduate Teacher (2017)
• Thomas Award for Best Book (2015)
• Sturgis Leavitt Award for Best Article (2011)

Advising and Leadership: Supervised 2 theses/dissertations. Directed Tulane’s summer program in São Paulo (2014–2015). Founded the blog Transitional Justice in Brazil (2012–2014).

Labs/Teams: Leads Gender and Sexuality Studies Program; collaborates on projects like Transitional Justice in Brazil blog.