Sandro Sessarego

Dr. Sandro Sessarego is Professor of Linguistics in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Texas at Austin, with affiliations in African Diaspora Studies and the Rapoport Center for Human Rights. He serves as Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies for LLILAS.

Education:

• Ph.D. Hispanic Linguistics - Ohio State University
• LL.M. Spanish Law - Universidad Internacional de la Rioja
• J.D. Spanish Law - Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia
• J.D. Italian Law - Università degli Studi di Roma

His research examines Afro-Hispanic linguistics, language variation, and the African Diaspora in Latin America, combining linguistic analysis with sociohistorical, legal, and anthropological approaches. Current work investigates language policy impacts on minority communities.

His published books have received International Latino Book Awards, with 60% of works addressing Afro-Latino vernaculars and 30% focusing on legal-historical contexts.

Major funded projects include NSF/NEH documentation of endangered Afro-Veracruz Spanish and Humboldt Foundation support for the Afro-Hispanic Language Atlas.