Decolonial Approaches to Latin American Literature and Art Professors and Supervisors

Enrique Muñoz-MantasView profile

Academic

University of Notre DameUnited States

Julia A. KushigianView profile

Professor

Connecticut CollegeUnited States

Julia A. Kushigian is the Hanna Hafkesbrink Professor of Hispanic Studies at Connecticut College, where she has taught since 1985. She also serves as the Social Justice and Sustainability Pathway Coordinator. Her academic leadership extends to advising Hispanic Studies & Latin American and Latino Studies majors and minors, as well as Social Justice & Sustainability Pathway students. Kushigian's research focuses on the intersection of culture and representation of peripheries in twentieth and twenty-first century Latin America. Her scholarship engages transborderism, addressing geographic experiments in narrative and poetry from Middle Eastern- and Asian-Latin American and Hispanic Studies. Her wide-ranging interests include literature, art and cultural studies; Indigenous and racial ecologies and poetics; decolonial thinking; and feminist aesthetics. Her publications demonstrate consistent engagement with Latin American literary canon and emerging theoretical frameworks. The most recent work, The Resilient Apocalypse (2024), examines apocalyptic narratives across centuries, while earlier works like Orientalism in the Hispanic Literary Tradition (1991) established her scholarly reputation. Her research shows an evolving trajectory from literary criticism toward ecological and decolonial approaches. Hanna Hafkesbrink Professorship Fulbright Specialist, Ecuador 2023-24 (The Eradication of Gender-based Violence project) Kushigian has demonstrated significant leadership both within and beyond Connecticut College. She has served as President of NECLAS (New England Council of Latin American Studies), President of the New London Rotary Club, and held various community positions including Board President of the Hispanic Alliance of Southeastern Connecticut and Justice of the Peace in Waterford. Her Fulbright project in Ecuador involved workshops, talks, panels, and advising on grant proposals for future workshops in Indigenous communities. Her academic service includes past directorship of CISLA and the Holleran Center, reflecting her commitment to international education and community engagement.

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Ewurama OkineView profile

Assistant Professor

Northwestern CollegeUnited States

Dr. Ewurama Okine serves as Assistant Professor of Spanish at Northwestern College, specializing in applied linguistics and intercultural competence development through peer-driven language instruction. Her academic foundation includes doctoral training at Texas A&M University and language immersion in Cuba, preparing her for interdisciplinary teaching including the innovative 'Spanish for Veterinarians' project-based course. Her educational credentials comprise: Ph.D. in Hispanic Studies, Texas A&M University Graduate Certificate, Texas A&M University M.A. in Spanish, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Language Immersion, Universidad de Cienfuegos Carlos Rafael Rodríguez (Cuba) B.A. in Linguistics, University of Ghana Dr. Okine's research pioneers Afro-Hispanic linguistic studies , investigating Ghanaian/Nigerian influences on Equatoguinean Spanish and Pichi creole through sociolinguistic fieldwork. Her pedagogical scholarship advances the PACE model for grammar instruction, emphasizing conceptual understanding over rote memorization. This dual focus bridges theoretical linguistics with practical language education, particularly in underrepresented African Spanish contexts. Analysis of her 2018-2024 publications reveals three dominant trajectories: (1) systematic documentation of linguistic transfer phenomena in Equatorial Guinea's Spanish varieties, (2) innovative pedagogical frameworks for beginner/intermediate Spanish instruction, and (3) critical examinations of Afro-Hispanic cultural production from literature to music. These strands collectively advance understanding of Spanish as a global language shaped by African influences. Her scholarly contributions have earned significant recognition: Honoring Teaching Excellence Award (2020, Texas A&M) Melbern G. Glasscock Graduate Research Fellowship (2023) College of Arts & Sciences Travel Fellowship (2023) Lechner Award for Academic Excellence (2019) Chancellor's Graduate Student Award (UW-Milwaukee, 2018) Dr. Okine's research is sustained through competitive fellowships supporting fieldwork and conference participation, while her teaching excellence is evidenced by awards and interdisciplinary course development. She actively disseminates findings through international conferences including the Hispanic Linguistics Symposium and Afro-Hispanic Symposium, contributing to global dialogues on language variation and pedagogy. Though specific research laboratories aren't documented, her collaborative approach is evident in interdisciplinary veterinary Spanish curriculum development and presentations at specialized symposia focused on African linguistic heritage, indicating engagement with transnational scholarly networks in Afro-Hispanic studies.

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Megan BehrentView profile

Associate Professor

The Graduate Center, CUNYUnited States

Megan Behrent is an Associate Professor of English at City Tech, CUNY, specializing in twentieth and twenty-first century American literature with a focus on literature and social movements at the intersection of race, gender, sexuality, and class. Her scholarship bridges literary studies, feminist theory, and social justice activism, with particular emphasis on the intellectual legacies of Audre Lorde and Adrienne Rich. Behrent's research centers on the intersection of poetry and political activism, most notably through her forthcoming book Poetry & Politics: Audre Lorde, Adrienne Rich, and the Women's Liberation Movement . Her work examines how these iconic feminist writers navigated differences in race, sexuality, and class while building solidarity, and how their poetry served as both political tool and personal lifeline. Her scholarship spans feminist literary history, Black feminism, queer theory, and critical pedagogy. Her publications appear in prestigious journals including Arizona Quarterly , College Literature , Harvard Educational Review , SIGNS: Journal of Women in Culture and Society , and Workplace: a Journal of Academic Labor . She has also contributed to important collections such as Inside Our Schools (Harvard Education Press, 2017) and Education and Capitalism (Haymarket Books, 2012). Behrent has received significant research support including a National Endowment of the Humanities faculty award (2020-2021), multiple PSC-CUNY Research grants, and a fellowship at the Center for Place, Culture, and Politics. These awards have enabled her archival work on feminist literary history and social movements. She actively participates in the CUNY academic community through collaborations with Lost & Found: The CUNY Poetics Document Initiative and the Graduate Students' Council at the CUNY Graduate Center. Her scholarly presentations often focus on the contemporary relevance of feminist literary traditions and their applications to current social justice movements.

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