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María Luisa Parra-Velasco is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures at Harvard University. She holds a Ph.D. in Hispanic Linguistics from El Colegio de México and has over 20 years of experience in higher education. As the Spanish Language Program Director and founder of Harvard’s Spanish Heritage Language track, she designs inclusive curricula prioritizing bilingual and bicultural students. Her research focuses on bilingualism, heritage language education, and intercultural pedagogy, particularly for Latino communities in the U.S. Her work integrates community engagement, arts, and critical pedagogy to foster linguistic and cultural identity. She co-authored Enseñanza del español y juventud latina (2021) and leads initiatives like the Multilingual Family Resource Center. Awards include the Petra Shattuck Excellence in Teaching Award (2023) and recognition as Harvard’s Favorite Professor (2022). Education: B.A. Psychology (UNAM), M.A./Ph.D. Hispanic Linguistics (El Colegio de México) Leadership: Director of RLL’s Heritage Language Initiative, Harvard’s Spanish Language Programs Key Projects: Pioneered Spanish Heritage Language courses, developed intercultural curriculum frameworks Her research bridges language, identity, and education, with contributions to sociolinguistics and bilingual child development. She collaborates with institutions like the Harvard Art Museums and El Colegio de México to create pedagogical resources for diverse learners.

• Spanish as a Heritage Language
• Curriculum Design and Pedagogy
• Bilingualism and Identity
• +3 more

Germán Labrador Méndez is an Associate Professor of Spanish and Portuguese at Princeton University, where he has taught since 2008. He also held visiting roles at the Universität Hamburg and CUNY-The Graduate Center. His research focuses on Spanish and Galician cultural history, memory studies, and the intersection of poetry with social movements. Key works include Culpables por la literatura (2017), which examines counter-cultural dynamics during Spain's transition to democracy, and Libidinal Economy in the Spanish Transition (2018), co-curated with the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía. His scholarship bridges literary analysis with political critique, addressing topics like post-Francoist culture, crisis narratives, and the aesthetic politics of national identity. He earned his PhD from Universidad de Salamanca (Spain) and Université Paris IV-La Sorbonne (France). Awards include recognition in Art Forum ’s 2017 best books list. Current projects include an anthology of anti-Francoist poets and studies on Spain’s post-2008 cultural crises. Education: Ph.D. Spanish Literature (Salamanca & Sorbonne), M.A. Spanish and Latin American Literature (Salamanca & Sorbonne), B.A. Hispanic Philology (Salamanca). Publications span articles in Journal of Spanish Cultural Studies , Revista Hispánica Moderna , and edited volumes. He collaborates with cultural institutions like MACBA and the Reina Sofía Museum.

• Literary History
• Cultural History
• Memory Studies
• +5 more

Dr. Michela Coletta is an Associate Professor in Hispanic Studies at the University of Warwick, UK. She specializes in the intersection of cultural history and environmental humanities, with a transnational focus on Latin America, particularly Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. Her research explores decolonial thought, indigenous politics, eco-social knowledge, and environmental governance. PhD in Latin American History from University College London Her scholarly work spans nation-building in the Southern Cone, transatlantic cultural exchanges, and the role of indigeneity in environmental governance. She leads a cultural environmental history project on Buen Vivir with Andean and Amazonian epistemologies, funded by an EU Horizon 2020 grant (2022-2024) at FUB Berlin. Recent publications address transnational eco-political knowledge, border ecologies, and anti-extractive epistemologies. She is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and recipient of the Marie Curie Early Career Fellowship. Her teaching includes courses on Latin American modernity, nature, and Hispanic visual culture. Scientific Awards: EU Horizon 2020 individual grant Marie Curie Early Career Fellowship Advising: Supervised PhD work on decolonial projects in Latin America. Her research involves collaborations with scholars in Latin America and Europe.

• Cultural History
• Environmental Humanities
• Transnational and Interdisciplinary Studies
• +5 more

Professor Alison Ribeiro de Menezes is a leading Hispanist at the University of Warwick's Faculty of Arts, Department of Hispanic Studies. She previously served as Head of Department (2012-15), Head of School (2016-19), and currently holds the position of Deputy Chair (Research) for 2024-27. With academic roots in St Anne's College Oxford (DPhil in Spanish) and University College Dublin (lecturer 1995-2012), she specializes in cultural memory across Hispanic and Lusophone worlds. Doctorate from University of Oxford Lecturer at University College Dublin (1995-2012) Established Hispanic Studies department at Warwick (2012) Her research bridges literary analysis with cultural memory studies, focusing on: Memory debates in post-Franco Spain Transnational memory of enforced disappearances Relationship between memory and humanitarian history Cultural responses to dictatorship legacies Public humanities and virtual memory projects Memory as performative, embodied practice Recent publications and projects examine: Patricio Guzmán's documentary memory practices Chilean exile in British humanitarian contexts Colombian conflict transformation Spanish Civil War digital archiving Memory transmission across generations Memory's intersection with sustainability Scientific recognition includes: AHRC Research Development Fellowship Leverhulme Trust awards Canadian SSHRC grants European Union research support Foundational REWIND award recipient As a dedicated advisor, she has supervised: 11 current and completed PhD students Postdoctoral researchers in Latin American and Iberian studies Collaborative projects with global institutions She leads: Warwick's Connecting Cultures Global Research Priority Virtual Spanish Civil War Project Journal of Romance Studies special issues Collaborative work with Museum of Memory and Human Rights (Santiago, Chile) International partnerships in memory studies

• Hispanic Studies
• Cultural Memory
• Literature and Film
• +5 more

Fernando Blanco is a Professor of Spanish and Director of the Latin American Studies Program (LAMS) at Bucknell University. He also serves as Interim Director of the Bucknell en España Program. Educated at the University of Chile (B.A. in Hispanic Literature and Linguistics) and The Ohio State University (Ph.D.), his work bridges literary analysis with cultural and political critique. His research focuses on 20th/21st-century Latin American literature, queer studies, memory studies, and trauma studies. Key areas include Chilean LGBTQ+ narratives, post-dictatorship cultural memory, and the intersection of sexuality and neoliberalism. He has edited/co-edited influential volumes like Los Futuros de la Memoria en América Latina and Políticas del Amor . Notable publications analyze Pedro Lemebel’s performances, contemporary trans narratives in Chilean literature, and cinematic representations of queer politics. His 2017 Sylvia Molloy Award-winning essay on Lemebel’s final performance highlights his scholarly impact. Blanco’s work engages interdisciplinary methods, examining how literature, film, and performance negotiate identity, power, and historical memory. His research extends to digital spaces, analyzing platforms like Grindr in modern queer narratives.

• Latin American Literature
• Memory Studies
• Trauma Studies
• +3 more

Ignacio Javier López is the Edwin B. and Leonore R. Williams Professor of Romance Languages at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Arts and Sciences, and the first chair of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese. He has been a member of the Penn faculty since 1990 and previously taught at the University of Virginia. He has held visiting appointments at Princeton University, Johns Hopkins University, Villanova University, Bryn Mawr College, and Seoul National University. His research spans multiple areas of modern Spanish literature, with emphasis on Romanticism, Realism, Surrealism, and contemporary poetry. Key figures in his scholarship include Pedro Antonio de Alarcón, Benito Pérez Galdós, Emilia Pardo Bazán, the Generation of '98, and Guillermo Carnero. His work explores the intersections of narrative, ideology, and historical context in 19th and 20th century Spain. López's scholarly publications appear in leading journals such as Revista Hispánica Moderna , MLN , Hispanic Review (where he served as General Editor for fifteen years), Bulletin of Hispanic Studies , and Boletín de la Real Academia Española . His monographs and critical editions have significantly contributed to the study of Spanish narrative and poetry. The most recent works reflect a sustained engagement with ideological currents in the novel, the evolution of realist techniques, and the legacy of major literary figures. His publications demonstrate a strong trajectory in editing canonical texts and advancing interpretive frameworks in Hispanic literary studies. López has held significant academic leadership roles, including serving as chair of Romance Languages for fifteen years. He played a foundational role in establishing the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at Penn. Although no specific grants or advising roles are detailed, his editorial leadership and extensive publication record indicate deep mentorship and institutional influence. He is currently on leave during the 2025–26 academic year.

• Romanticism
• Spanish Literature
• 19th Century Spanish Narrative
• +7 more

Professor Duncan Wheeler is Chair of Spanish Studies at the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures, University of Leeds. He completed his undergraduate, master's, and doctoral studies at the University of Oxford and has been at Leeds since 2009, promoted to Professor in 2017. His research focuses on the interrelationship between cultural institutions, art, politics, and memory in Spain, particularly during the Golden Age and the post-Franco transition. Key areas include Golden Age drama, Spanish cinema, popular music, gender and sexuality, and contemporary Spanish culture. He is the general editor of the Modern Language Review and a trustee of the Modern Humanities Research Association. Wheeler’s recent scholarly output spans Golden Age theatre adaptations, bullfighting in media, Almodóvar’s cinema, and the political dimensions of Spanish popular culture. His work reveals a consistent interest in how cultural forms negotiate national identity, historical memory, and social change across centuries. Recipient of the 2023 Tecmerin Medal for Services to Spanish Cinema Inducted into the Spanish Academy of Stage Arts (2016) Leverhulme Research Fellow (2010–2012) Special Award from Anglo-Spanish Society (2012) He has advised and mentored numerous PhD students on topics ranging from traumatic pasts and cosmopolitanism to Hispanic women’s literary responses and exile narratives. He has led major research grants, including Marie Curie and British Academy projects, often addressing cultural memory and transnational performance. Wheeler is actively engaged in public scholarship, contributing to media outlets such as The Guardian , BBC , The Economist , and The Conversation , and giving keynote lectures internationally. He has also organized major academic conferences and serves on editorial boards for several leading journals.

• Golden Age drama and prose fiction
• Hispanic and European cinema
• translation
• +12 more

Alba Saura Clares is a researcher in the Department of Spanish Studies at the University of Murcia, Spain, affiliated with the Grup de Recerca d'Estudis de l'Exili Literari (GEXEL). She actively supervises PhD students with projects focused on Theatre Studies, Hispanic American Literature, Spain-Latin America Relations, and Republican Theatre in Exile. Her academic credentials include: PhD in Arts and Humanities (University of Murcia, 2018) Master in European Comparative Literature (2013) Degree in Hispanic Philology (2012) Prior research experience includes Predoctoral FPU funding (2014-2018) and an Initiation Research Grant (2013). Dr. Saura Clares' research examines intersections of theatre, gender, and political memory, particularly regarding Francoist Spain and Hispanic-Latin American cultural exchanges. Her work analyzes how classical myths are reinterpreted through feminist lenses and investigates theatrical representations of historical trauma and exile. Recent publications (2024) reveal dominant trends in contemporary Hispanic theatre studies, emphasizing embodied memory practices, gendered dissent, and the adaptation of biblical/Judeo-Christian motifs. Her scholarship consistently engages with political resistance frameworks and transnational literary connections. She currently leads the research project Archivo Escena Abierta (AEA) (2024-2026) as Principal Investigator and contributes to the national initiative La Historia de la Literatura Española: Exilio Republicano de 1939 e Interior (2021-2025) as a collaborator. As a core member of GEXEL, she participates in interdisciplinary investigations of literary exile phenomena, with particular focus on archival methodologies and artistic responses to displacement.

• Theatre Studies
• Hispanic American Literature
• Exile Literature
• +5 more

Héctor Melo Ruiz serves as Assistant Professor of Spanish at Carleton College, where he has been teaching since 2021. A specialist in Latin American Literature with expertise in 20th-and 21st-century Latin American Narrative, he is currently writing a book about the cultural representation of riots. His academic affiliations include the Modern Languages Association (MLA), Latin American Studies Association (LASA), and Asociación de Colombianistas. Dr. Melo Ruiz earned his PhD from The University of Notre Dame and his MA from Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia. His educational background reflects deep engagement with Latin American literary traditions and critical theory, providing the foundation for his scholarly work on violence, race, and intellectual history in the region. His research focuses on the intersection of literature, politics, and social movements in Latin America, examining how cultural texts represent collective violence, particularly urban riots and rebellions, and how these representations intersect with questions of race, class, and intellectual production. He has made significant contributions to the study of Latin American cinema, particularly Cuban film, and has explored the representation of crowds and masses in revolutionary contexts. His scholarship also engages deeply with colonial and postcolonial studies, examining how contemporary narratives engage with historical trauma and resistance. Dr. Melo Ruiz's scholarly trajectory demonstrates consistent engagement with critical issues in Latin American cultural production, moving from analyses of specific literary and cinematic texts toward broader theoretical explorations of violence, representation, and social change. His publications span multiple disciplinary approaches, integrating literary criticism with historical analysis, political theory, and cultural studies to provide nuanced understandings of Latin American social dynamics. His teaching portfolio reflects his research interests, with courses on labor, contemporary narrative, and urban unrest. For the upcoming academic year, he is scheduled to teach Intermediate Spanish (SPAN 103 and SPAN 204) and specialized courses including 'Riots, Rebellions & Revolutions in Latin America' (SPAN 385) and 'Racism, Immigration, and Gender in Contemporary Latin American Narrative' (SPAN 220).

• Latin American Literature
• 20th-and 21st-century Latin American Narrative
• Violence Studies
• +6 more

Naminata Diabate is Associate Professor of Comparative Literature at Cornell University's College of Arts and Sciences , with affiliations in Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; Performing and Media Arts; and the Africana Studies and Research Center. Her work bridges African and diaspora studies with cutting-edge research on gender, sexuality, and digital activism. Key Affiliations: Cornell University (College of Arts and Sciences), The Africa Institute (Advisory Board), Institute for Comparative Modernities Core Methodologies: Cross-cultural analysis of literature, film, social media, and oral traditions Research Themes explore the intersection of embodied agency and digital culture through: Women's political nakedness as resistance Queer representation in African cinema Digital media's impact on gender discourse Biopolitical frameworks in postcolonial contexts Transnational feminist dialogues Scientific Recognition : 2022 ALA First Book Award 2021 ASA Best Book Prize 2020 Duke University Press monograph on Naked Agency 2016-2020 MLA Executive Committee leadership Media Engagement spans international platforms including: Contributing writer for Voix/Voie de Femme and Writing Africa Featured expert on BBC's The Comb and PBS's Academic Minute Podcast appearances on Sound Africa and New Books in Women's History

• Gender Studies
• Sexuality Studies
• Biopolitics
• +9 more

Cécile Brochard is a Senior Lecturer in Comparative Literature at Nantes University's Department of Modern Literature (Faculty of Arts and Languages). Her career includes roles at the University of Caen-Normandie and longstanding contributions to the LAMO research laboratory. She holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of Nantes (2012) and specializes in decolonial narratives, Indigenous literatures, and multilingualism. Her research bridges political violence, cultural memory, and linguistic diversity, with emphasis on: Indigenous rewritings of myths in American/Australian contexts Dictatorship literature in Africa and Latin America Co-translation from Spanish/Guarani She coordinates projects like FOLK (folklore transmission) and ‘Matières poétiques’ (materiality in poetry), while her blog ‘Littératures autochtones’ curates global Indigenous literary resources. Administratively, she directs the Department of Modern Literature, oversees international relations, and represents Nantes University in EUniWell initiatives. She mentors doctoral candidates and has organized major events, including the 2024 ‘Paroles autochtones’ festival. Her translations of Augusto Roa Bastos and Simon Ortiz highlight her commitment to linguistic preservation.

• Comparative Literature
• Indigenous Literatures
• Postcolonial Studies
• +3 more