Mercè Oliva is an Associate Professor at the Department of Communication, Pompeu Fabra University (UPF), Barcelona. She serves as Director of the B.A. Programme in Audiovisual Communication and Coordinator of the MEDIUM Research Group. Her academic background includes a PhD in Social Communication (2010) and a Bachelor's in Audiovisual Communication (2002) from UPF. Research Focus: Television and Reality TV Celebrity and Media Culture Neoliberalism and Political Communication Video Games as Cultural Artifacts Her recent publications analyze: Visual motifs in political coverage (handshakes, hugs, kisses) Citizens' responses to neoliberal resilience narratives Celebrity tax evasion cases (e.g., Cristiano Ronaldo) Video game cover art as neoliberal propaganda Working-class stereotypes in Spanish media ('chonis', 'canis') Key collaborations include co-PI roles in projects like 'Heroes of the Crisis' (2015-2019) and 'Redistributive Imaginaries' (2022-2025), funded by Spain's Ministry of Economy and AEI/NextGenerationEU.
Dr. Katarzyna Paszkiewicz is Associate Professor in English and Film Studies at the University of the Balearic Islands and a researcher with ADHUC – Research Center for Theory, Gender, and Sexuality at the University of Barcelona. Her work bridges film theory, cultural studies, and the environmental humanities, with a focus on ecologically oriented film analysis, videographic ecocriticism, and affect theory. She has held visiting positions at the University of Pennsylvania, University of Melbourne, University College Dublin, and Harvard University. Her research explores intersections of gender, genre, and ecology in cinema. Key projects include Cinema and Environment: Affective Ecologies in the Anthropocene and Female Filmmakers and Feminism in the Media (FEMME) , an international initiative funded by the French National Research Agency. She has contributed extensively to debates on the Final Girl trope, eco-road movies, and gender dynamics in crime fiction and horror cinema. Dr. Paszkiewicz’s recent publications interrogate petrocultural aesthetics, queer temporalities, and the ethics of care in films like Titane , The Florida Project , and American Honey . As a member of teaching innovation groups such as Lletra de Dona , she develops interdisciplinary tools for literary criticism in virtual environments. Her work emphasizes dialogue between academia and industry to advance gender equality in media.
Sara Martín Alegre is a Professor in the Department of English and German Studies at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). She specializes in Gender Studies, Science Fiction, and Cultural Analysis, with a focus on posthumanism and masculinity in media. Her research explores themes such as gender fluidity, AI ethics, and the intersection of popular culture with academic discourse. She has directed numerous research projects and supervised doctoral theses, including works on human-eating monsters in film and transhumanism in literature. Her teaching includes courses on contemporary Anglophone literature, gender studies, and Victorian literature. She actively collaborates in publishing initiatives, such as e-books with students and academic monographs on topics like masculinities in cinema and science fiction. Her work bridges traditional literary analysis with modern digital humanities, emphasizing the role of popular fiction in academic exploration. Award-winning scholar and author, her contributions include monographs like *Detrás de la máscara: masculinidades americanas en el documental contemporáneo* (2023) and edited volumes on topics ranging from children in cinema to 21st-century miniseries. Her research highlights the sociopolitical implications of gender representation in media, from Shakespearean adaptations to modern science fiction narratives.
Mariana Ripoll Fonollar serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of English Philology at the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), where she has established herself as a dedicated educator and researcher. Her academic career is deeply rooted at UIB, where she completed all her formal education and currently maintains her primary institutional affiliation through teaching and research activities. Education: PhD in English Philology from the University of the Balearic Islands Master's Degree in Teacher Training (2018) Bachelor's Degree in English Philology (2017) Dr. Ripoll Fonollar's research primarily focuses on gender studies and popular fiction studies, with particular attention to women's historical writing and the history of British feminism. Her scholarly work bridges literary analysis with feminist theory, examining how historical narratives of women's suffrage are represented and repurposed in contemporary contexts. She brings this research expertise into her teaching across multiple degree programs at UIB. Her publication record demonstrates a consistent focus on the intersection of feminism, historical representation, and popular literature. Recent articles analyze suffragette narratives in contemporary fiction, examining how postfeminist contexts reshape historical understanding of women's suffrage movements. Her work appears in respected venues including The Conversation, Routledge publications, and the Revista Alicantina de Estudios Ingleses, reflecting both academic rigor and public engagement. Dr. Ripoll Fonollar is an active member of the LITANGLO (Contemporary Anglophone Literatures) research group and has contributed to significant research projects funded by the Spanish Government. Her involvement in the 'Romance for Change' project (PID2021-122249NB-I00) demonstrates her commitment to examining diversity, intersectionality, and affective repair in contemporary romantic narratives. In her teaching capacity, she supervises final degree projects across multiple programs while delivering courses on English language, academic text interpretation, and specialized English for various disciplines. Her teaching portfolio spans Education, Catalan Language and Literature, Art History, Philosophy, and other programs, demonstrating her versatility as an educator.
Rocío Araceli Badía Fumaz is a Researcher at the Faculty of Spanish Language and Literary Theory , Complutense University of Madrid. She specializes in Literary Theory , Poetics , and Intermediality , with a focus on relationships between literature and music in contemporary Spanish works. Key research areas : Explicit poetics, authorship theory, intermedial analysis, neoplatonic influences in poetry Collaborations : Works with authors like Clara Marías and Ottmar Ette Projects : "Tomar la palabra" (Intertextuality and Intermediality in pedagogy) Recent publications explore: Intermediality models (intrinsic, extrinsic, referential) Poetic career of María Victoria Atencia Authorship conflicts in explicit poetics Neoplatonic influences in contemporary Spanish poetry Teaching focuses on literary theory didactics and Golden Tradition pedagogical applications.
Maria Consuelo de Frutos Martinez serves as a Professor in the Department of Classical, French and Italian Philology at the Faculty of Philology, University of Santiago de Compostela. Her academic specialization centers on Italian Philology, and she actively participates in the Italian Studies research group focusing on Italian literary traditions. She completed her Doctorate at the University of Santiago de Compostela in 1996 with a dissertation titled "Influence of the Italian poetics writers of the fifteenth century in López Pinciano's Philosophía antigua poética," supervised by Dra. Maria Isabel González Fernández. Her research spans Italian literature from medieval to contemporary periods, literary translation between Italian and Spanish, feminist theater analysis, and medieval literary adaptations. Key publications examine Dacia Maraini's feminist theater reception in Spain, Dante's Divine Comedy adaptations in Curros Enríquez's O divino sainete and Pardo Bazán's Mi romería, Galician Decameron translations, and Tristanian character adaptations in Italian literature. She has also contributed to lexicography through a Galician-Italian vocabulary project. Analysis of her 2006-2013 publications reveals consistent exploration of Italian-Spanish literary relations, with recurrent themes of feminist perspectives, classical work adaptations, and medieval-to-contemporary literary transmission. Her work demonstrates particular attention to paratextual elements in translations and cultural exchanges between Galicia and Italy. No scientific awards were documented in available sources. Information regarding graduate student supervision or research grants was not provided in the source materials. She maintains active affiliation with the Italian Studies research group within the Department of Classical, French and Italian Philology, focusing on Italian Philology through collaborative projects and publications.
Marta Pascua Canelo is a Juan de la Cierva Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Department of Philology, Communication and Documentation at the University of Alcalá, Spain. She holds a PhD with International Mention and an Extraordinary Doctoral Award from the University of Salamanca (2023), where she previously held an FPU predoctoral contract. She earned her undergraduate degree in Hispanic Philology from the University of Alcalá. Her research is deeply interdisciplinary, situated at the intersection of contemporary Hispanic literature, gender studies, disability studies, feminist theory, and visual culture. PhD in Spanish and Latin American Literature, University of Salamanca (2023) Bachelor’s in Hispanic Philology, University of Alcalá Her work explores the representation of visual impairments and bodily differences in literature by women as forms of feminist and anti-ableist resistance. She investigates how 'poetics of the eye' challenge patriarchal and ocularcentric epistemologies, particularly through the concept of the 'almost blind' as a site of creative and symbolic power. Her research also engages with exocanonical literature, queer narratives, affect theory, and the politics of authorship. She has published extensively in journals such as 452ºF , Perífrasis , and Kamchatka , and has authored and co-edited several books, including the forthcoming No por no ver no veo (2025). Her publications reveal a consistent focus on literary resistance, bodily autonomy, and marginalized voices in 21st-century Hispanic writing. Her scholarly contributions have been recognized with the Premio ASETEL for best article (2020), the Extraordinary Doctoral Award, and the International Mention from the University of Salamanca. She is an active participant in academic discourse, contributing to edited volumes, book reviews, and interdisciplinary projects such as the SENSOTECA Congress on sensory poetics in contemporary Hispanic literatures. She collaborates with scholars across Spain and Latin America and is involved in public outreach initiatives that bring non-canonical topics into educational settings. Premio ASETEL al mejor artículo (2020) Premio Extraordinario de Doctorado (2023) Mención Internacional en Doctorado Marta Pascua Canelo supervises and mentors emerging scholars indirectly through her research group GILCO (Contemporary Literature Research Group) and her editorial collaborations. She has contributed to academic training through teaching documents and outreach projects like 'Otra Onda,' which introduces non-canonical topics such as transgender realities and science fiction into educational curricula. Her research is supported by the Juan de la Cierva Formación program, a competitive postdoctoral fellowship in Spain. She is a key member of the GILCO research group at the University of Alcalá, which focuses on contemporary literature, and contributes to broader academic networks through collaborations with institutions in Latin America and Europe. Her work bridges literary analysis with critical theory, activism, and pedagogy, positioning her as a leading voice in the study of feminist and disability-informed approaches to contemporary Hispanic literature.
David Roas Deus is a full Professor of Literary Theory and Comparative Literature at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, where he is a leading figure in the study of fantastic and horror literature. He is affiliated with the Department of Filology, Communication and Documentation and directs the Group of Studies on the Fantastic (GEF), a research group dedicated to the academic exploration of the fantastic in narrative. His work bridges creative writing and literary criticism, making him a key intellectual in contemporary Spanish letters. Ph.D. in Literary Theory, Autonomous University of Barcelona His research centers on the theoretical foundations of the fantastic , particularly its philosophical and cognitive dimensions. He investigates how fantastic narratives disrupt perception of reality, provoke metaphysical anxiety, and challenge literary norms. His interests span from 19th-century Spanish literature to modern speculative fiction, with a special focus on horror, the short story, and narrative ambiguity . He argues that the fantastic is not merely about fear, but about the collapse of epistemological certainty. The analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals a consistent engagement with the boundaries between reality and fiction , the psychology of the impossible , and the historical evolution of the fantastic in Hispanic culture. His works combine theoretical rigor with creative insight, often blurring the line between criticism and narrative. The keywords across his articles reflect deep interdisciplinary engagement with philosophy, cultural history, and cognitive studies. His scientific recognition includes the Setenil Award (2011) for best short story collection and the 4th Málaga Essay Prize . These awards highlight his dual excellence in both creative and academic writing. His works have been translated and disseminated internationally, particularly in Latin America and Portugal. David Roas has supervised numerous research projects and leads the GEF research group, fostering collaboration among scholars of the fantastic. While specific grant details are not listed, his extensive publication record and editorial leadership suggest sustained research funding and institutional support. He has also edited major anthologies and critical collections, contributing to the academic legitimization of the fantastic genre in Spain. He is the director of the Group of Studies on the Fantastic (GEF) at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, a hub for interdisciplinary research on speculative narratives. The group promotes conferences, publications, and international collaborations, positioning Roas at the center of a growing academic network focused on the fantastic in literature and culture.
María Magdalena Flores Quesada is a full-time lecturer and researcher at the University of Málaga's Department of English, French and German Philology. She holds a PhD in English Literature (2022) with outstanding cum laude , focusing on ethics and vulnerability in contemporary British fiction. Her academic roles include interim substitute teaching and participation in national/international conference organizing committees. Her research explores ethical dimensions of mother-daughter relationships, vulnerability representations, and gender dynamics in modern British literature. Key projects include collaboration on the Gender and Spiritism in Andalusia (2019–2021) and Orientation: A Dynamic Perspective on Contemporary Fiction (2018–2021). She is a member of the Contemporary Literature in Europe research group (HUM-858) and serves on ASYRAS's governing board since 2019. Publications span peer-reviewed articles in Oceánide , Études britanniques contemporaines , and ES Review , with thematic focus on vulnerability in works like Eleanor Oliphant Is Not That Fine and Hot Milk . Her work bridges literary analysis with pedagogical innovations, including pandemic-era digital education strategies. Awarded the 2018 Catalina Montes Award for literary research excellence, she actively contributes to academic governance through conference organization and editorial work. Ongoing research emphasizes ethical encounters in transnational narratives and postmodern literary ethics.
Marta Villalba Lázaro is a PhD Assistant Professor at the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB) Department of English Philology, holding the academic rank of Assistant Lecturer with a PhD. Since April 2022, she serves as the UIB's Director of International and Cooperation Development. She has taught English in double degrees such as Business Administration and Tourism, tutored final degree projects, and contributed to interdisciplinary research groups. Education: PhD in Philology (UIB, 2018) with international mention Master in Modern Languages and Literatures (UIB & Bangor University, 2014) Bachelor of English Philology (UIB, 2013) Bachelor of Law (1986) Her research focuses on Victorian and postcolonial literatures, particularly examining intersections with legislative changes and classical reception. Her publications span journals like Law & Literature , Studies in Theater and Performance , and RAUDEM , alongside book chapters with publishers Aranzadi and Routledge. Recent work explores mythological adaptations and feminist critiques of legal frameworks in Victorian contexts. Key research affiliations include: Modern and Contemporary Anglophone Literatures (LITANGLO) - Consolidated R+D+I Group Member Private Law and Innovation (IPL) - R+D+I Group Member Scientific awards include the Extraordinary Doctorate Award (2018). Her teaching spans courses like English for Science (Biology), Business English, and academic texts interpretation, with ongoing supervision of final degree projects across multiple disciplines.
Helena González Fernández is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures and English Studies, University of Barcelona. She serves as director of ADHUC (Research Center for Theory, Gender, and Sexuality) and is a corresponding academic of the Galician Academy. Her work intersects feminist literary criticism, affect theory, gender studies, and the analysis of Galician and Brazilian literatures. Key Affiliations: ADHUC (2016–), UNESCO Chair on Women, Development and Cultures (2003–), former director of Dona i Literatura Center (2014–2016) Research Leadership: IP of multiple projects including 'Creación i Pensamento de les Dones' (2009–2024), 'Tránsfugas y parias modernas' (2018–2021), and 'Elaboración de entradas con contenidos de género para Wikipedia' (2018–2021) Research Focus Specializing in feminist textual analysis, she examines: Gender dynamics in 21st-century Iberian and Latin American popular culture Affect theory applications in literary emotion studies Galician literary canon through feminist lenses (Rosalía de Castro, Xohana Torres) Brazilian women authors (Hilda Hilst, Carol Bensimon) Testimonial literature of Francoist/Nazi repression survivors Academic Contributions Her 15 most recent publications (2013–2023) reveal: Deep engagement with feminist periodicals through A Saia digital archive Analysis of queer temporalities in Mad Max: Fury Road and graphic novels Epistemological continuum in Galician-Portuguese feminist discourse Intersectional approaches to migrant women's affective exclusion Deconstruction of aging obscenity in pandemic contexts Transnational feminist networks through World Gender Research Scientific Leadership Co-director of A Saia (2014–) Former director of Lectora and Abriu journals Coordinator of Lletra de Dona teaching innovation group (2016–2025) Advising Legacy Has guided 31 graduate theses covering: Queer temporalities in autobiographical texts Violence against girls in Romanian post-communist fiction in digital feminist education Postmodern spectral women in ballet Ciberfeminist technology reimaginings Shōjo culture and female beauty norms Collaborative Labs Leads ADHUC's Creación y Pensamiento de las Mujeres group (2009–), which: Maintains A Saia feminist periodical archive Organizes international conferences on gender ethics Develops Wikipedia entries with gender perspective Partners with Galician Culture Council Receives funding from AGAUR, MICINN, and ICD Focuses on affective communities and exclusion figures
Paloma Fresno Calleja is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of English at the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB), specializing in Postcolonial Literatures and Gender Studies. She serves as Deputy Director of the Department of Spanish, Modern, and Classical Languages and is the lead researcher of the UIB's research group Contemporary Anglophone Literatures (LITANGLO). Her research focuses on New Zealand and Pacific literatures and cultures, with a notable monograph titled Patricia Grace: Diálogo Intercultural e Identidad Maorí (2001) and co-edited works such as Beyond Borders: New Zealand Literature in the Global Marketplace (2023). She has contributed extensively to journals like the Journal of Commonwealth Literature and Contemporary Women's Writing , and her translations of New Zealand and Pacific short stories into Spanish include the pioneering anthology Un País de Cuento: Veinte Relatos de Nueva Zelanda (2014). Recent research projects include The politics, aesthetics and marketing of literary formulae in popular women's fiction: History, Exoticism and Romance (2017–2020) and Romance for Change: Diversity, Intersectionality and Affective Reparation in Contemporary Romantic Narratives (2021–ongoing). Her work explores the intersection of postcolonial theory, popular romance fiction, and affective reparations. As a member of the Consolidated R+D+I Group Contemporary Anglophone Literatures, she contributes to the analysis of postcolonial literatures, literary theory, and the sociology of literature. Her teaching encompasses subjects like Postcolonial Literatures in English, Gender and Culture in the English-Speaking World, and practical placements, with a focus on postgraduate supervision.
Matilde Delgado Reina is a Researcher at the Department of Audiovisual Communication and Advertising at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB). She holds a Ph.D. in Communication Studies (1996) and a degree in Information Sciences (1991), both from UAB. Her work focuses on European television programming, audience interaction via social media, public service media strategies, and gender representation in media content. She has led/co-led multiple research projects funded by Spain’s Ministry of Science and Competitiveness, exploring topics like social TV engagement and European TV fiction trends. Research Projects: "De la hegemonía a la competencia" (2019–2022): Analyzed 30 years of European public TV programming strategies. "Redes sociales y televisión generalista en Europa" (2016–2018): Investigated audience use of social media with TV content. "TELERREALIDAD" (2013–2015): Explored advertising integration in European DTV reality shows. Research Interests: European TV programming dynamics, digital media transformation, audience engagement strategies, gender representation in popular series, and comparative analysis of public vs. commercial TV content. Her recent work highlights the role of social media in redefining TV audience participation and the cultural value of local fiction series across Europe. Key Contributions: Over 40 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, including studies on Made-for-TV movies in Europe, the role of cartoons in generalist TV, and Twitter interaction with reality shows like The Voice. Her work often bridges academic and policy realms, informing debates on media regulation and cultural identity. Labs/Teams: Member of the Grup de Recerca en Imatge, So i Síntesi (GRISS) research group, focusing on audiovisual communication and media innovation.
Aitor Ibarrola Armendariz is a Professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Basque Studies within the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities at the University of Deusto, Bilbao. He teaches courses on interethnic relations, diversity management, academic writing, and literary adaptations of works, with extensive editorial contributions including volumes such as Fiction and Ethnicity (1995) and On the Move: Glancing Backwards to Build a Future in English Studies (2016). His research centers on ethnic minority fiction, immigrant narratives, and cultural hybridization, with particular focus on trauma studies and Native American literature. He examines how literary works negotiate identity formation through historical memory, border crossings, and cultural reconciliation, often analyzing how marginalized voices challenge dominant narratives through narrative structure and linguistic innovation. Analysis of his recent publications reveals sustained engagement with contemporary American literature's treatment of historical trauma, especially in works by Louise Erdrich, Toni Morrison, and Sherman Alexie. His scholarship consistently connects literary analysis to broader social justice concerns, emphasizing reparatory justice frameworks and the role of narrative in healing collective wounds across Native American, immigrant, and diasporic communities. Professor Ibarrola Armendariz has supervised doctoral research on diverse topics including national identity preservation in Eastern Europe, Chicano autobiography, magical realism, and Ukrainian immigrant integration in the Basque Country, demonstrating his interdisciplinary approach bridging literary studies, cultural anthropology, and migration sociology. His ongoing projects include a book on historical trauma and ethnicity and research on diasporic identities in the American West context.
Patricia Palomares Sánchez is a predoctoral researcher at the Department of Communication and Social Psychology, University of Alicante, Spain. Holding a Master’s in Communication and Creative Industries and a Degree in Advertising and Public Relations, she focuses on television discourse and fiction through semiotic and gender lenses. She is a member of the research group Industrias Culturales Hoy (UA) and serves as section editor for the Mediterranean Journal of Communication , contributing to the Spanish TV Discourse Observatory Teletropías . Education: Máster en Formación del Profesorado de ESO y Bachillerato, FP y Enseñanzas de Idiomas, Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche (2024) Máster Universitario en Comunicación e Industrias Creativas, Universidad de Alicante (2021) Grado en Publicidad y Relaciones Públicas, Universidad de Alicante (2018) Her research explores Spanish TV fiction, particularly on VOD platforms, addressing themes like gender representation, transmedia storytelling, and substance use portrayal among youth. She has contributed to studies on streaming content trends, pandemic narratives, and cultural revival strategies in television. Patricia collaborates with the Spanish TV Discourse Observatory and participates in academic knowledge transfer initiatives. She has published extensively on television studies, cultural industries, and media discourse, with notable works analyzing feminist narratives, streaming platform impacts, and visual communication trends.
