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Elizabeth Garcia is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of Colorado Denver's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She teaches courses including Culture, Racism, and Alienation; Chicano/a and Latino/a History; Introduction to Ethnic Studies; and specialized topics in Latina Narratives and Feminisms. Her educational background includes: Ph.D. in Comparative Ethnic Studies from University of California, Berkeley M.A. in Comparative Ethnic Studies from University of California, Berkeley B.A. in American Civilization/Economics from Brown University Dr. Garcia is an interdisciplinary scholar whose work centers on representations of gender, race, and sexuality in Latina women's literature and Latinx Children & Young Adult literature. Her research examines how cultural memory, identity formation, and healing practices manifest in literary works by Puerto Rican and other Latinx women authors. She explores the intersections of feminist theory, diaspora studies, and cultural representation through close literary analysis. Her scholarly output demonstrates a consistent focus on Puerto Rican women's history and contemporary Latinx narratives. The publications reveal a progression from historical analysis of Puerto Rican women's literature to contemporary examinations of gender in Latinx children's and young adult literature. Her recent work shows increasing attention to feminist disobedience, healing narratives, and representations of spirituality in Latinx writing. Dr. Garcia has held previous faculty and administrative positions at Hunter College, Connecticut College, Wesleyan University, and the University of Florida before joining CU Denver. Her current book manuscript in progress, Malcriadas: Feminist Disobedience in Latinx Young Adult and Children's Literature , continues her exploration of gender representation in youth literature.

• Latina women's literature
• Latinx Children & Young Adult literature
• Gender representations
• +5 more

Karen Jaime is an Associate Professor at Cornell University within the College of Arts and Sciences, jointly appointed in Performing and Media Arts and Latina/o Studies. An interdisciplinary scholar, her work bridges performance studies, queer studies, and Latinx studies to analyze racialized sexualities and aesthetics in Loisaida (Lower East Side) communities. Education: Ph.D., Performance Studies, New York University M.A., Performance Studies, New York University B.A., History and Spanish Literature, Cornell University Karen's research interrogates queer nightlife cultures, minoritarian aesthetics, and spoken word poetry as political acts. She explores how marginalized communities use performance to challenge norms and preserve cultural memory, particularly in Latinx and Afro-Caribbean contexts. Her award-winning monograph The Queer Nuyorican reclaims the Nuyorican Poets Cafe as a historically queer space. Other publications in journals like TSQ: Transgender Studies Quarterly and anthologies such as Flicker and Spark further expand these themes. Scientific Awards: 2023-2024 Schomburg Center Fellowship 2023 Cornell Faculty Champion Award 2022 Victor Villaseñor Best Latino Focused Nonfiction Book Award 2019-2020 Career Enhancement Fellowships Karen also curates courses like Nightlife and Performance Studies: Theories and Methods , emphasizing intersectional pedagogy. As a spoken word artist and co-editor of Memorias de Miguel , she actively bridges academia and community engagement.

• Performance studies
• Queer studies
• Queer of color critique
• +8 more

Albert Sergio Laguna is Associate Professor of American Studies and Ethnicity, Race, & Migration at Yale University. His scholarship examines Latinx cultural production through transnational and comparative frameworks, with a focus on Cuban American expressive cultures. His award-winning book Diversión: Play and Popular Culture in Cuban America analyzes the intersection of entertainment, politics, and diaspora identity. His research has been recognized with multiple awards including the Latin American Studies Association's Article Award, Robert K. Martin Book Prize, and the L.S. Dembo Prize for literary scholarship. His public scholarship extends to publications in The Miami Herald , The Washington Post , and CNN.com.

• Transnational Latinx Literatures
• Comparative Ethnic Studies
• Performance Studies
• +2 more

Dr. Kiana González Cedeño is an Assistant Professor at Texas Christian University (TCU), affiliated with the Comparative Race & Ethnic Studies program. She holds a Ph.D. in English from Michigan State University, with certificates in Chicano/Latino Studies, Caribbean and Latin American Studies, and Women and Gender Studies. Her research focuses on Puerto Rican resistance through cultural lamentation and women-led community mobilization post-ecological disasters. Education: Ph.D. in English, Michigan State University (with interdisciplinary certificates) M.A. in Hispanic Literature, Michigan State University B.A. in Spanish Language, Literature, and Culture, University of North Florida Research Interests: Dr. González Cedeño explores how marginalized communities resist colonization and environmental crises through cultural practices. Her work bridges critical race theory, feminist frameworks, and Caribbean studies. She investigates how lamentation in Puerto Rican popular culture serves as a tool for rebellion and memory preservation. Grants & Affiliations: She is a Solidarity Fellow in the Mellon Diaspora Solidarities Lab and a Research Fellow with the Mellon Bridging the Divides grant at CENTRO: The Center for Puerto Rican Studies. Her current projects examine women’s roles in post-disaster restoration and decolonial solidarity networks.

• Puerto Rican/Latinx Popular Literature and Culture
• Women of Color/Third World Feminism
• Critical Race Theory
• +3 more

Thomas F. Anderson is Professor of Spanish and Latin American Literature at the University of Notre Dame's Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, with a specialization in Hispanic Caribbean literature and culture. He holds dual fellowships at the university's Institute for Latino Studies and Helen Kellogg Institute for International Studies. Anderson earned his B.A. from Bowdoin College and M.A./Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. His research focuses on Hispanic Caribbean cultural production, particularly Cuban and Puerto Rican literature, Afro-Cuban studies, human rights narratives, and U.S.-Latin American relations. His current book project examines representations of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement in Cuban poetry. Anderson's scholarly approach combines literary analysis with historical contextualization, emphasizing themes of national identity, racial dynamics, and revolutionary politics. Publications predominantly explore Cuban literary figures and cultural movements, with recurring focus on Virgilio Piñera, Nicolás Guillén, and Afro-Cubanismo poetry. His work shows consistent engagement with: Political dimensions of Caribbean literature Racial identity in cultural expression Revolutionary-era intellectual history Transnational literary connections Awards include: Kellogg Institute Faculty Fellowship (since 2000) Faculty Residential Fellowship, Helen Kellogg Institute Anderson has secured intramural grants for projects including the Chilean Film Festival (2011) and DIVEDCO art exhibitions. He co-curated major exhibits on Puerto Rico's Division of Community Education art, displayed at the Snite Museum, National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture, and internationally.

• Hispanic Caribbean Literature
• Afro-Cuban Studies
• Human Rights
• +7 more

Tace Hedrick is a Professor at the University of Florida, specializing in United States Latinx/Chicanx and Latin American Studies. Her research focuses on intellectual history, popular genre studies, and feminist critiques of Latina literature and gothic romance. She has published widely on topics such as New Age spirituality, Mestiza identity, and the intersection of race, sexuality, and religion. Recent and upcoming talks include discussions on Silvia Moreno-García’s Mexican Gothic and Gloria Anzaldúa’s psychological frameworks at conferences like Latinx Visions and the Latinx Studies Association. Her current book project explores New Age spiritual belief systems in Latin/x America, analyzing the works of Gloria Anzaldúa, Walter Mercado, and Ana Mendieta. Hedrick’s scholarship bridges literature and cultural critique, examining how Latinx/Chicanx artists re-imagine racialized and sexualized imagery. Key publications include Chica Lit: Popular Latina Fiction and Americanization in the Twenty-First Century (2015) and multiple peer-reviewed essays on gothic fiction, queer temporality, and cultural hybridity. Her work emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to understanding Latinx identity, blending literary analysis with historical and social contexts. Awards and grants are not explicitly listed, but her extensive publication record reflects sustained academic engagement with marginalized narratives and cultural politics.

• United States Latinx/Chicanx Studies
• Latin American Intellectual History
• Popular Genre Studies
• +5 more

Lawrence La Fountain-Stokes is a Professor at the University of Michigan, holding affiliations in the Department of Romance Languages & Literatures (Spanish), Department of American Culture, and Latina/o Studies Program. His research focuses on queer and transgender studies, Puerto Rican and Hispanic Caribbean cultures, and performance studies. He is the author of Translocas: The Politics of Puerto Rican Drag and Trans Performance (winner of the Sylvia Rivera Award) and Queer Ricans: Cultures and Sexualities in the Diaspora . He serves on committees for the Modern Language Association and CUNY’s Center for LGBTQ Studies. Education: Ph.D. in Comparative Literature, Columbia University (1999). Courses taught include 'Drag in America,' 'Queer/Cuir Americas,' and 'Gender and Sexuality in Latin America.' Research explores drag performance’s intersection with migration, anti-Black racism, and diaspora, emphasizing artists like Sylvia Rivera and Kevin Fret. His recent work analyzes contemporary Puerto Rican performance and feminist hip-hop culture. Awards include the University of Michigan Press Book Award (2023) and honors from the Puerto Rican Studies Association. Professional affiliations include the Latin American Studies Association (former Sexualities Studies Section chair), Caribbean Studies Association, and the American Studies Association. Current projects include a book on contemporary Puerto Rican performance and analyses of transloca artists like Aravind Enrique Adyanthaya. Lab/Team: Active in interdisciplinary collaborations, including the Latina/o Studies Program and transnational LGBTQ+ studies networks.

• Latina/o studies
• Puerto Rican and Hispanic Caribbean studies
• Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
• +3 more

Frances Negron-Muntaner is the Julian Clarence Levi Professor in the Humanities at Columbia University. She specializes in Caribbean and U.S. Latino literatures, film/media studies, and critical race theory. Her research bridges cultural production, politics, and social justice. She holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from Rutgers University and an M.A. in Visual Anthropology from Temple University. Her career includes award-winning films such as Brincando el charco: Portrait of a Puerto Rican and War for Guam , alongside influential publications like Boricua Pop . She has directed Columbia’s Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race (2009–2016) and co-founded NALIP, the National Association of Latino Independent Producers. Recognitions include Columbia’s prestigious Lenfest Award (2012) and the Frank Bonilla Public Intellectual Award (2019). Her work emphasizes intersectionality, decolonial thought, and the role of art in social movements. Current projects include an intellectual biography of Arthur Schomburg and public art installations addressing economic justice.

• Caribbean Literatures
• U.S. Latino Cultures
• Film Studies
• +3 more

Regina Marie Mills is an Assistant Professor of Latinx and U.S. Multi-Ethnic Literature in the Department of English at Texas A&M University, with a core faculty role in the Latina/o and Mexican American Studies program. She is a first-generation college graduate and recipient of the Elton Lewis Faculty Fellowship in Liberal Arts. Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin (2018) M.A., University of Texas at Austin (2014) M.Ed., Arizona State University (2011) B.A., Washington and Lee University (2009) Her research spans AfroLatinx and Latinx literature , life writing studies , refugee narratives , and game studies . She examines intersections of race, ethnicity, and representation in texts ranging from memoirs to video games, including her monograph Invisibility and Influence: A Literary History of AfroLatinidades (2024). Recent publications focus on topics such as Latinx gaming narratives , Guatemalan diasporic fiction , and queer Latinx youth media . Her awards include the Montague-CTE Scholar Award and fellowships with Arts & Humanities (2024-27) and Glasscock (2023-24). Dr. Mills advocates for inclusive pedagogy , mentoring first-generation students and integrating game-based learning into literature courses. She previously worked as a high school English teacher in Arizona.

• Latinx Studies
• AfroLatinx Literature
• Life Writing
• +6 more

Priscilla Oliveras is a USA Today bestselling author and mentor in Seton Hill University's Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Writing Popular Fiction program, where she leverages her expertise in contemporary romance with Latinx cultural elements. She also teaches the "Romance Writing" online course for ed2go, focusing on craft techniques for emerging authors. Her academic credentials include: MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University (2013) MPA from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville (2010) BA from University of Maryland, University College (2004) Oliveras specializes in contemporary romance literature with deep emphasis on authentic Latinx representation, exploring how cultural identity shapes relationship dynamics and narrative structures. Her research examines genre conventions through the lens of Puerto Rican-Mexican heritage, analyzing emotional pacing, character authenticity, and cultural specificity in romance fiction. She investigates how romance novels can serve as vehicles for cultural preservation and cross-cultural understanding while adhering to genre expectations. Her 2017-2018 publications demonstrate consistent thematic focus on Latinx protagonists navigating love within cultural contexts, with recurring exploration of family dynamics, community identity, and emotional vulnerability. The works exhibit sophisticated integration of romance genre frameworks with culturally specific settings and character motivations, advancing representation standards in commercial fiction through authentic cultural details and nuanced relationship development. Key recognitions include: USA Today Bestselling Author designation 2018 RWA RITA double finalist for Best First Book and Best Mid-Length Contemporary As an MFA mentor, Oliveras guides graduate students in popular fiction craft while developing professional presentations on romance writing fundamentals. Her workshop series covers essential elements including plot architecture ("Dissecting the Romance Plot with 'You've Got Mail'"), character development techniques ("Characters: The Heart of the Romance Novel"), emotional pacing strategies ("Balancing Emotion and Pacing for Unforgettable Fiction"), and marketing approaches ("Marketing for Discoverability"). She serves as Director-at-Large on the Romance Writers of America National Board, contributing to industry standards and author development initiatives.

• Contemporary Romance
• Latinx Literature
• Creative Writing
• +2 more