Alana Alvarez

Dr. Alana Alvarez serves as Associate Professor of Spanish in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Mercer University since 2016. She teaches all levels of Spanish, including specialized courses on oral histories, Latino studies, and Hispanic literature, employing creative pedagogical methods through games, cultural materials, and personal narratives to foster cultural awareness.

Her academic credentials include:

• Ph.D. in Spanish, Vanderbilt University
• M.A. in Spanish, Vanderbilt University
• B.A. in Letras, Universidad Central de Venezuela

Dr. Alvarez's research centers on critical race theory and whitening studies, with concentrated analysis of mestizaje's negative connotations in Latin America. She examines Venezuelan literature and historical materials from the 18th to mid-20th century through material-culture frameworks, interrogating nationalist discourses and processes of racial whitening.

Her recent scholarly output demonstrates consistent focus on race representation in Latin American literary contexts, particularly exploring modernity narratives and mestizaje in Venezuelan intellectual history as evidenced by her 2023 Hispania publication.

Dr. Alvarez has collaborated on National Endowment for the Humanities grant project "Integrating Voices of Refugees and Immigrants: Faculty and Curriculum Development" with Dr. Katherine Roseau and Mrs. Libertad Aranza, developing curriculum that incorporates immigrant and refugee perspectives.