Ana-Isabel Aliaga-Buchenau

Anabel Aliaga-Buchenau is Professor of German and Comparative Literature at UNC Charlotte, where she has served since 2020. She holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from UNC Chapel Hill (1997) and a Staatsexamen from Göttingen University (1993). A native of Germany, her academic leadership includes roles as Department Chair (2023-present), Associate Chair (2014-2023), and Bonnie E. Cone Teaching Professorship (2009-2012). Her outreach initiatives provide annual scholarships for German majors to study abroad.

• Education
  • Ph.D. Comparative Literature, UNC Chapel Hill (1997)
  • Staatsexamen, Göttingen University (1993)
  • M.A. Comparative Literature, UNC Chapel Hill (1991)
  • Zwischenprüfung (B.A. equivalent), Göttingen University (1989)

Her research focuses on 19th-century German immigrants and their literary production, particularly women immigrants to the Americas. She also specializes in translating memoirs and novels between German, Spanish, and English. Her academic contributions enhance her teaching of upper-level German courses, translation classes, and interdisciplinary general education programs.

• Scientific Awards
  • Board of Governors’ Excellence in Teaching Award (2022)
  • Bank of America Teaching Award (2021, Finalist 2012)
  • Carnegie/Case Professor of the Year Nominee (2011)
  • Bonnie E. Cone Teaching Professorship (2009-2012)

As Department Chair, she leads the Languages and Culture Studies unit, overseeing academic programs and faculty development. Her career spans multiple institutions, including Davidson College and the University of Southern Mississippi.