Beatriz L. Botero

Beatriz L. Botero is a Lecturer of Integrated Liberal Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, specializing in Latin American literature, psychoanalysis, and cultural studies. She is affiliated with the Latin American, Caribbean, and Iberian Studies program (LACIS) and the Center for Culture, History, and Environment (CHE). Dr. Botero has taught at universities across Colombia, Chile, Spain, Singapore, and the United States, bringing a global perspective to her interdisciplinary scholarship and teaching.

Dr. Botero earned two PhDs: one in Contemporary Hispanic American Literature from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and another in Psychoanalysis with Summa Cum Laude honors from the Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain. Her educational journey began with undergraduate studies in Psychology and Literature in Bogotá, Colombia, followed by additional studies in art and culture at Université Sorbonne-Paris and Richmond College in London.

Dr. Botero's research centers on identity, the body, and social conflict in Latin American literature, particularly Colombian novels. She expertly bridges psychoanalytic theory with literary criticism to explore how literature processes collective trauma and represents societal issues. Her scholarship extends to visual culture, examining connections between artistic production and urgent social problems like migration and poverty. She has made significant contributions to understanding gender violence in contemporary Latin American literature through a psychoanalytic lens, demonstrating how protagonists express fears, passions, and illnesses that reflect broader societal conditions.

Dr. Botero's scholarly publications reveal a consistent evolution from textual analysis to broader theoretical frameworks. Her work shows increasing integration of community perspectives and visual culture, reflecting her active engagement with contemporary social movements. A distinctive feature across her research is the application of psychoanalytic concepts to understand literature's role in processing violence, identity formation, and social conflict in Latin American contexts.

Dr. Botero has received notable recognition for her teaching excellence:

• 2023 CLASP Junior Faculty Teaching Award from the Consortium of Latin American Studies Programs, announced at the Latin American Studies Association (LASA) conference in Vancouver

Dr. Botero actively extends her academic work into community engagement through multiple initiatives. She is a founder Board Member of MIWISCONSIN, a nonprofit providing Spanish-language news to Wisconsin communities, and contributes mental health programming for the Latino community through WORT 89.9 FM. She participates in the WIT (Women in Translation) project and works on initiatives supporting displaced women in Colombia and new Latino journalists in Wisconsin. Her collaboration between the Memory Cloth Circle of Madison and Casa de la Paz in Colombia uses weaving for memory building and reconciliation, demonstrating her commitment to community-based approaches to social issues.

Dr. Botero maintains an active creative practice in watercolor painting and photography, which directly informs her scholarly work on visual culture. Her artistic explorations of everyday beauty and detail are showcased through her Instagram accounts (@lboteroart, @blbotero), creating a meaningful connection between her personal creativity and academic pursuits.