Jessica Folkart

Jessica Folkart is Professor of Spanish and Chair of the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures at Virginia Tech. With a faculty tenure since 1998, her work focuses on contemporary Spanish prose, identity, and migration narratives.

• Education:
  • PhD, University of Kansas
  • MA, University of Kansas
  • BA, College of William and Mary

Research interests include:

• Contemporary Spanish Fiction
• Migration and Identity Construction
• Gender and Cultural Studies
• Disability Representation in Literature
• Post-Franco Spain Discourse

Article trends span critical editions of Spanish authors like Cristina Fernández Cubas, analyses of time/identity/grief intersections, immigrant narratives in postmodern contexts, and theoretical explorations of disability and gender.

Awards:

• William E. Wine Award
• Alumni Teaching Award
• Panhellenic Teacher of Excellence
• Certificates of Teaching Excellence

Her teaching includes courses such as 20th- & 21st-Century Hispanic Literature and Advanced Grammar and Style. Professional roles include chairing the Alumni Teaching Award Committee and serving on promotion/tenure committees.