John Morán González

John Morán González serves as the J. Frank Dobie Regents Professor of American and English Literature and Chair of the English Department at the University of Texas at Austin within the College of Liberal Arts. A leading scholar in Latine literature and U.S.-Mexico borderland studies, he explores intersections of race, violence, and cultural memory in post-1865 American literary traditions.

His academic foundation includes:

• Ph.D. in English and American Literature, Stanford University (1998)
• M.A. in English and American Literature, Stanford University (1991)
• A.B. in English Literature, Princeton University (1988, magna cum laude)

González's research critically examines borderland cultures through Mexican-American literary history and public humanities initiatives. His work confronts historical trauma while documenting cultural renaissances in contested spaces, particularly focusing on state violence along the U.S.-Mexico border and its representation in literature.

His publications reveal a sustained engagement with ethnic literary emergence, historical memory, and transnational narratives. Monographs and edited volumes consistently bridge academic scholarship with community-centered public history, demonstrating how borderland literature challenges dominant national narratives through counter-memory practices.

Major recognitions include:

• Induction into the Texas Institute of Letters (2025)
• CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title award (2018) for co-editing The Cambridge History of Latina/o American Literature
• Public history awards from the American Historical Association, Organization of American Historians, National Council on Public History, and Western History Association for Refusing to Forget

Administrative leadership includes former Directorship of the Center for Mexican American Studies and Acting Directorship of the Plan II Honors Program. Current board service with Humanities Texas and the Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage Project reflects ongoing institutional commitment to preserving marginalized narratives.

González co-founded Refusing to Forget (RTF), a pioneering public history project memorializing state violence in South Texas borderlands (1910-1920). RTF's award-winning work combines archival research with community engagement, establishing new models for confronting historical trauma through exhibitions, educational programs, and policy advocacy.