Juana María Rodríguez

Professor Juana María Rodríguez is a faculty member in the Department of Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, with core affiliations in Performance Studies. Her work bridges queer of color theory, affect studies, and critical race theory.

• Ph.D. in Ethnic Studies, UC Berkeley (1998)
• M.A. in English and Comparative Literature, Columbia University (1991)
• B.A. in Liberal Studies, San Francisco State University (1988)

Her research explores racialized gender and sexuality; queer Caribbean and Latinx cultural production; affective and aesthetic practices; and the intersections of law, media, and critical race theory. She is the author of three acclaimed books, including Puta Life: Seeing Latinas, Working Sex (2023), Sexual Futures, Queer Gestures, and Other Latina Longings (2014), and Queer Latinidad: Identity Practices, Discursive Spaces (2003). Her work has been recognized with awards like the Alan Bray Memorial Book Prize and Lambda Literary Finalist distinction.

Recent publications focus on queer archives, affective methodologies, and Latinx media practices. She has also contributed to LGBTQ+ anthologies and academic journals internationally.

Scientific Awards & Honors

• Kessler Prize, CLAGS Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies (2022)
• John P. Birkelund Fellow in the Humanities, American Academy in Berlin (2021)
• Alan Bray Memorial Book Prize, Modern Language Association (2015)
• Lambda Literary Finalist for LGBT Studies (2015)
• Distinguished Teaching Award, UC Berkeley (2013)
• Distinguished Faculty Mentor Award, UC Berkeley (2013)
• Chancellor’s Public Fellow, UC Berkeley (2010)

Professor Rodríguez serves as affiliated faculty with multiple Berkeley centers, including the Center for New Media, Center for Latin American Studies, and Center for the Study of Sexual Cultures.