Laura Kanost

Laura Kanost is a Professor in the Department of Modern Languages at Kansas State University. Her research focuses on Latin American literature, translation studies, disability studies, gender analysis, and service-learning pedagogy. She has taught courses ranging from 19th-century narratives to advanced translation and community engagement projects.

• Education: Ph.D. and M.A. in Spanish from the University of Kansas (2007, 2003), and a B.A. in Spanish and English with a Secondary Major in Latin American Studies from Kansas State University (2001).

Her research explores intersections of gender, mental health, and political identity in Latin American texts, including analyses of modernismo, disability narratives, and women’s roles in revolutionary contexts. She has published extensively in journals like Hispanófila, Disability Studies Quarterly, and Hispanic Review, often emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches.

Notable works include translations of Mexican literature, co-authored open-access textbooks, and a co-edited anthology of Mexican women screenwriters. Her pedagogical contributions highlight service-learning and community translation, bridging academic and practical applications of language studies.