Luciano Tosta

Luciano Tosta is an Associate Professor of Spanish & Portuguese and Director of the Center for Global & International Studies at the University of Kansas. His academic career includes teaching positions at Harvard University, Brown University, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from Brown University and multiple master’s degrees from institutions including SUNY Buffalo and Universidade Federal da Bahia. His research focuses on Brazil’s transnational cultural movements in literature, music, and cinema, with theoretical grounding in postcolonial, ethnic, and subaltern studies. He has received prestigious awards such as the Vice Chancellor for Research Book Publication Award (2016) and recognition for teaching excellence at multiple universities.

Prof. Tosta’s research explores themes like nation-making, transnationalism, and cultural hybridity in hemispheric American contexts. His publications span academic journals and books, including Confluence Narratives (2016) and co-edited volumes on Luso-American literature. Current projects include a manuscript on Brazilian American literature’s transnational political dimensions. His teaching emphasizes 19th–20th century Brazilian literature, Afro-Brazilian studies, and literary theory.

• Education:
  • Ph.D. in Comparative Literature, Brown University
  • Master’s in Comparative Literature and Portuguese & Brazilian Studies (Brown)
  • Master’s in Comparative Literature, SUNY Buffalo (Fulbright Scholar)
  • Bachelor’s and Licenciatura in English, Universidade Federal da Bahia
• Awards:
  • 2016 Vice Chancellor Book Award
  • 2016–2017 Cramer Faculty Award
  • Harvard Teaching Excellence Certificate
• Grants & Labs: Ongoing work in transamerican studies and collaborative research on hemispheric cultural exchanges.

His academic leadership includes directing interdisciplinary initiatives at KU’s Center for Global & International Studies, fostering research on transnational issues across multiple regions.