Marcela Lemos

Marcela Lemos is Assistant Professor of Portuguese in the Department of World Languages and Cultures at Utah State University, within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. She teaches courses in Luso-Afro-Brazilian literatures, visual culture, translation, and Portuguese language, integrating research and pedagogy.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Portuguese, Indiana University Bloomington
• Ph.D. in Literary Studies, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil
• M.A. in Literary Studies, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Her research centers on ekphrastic photography in contemporary literature, particularly in narratives of political memory and human rights violations in Brazil and Argentina. She also investigates task-based language teaching and curriculum design for Portuguese language instruction. Her publications appear in Journal of Lusophone Studies, Hispania, and Spanish and Portuguese Review.

Her recent scholarly work explores intersections of visual culture, memory, and trauma in Latin American literature, while her pedagogical research advances task complexity and language learning. She has contributed to peer-edited collections on WWII memories and Lusophone cultural studies.

Scientific Awards:

• Latino Studies Dissertation Completion Fellowship
• Dr. William Slaymaker Graduate Fellowship
• HASTAC Scholarship
• Tinker Field Research Grant
• AATSP Rising Star Teacher of the Year
• AATSP First-Place Graduate Student Day Competition

She mentors graduate students and leads professionalization workshops. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes empathy, cultural knowledge, and task-based engagement for learners from novice to advanced levels. She has designed curricula for Portuguese for Special Purposes and heritage speaker instruction.

Dr. Lemos is actively involved in academic service and community building, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration in humanities and language education. Her work bridges literary scholarship and applied linguistics, contributing to both theoretical and practical advancements in the field.