Marianela Muñoz

Dr. Marianela Muñoz serves as Associate Professor in the School of Philology, Linguistics, and Literature at the University of Costa Rica.

Her academic credentials include:

• Bachelors in Spanish Philology from the University of Costa Rica
• Masters in Literature from the University of Costa Rica
• MBA in Cultural Institutions from the University of Salamanca
• PhD in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin with portfolios in African and African Diaspora Studies and Native American and Indigenous Studies

Her research centers on decolonial and intersectional frameworks examining race, ethnicity, and gender in Latin America. She investigates Indigenous and Black epistemologies alongside feminist perspectives on cultural production, with specific focus on Mestizo nationalisms and state multicultural policies across the region.

Her current book project analyzes Black women's political participation in Costa Rican state institutions through historical and ethnographic methodologies, building on her dissertation research.

Notable recognition includes:

• Fulbright-Laspau scholar fellowship

As an active faculty member, she mentors graduate students in Latin American studies while advancing research on racial justice and decolonial theory, though specific grant details remain unmentioned in source materials.