Marilén Loyola

Marilén Loyola is an Assistant Professor of Spanish and Chair of Latin American and Latinx Studies at Lake Forest College. She holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Spanish and Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Michigan. Her research focuses on migration, memory, and ethical imagination in Latin American and Spanish literature and theater. She has authored works on topics such as migration in Hispanic literature, memory in theater, and Holocaust representation in Spanish drama. Loyola has presented at international conferences including NeMLA, SAMLA, and the Transatlantic Studies Association, and has received multiple grants and awards, including the Last Lecture Award and Excellence in Teaching Award. Her academic service includes roles as a faculty grant recipient and advisor.

Education:

• Ph.D. Spanish, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• M.A. Spanish, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• M.A. Anthropology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• B.A. Anthropology, University of Michigan

Research Interests: Migration narratives, memory in theater and literature, ethical imagination, Latin American and Spanish cultural studies, and transatlantic memory theater. Her work often explores how artistic mediums engage with historical trauma and cultural identity.

Awards:

• Last Lecture Award (Rockford University, 2021)
• Excellence in Teaching Award (Rockford University, 2018)
• Humanities Institute Faculty Fellowship (UT Austin, 2015)

Grants & Advising: Multiple Faculty Development Grants (Rockford University, 2016–2022) and Summer Research Stipends. She has advised student projects and led workshops on study abroad programs.