Mark W. Lentz

Mark W. Lentz is an Associate Professor of Latin American History at Utah Valley University, specializing in colonial Mexico, Central America, and the Atlantic World. His research focuses on interethnic relations, linguistic dynamics, and religious influences during the Spanish colonial period.

• Ph.D., Tulane University (2009)
• 2015-2016 R. David Parsons Fellow, John Carter Brown Library
• 2007-2008 Graduate Fellow, Tulane University Center for Ethics

Lentz's work explores interpreters in the conquest of Yucatan, indigenous-African interactions, and Jesuit pedagogical practices. He has led student travel programs to Spain and Utah, emphasizing multicultural historical experiences.

His 2018 monograph Murder in Merida, 1792 analyzes colonial legal systems, while his award-winning article in the Hispanic American Historical Review (2018) examines creole and African-descent literacy in indigenous languages.

• 2018 Best Article Prize, RMCLAS

Lentz’s publications reveal trends in colonial power structures, missionary impact, and multilingual societies. His academic roles integrate fieldwork, archival research, and interdisciplinary analysis.

Outside academia, he engages in Wasatch Range outdoor activities like hiking and skiing.