Melani Martinez

Melani Martinez is a Senior Lecturer in the Writing Program at the University of Arizona, where she also leads testimonio initiatives for Project ADELANTE. A native of Tucson and a first-generation graduate of the University of Arizona, she holds a BA in Creative Writing and an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Goucher College.

Her research focuses on Borderlands studies, Mestiza Rhetorics, and traditional foodways, with deep engagement in Sonoran and Southern Arizona history and folklore. She teaches foundational writing courses centered on the Borderlands and Food Writing, integrating cultural narratives into composition pedagogy.

Her forthcoming memoir, The Molino, to be published by the University of Arizona Press, chronicles her family's early 20th-century tamal and tortilla factory in Tucson’s historic Presidio District, blending personal, cultural, and regional history.

She contributes to community-centered scholarship through her role in Project ADELANTE, emphasizing testimonio as a method of amplifying underrepresented voices in the Borderlands.

Notable Affiliations:

• Writing Program, University of Arizona
• Project ADELANTE (Testimonio Lead)

Academic Background:

• BA in Creative Writing, University of Arizona
• MFA in Creative Nonfiction, Goucher College

Teaching Focus:

• Borderlands-focused foundation writing
• Food Writing