Ofelia Cuevas

Ofelia Cuevas, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chicana/o Studies at the University of California, Davis, within the College of Letters and Science. Her interdisciplinary scholarship bridges Critical Race Studies, Visual and Cultural Studies, Geography, and Law, focusing on racial violence, policing, and carceral systems.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Ethnic Studies, University of California, San Diego (2008)
• M.A. in Ethnic Studies, University of California, San Diego (2000)
• B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies, University of California, Berkeley (1996)

Her research interrogates how race, law, visual culture, and spatial control intersect in the production of state violence. She explores ethical crises in racialized governance and the dehumanization embedded in policing practices. Her work critically examines the material and discursive terrains of incarceration, particularly in Los Angeles.

Her recent publications span topics such as racial subjectivity, prison housing, and the media's role in normalizing punishment. These works reflect a consistent engagement with abolitionist frameworks, spatial politics, and the visual representation of racialized bodies in carceral contexts.

Scientific Awards:

• UC President’s Postdoctoral Fellow

Dr. Cuevas has taught extensively across the University of California system and is currently completing two book manuscripts: Mortifications of the Flesh: Racial Violence in a Time of Crisis and Policing L.A.’s Human Terrain: The Criminal Non-Human at Point Zero. While no formal advising list is provided, her role as Assistant Professor implies mentorship of graduate and undergraduate students in Chicana/o Studies and related fields. There is no mention of grants, labs, or research teams in the provided text.